Pulotu - Culture Sa'a

Sa'a

Sa'a-speakers of Maramasike (Small Malaita), Ulawa, Uki Ni Masi and the Three Sisters Islands.

Traditional Culture (1896)

Isolation

Question	Response	Source
Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km)	0	Tryon and Hackman 1983: 24
Distance to nearest continent (km)	1775	Tryon and Hackman 1983: 24

Physical Environment

Question	Response	Source
Longitude of culture’s location (°)	161.5	Tryon and Hackman 1983: 24
Latitude of culture’s location (°)	-9.6	Tryon and Hackman 1983: 24

Question	Response	Source
Number of islands inhabited by culture	Four or more	Tryon and Hackman 1983: 24

Question	Response	Source
Maximum elevation (meters)	518	Clark 2008: 64
Island Size (km²)	481	Clark 2008: 64

Social Environment

Question	Response	Source
Estimate of culture population size at relevant time focus	6000	2014; Eberhard et al. (eds.) 2020; Ivens 1911; Ivens 1913
Importance of Matrilateral descent (V.2)	Medium (Matrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, but is not the most important form of descent.)	Ivens 1972: 55-70
Importance of Patrilateral descent (V.2)	High (Patrilateral descent plays an important role in determining social status and / or group membership, and is more important than any other form of descent.)	Ivens 1972: 55-70
Polygamy (SCCS 861)	Limited polygyny (< 20% of married males)	Ivens 1972: 127
Marital residence (SCCS 69)	Patrilocal or virilocal - with husband's kin	Ivens 1972: 71-108
Estimated population of largest political community	100-999	Ivens 1972: 22-54, 25, 109-129
Political Authority	Local (encompasses the local community and / or multiple sublocal groups)	Ivens 1972: 22-54, 109-129

Question	Response	Source
(No) conflict (social or political) within the local community (SCCS v 767)	Moderate (Conflict occurs frequently but is seldom violent, or is violent but occurs only occasionally.)	Ivens 1972: 12-13, 294-304
(No) internal warfare (between communities of the same society) (SCCS v 773)	Occasional, at least every generation	Ivens 1972: 294-304
(No) external warfare (with other societies) (SCCS v 774)	Occasional, at least every generation	Ivens 1972: 24-25, 294-304, 309-310

Coordinates WGS84

9°36'S, 161°30'E
-9.60, 161.50

Sa'a, Ulawa, Uki Ni Masi

2014: Daft Logic Area Calculator
Clark 2008: Friction Zones in Lapita Colonisation
Eberhard et al. (eds.) 2020: Ethnologue: Languages of the World (23rd ed.)
Ivens 1911: Grammar of the language of Sa'a, Malaita, Solomon Islands
Ivens 1913: Grammar of the language of Ulawa, Solomon Islands
Ivens 1972: Melanesians of the south-east Solomon Islands
Tryon and Hackman 1983: Solomon Islands languages: An internal classification. Canberra, Australia: Department of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University.