Local children fishing, Lonahan village
Elias of Lonahan village at the entrance to Teama Cave
Stanley Tsora, chief of Lonahan
at the panorama of jungle and areca (betelnut) palms down below, I was approached by a man wearing a red and blue AROB (Autonomous Region of Bougainville) t-shirt. At once he enquired about the reason for my whereabouts. Elias was his name. “I will come with you for safety, but we must first ask permission from the ‘Member.’ It is the custom… you know.” Stanley Tsora, the chief of Lonahan and a political entity, was indeed on the beach. An imposing figure with a broad chest, he welcomed me cheerfully as I introduced myself. He would be coming along.
This little hut – with a makeshift kitchen at the front – sits inside a small cave at Lonahan Beach
VOLUME 39 2024
12
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog