Malaita
Life and Canoes in Langa Langa Lagoon
November 2006
Langa Langa Lagoon lies along the western coast of Malaita in the Solomon Islands. Communities live along the mainland shore and on small artificial islands constructed over generations by depositing coral stone and other material in shallow lagoon waters.
According to local oral histories, people began building islands in the lagoon after moving from Malaita’s interior because of warfare, sorcery, famine, and other social pressures. These accounts should not be reduced to a single explanation, although protection from conflict was one important factor. The artificial islands became enduring centers of settlement, cultural identity, and economic life.
Canoes remained essential when these photographs were taken in 2006. Small dugout canoes provided transportation between settlements and access to fishing grounds, gardens, markets, and the Malaita mainland. Langa Langa communities also developed a wider reputation for skilled boatbuilding, including the later construction of plank-built sailing and motor vessels.
The photographs document a lagoon community closely connected to the water: houses built beside or above the shoreline, residents traveling and carrying produce by canoe, locally prepared food, fishing activity, and the changing colors of the lagoon at sunset.
