0:00:03 > 0:00:05There are people on our planet
0:00:05 > 0:00:09who are more at home in water than on land.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11CHILDREN HOLLER
0:00:15 > 0:00:20In a distant corner of the western Pacific lies the Coral Triangle.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25These waters are the richest on Earth,
0:00:25 > 0:00:30and the people here have adapted to ocean life like nowhere else.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36My name is Will Millard.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Buena.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I'm a writer and for much of the last eight years,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I've been working and exploring in this remote region.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45God! This place is a minefield!
0:00:45 > 0:00:49I want to understand the unique bond these people
0:00:49 > 0:00:53have with the ocean, at a time of great change.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55I've never met a shark-finner before.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Now I'm heading off on an expedition across the open sea...
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Here comes the rain.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06..in search of a trade route called the Kula Ring,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10which has linked remote islands for centuries.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13It's not just about this village or even just about this island,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16it's about placing yourself in the whole Kula Ring.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19But as a new form of trade emerges,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22can these ancient connections survive in the 21st century?
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- How much are they? 20?- Yeah.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27ALL CHANT
0:01:34 > 0:01:37I want to find out what the future holds
0:01:37 > 0:01:40for these last hunters of the South Seas.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55In my travels around the Coral Triangle,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I've always been curious about its remotest regions.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01The cultures here have found extraordinary ways
0:02:01 > 0:02:04to thrive, in spite of their isolation.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12So, I'm heading further east than I have ever been into Melanesia,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14where a different people, with their own language,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17live on a tiny outcrop called the Trobriand Islands.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23The Trobriand Islands are found 150 miles
0:02:23 > 0:02:26off the east coast of Papua New Guinea.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31They are famous because of a unique system of trade called Kula
0:02:31 > 0:02:33that links these tiny islands to many others
0:02:33 > 0:02:37in a great circle called the Kula Ring.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42To explore this ring, I'm beginning on Kiriwina,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46the largest island, home to the only airport in the region.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57This is my first time in the Trobriand Islands.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59What's "good" in the Trobriand language?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- Sena buena.- Sena buena. Very good!
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I already know two words and we've only just begun. Sena buena!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10This place feels so remote,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12but there are few places on the planet
0:03:12 > 0:03:15that have been studied quite as much as this place.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19For decades, it's welcomed anthropologists,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21linguists, academics.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22And they've all come here
0:03:22 > 0:03:27and they've discovered a culture that is like no other.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32For almost a century, European academics and explorers
0:03:32 > 0:03:34have flocked here,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38attracted to a culture so radically different to their own.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41At its heart lay Kula.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47As recently as the 1990s, film-makers still captured
0:03:47 > 0:03:50hundreds of islanders setting out in carved canoes,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54sailing across the sea on dramatic Kula expeditions.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Kula is a complex network of gift-giving and trade
0:04:01 > 0:04:04that has been vital to the survival of these remote communities.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The currency of Kula is elaborate armbands
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and necklaces made from shells,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14which are exchanged between different islands.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20But for the last 20 years, little has been heard of Kula,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24with rumours that money has now taken over on Kiriwina.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27I want to see what remains of this unique network
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and find where it is still important in the Kula Ring.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Thanks, guys. All the best.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Buena. Buena.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37Hello.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43My host is Edric Kasaipwalova, the island's only fixer and translator.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47So, this is the village.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's really beautiful.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Edric has arranged for me to stay in his local village.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58- Everyone here is, one way or another, related to us.- Right.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01All our uncles live here.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04ERIC SPEAKS IN HIS NATIVE TONGUE
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- Will, this is Nagiya. - I'm William. Nagiya?- Nagiya.- Nagiya?
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Nice to meet you. Your village is very beautiful.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Yes. ALL LAUGH
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Nagiya is my dad's cousin's brother.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So, he and his family live here.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22OK, great. Which one's your house, Nagiya? Where do you live?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- Right here? - Yeah, that's his house.- Fantastic!
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Oh, thank you, Nagiya. Buena.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Well, shall we go and have a look at my new house?
0:05:39 > 0:05:41OK.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43THEY SPEAK IN THEIR NATIVE TONGUE
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Oh, superb! This is my home. This is it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50This is where I'm going to be. Oh, look!
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Perfect! Nagiya, how did you know?
0:05:54 > 0:05:56WILL LAUGHS
0:05:56 > 0:05:58There we go.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Nagiya lives in the middle of the island
0:06:04 > 0:06:07in one of the most traditional villages.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- Pappa this one. - OK.- Mamma this one.- Right.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Where's Pappa?
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- Wake up! - LAUGHTER
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Everybody in Nagiya's family is a farmer.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Yams are the staple crop of these islands
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and today is planting day.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Just leaving my village behind.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57It's just through there, round the corner.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59The first thing that strikes me here is...
0:06:59 > 0:07:04this place is seriously, seriously cultivated.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08There's sweet potatoes, bananas, taro.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10There's everything you need.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Then...right in front of me here,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18you've got the start of all of the yam gardens.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22SINGING
0:07:30 > 0:07:31OK.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38So, I'll start digging?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Yeah? OK.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It's very dry. Yams are much more than food for Nagiya's family,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48they're integral to all Kula expeditions.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56We have a saying - if you're a man, you must have a yam garden.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Really? - If you can't have a yam garden,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02you don't have a yam garden, you are not considered to be a man. Why?
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Because yams form the basis of wealth for men,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10because everybody uses yams for all the festivities,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12basically, any big ceremonies.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Yams are treated much like money,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18with people such as Nagiya
0:08:18 > 0:08:21stockpiling them in yam houses, like a bank.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24These houses also show off the owner's wealth.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Yeah.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Kula, it seems, begins on the land, rather than the sea.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52ULULATING
0:08:52 > 0:08:54In the last three, four months,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I've been travelling around these tiny communities
0:08:57 > 0:09:01where the sea is everything, surrounded by ocean every day,
0:09:01 > 0:09:06and yet here, it feels like everything is centred on the earth.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08That's not to say that the sea's not important,
0:09:08 > 0:09:13but everything has to start with the yam.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15So, you have got to put the dirt under your fingernails
0:09:15 > 0:09:17before you take to the sea.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31After a day's work, we relax Trobriand style,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33chewing betel nut.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Watch this.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38Like it, huh?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Betel nut is a mild stimulant that also dyes your teeth black.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43LAUGHTER
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Mmm. It's warm. I can feel it burning.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48LAUGHTER
0:09:51 > 0:09:53It's like I've been punched in the mouth.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55LAUGHTER
0:09:57 > 0:10:02- I can feel in my head a bit... - Dizzy?- Yeah, dizzy.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04LAUGHTER
0:10:09 > 0:10:11In some ways Nagiya's life
0:10:11 > 0:10:13seems remarkably unchanged from the old films.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17But this village is unusual.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22In the surrounding areas, many other yam houses lie half built or empty,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24much to Nagiya's disappointment.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48What's the impact on a traditional community celebration like Kula?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Despite his enthusiasm,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Nagiya hasn't been on a Kula expedition for nearly 20 years.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52COCK CROWS
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Goodness me! There's a lot of people, yeah?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The next morning outside of Nagiya's village,
0:12:09 > 0:12:14thousands of people are heading to the northern shore five miles away.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18This is the village of Koibola and if couldn't feel more different.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It's not even six o'clock in the morning
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and there's already hundreds of people here.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27This is the new economy in action.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Oh, my God!
0:12:51 > 0:12:56An enormous passenger ferry looming on the horizon.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00That is...quite extraordinary!
0:13:01 > 0:13:04The Trobriand Islands are now on the cruise-ship circuit
0:13:04 > 0:13:08and 2,000 islanders are gathered to meet the boat.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28GRUNTING
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I don't know whether it's just me, but...that is absolutely insane.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34It looks like it is going to come
0:13:34 > 0:13:36straight into the island and swallow it whole.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38ULULATING
0:13:38 > 0:13:40ALL CHANT
0:13:40 > 0:13:41WHISTLING
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I don't really know how to feel about this.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55It is...quite bizarre.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56WHISTLING
0:13:56 > 0:14:01I don't want to, sort of, start sniping at...my own people,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04because, you know, essentially I'm a tourist, I'm a dim-dim.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06ALL CHANT
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I can't really figure out who's exploiting who?
0:14:10 > 0:14:15'Passing through our information desk.'
0:14:15 > 0:14:18This cruise ship will dock for only eight hours.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20How much for all of us?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It's a brief window for passengers
0:14:22 > 0:14:25to explore the local culture and pick up souvenirs.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29How much are they? 20?
0:14:29 > 0:14:30- Yes.- 20 Kina?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- You want Kina?- Yes, please.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- Imagine the effort put into this, eh?- Yeah, right.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39He told us that big bowl that my partner just bought
0:14:39 > 0:14:44- took him about a week, so five days to make.- Five days just to make that.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46And that's to put the shells and everything in it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47That's extraordinary.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51- And he paid 100 Kina for it. - Really?- So, that's 50 Australia.
0:14:51 > 0:14:5350 Australian. So are you pleased with that?
0:14:53 > 0:14:54- Oh, yes.- Definitely! Yeah.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01P&O have paid the village £2,000 to put on this event,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and hired traditional Kula canoes from a neighbouring island
0:15:04 > 0:15:06to do trips round the bay.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10There's six Kula canoes out there.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13It's the first time I've seen them.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18There's one here just going past this P&O ferry.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22A tiny, tiny little Kula canoe just drifting around the back.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24That's quite a strong metaphor probably
0:15:24 > 0:15:26for what's going on here today.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28WHISTLING
0:15:29 > 0:15:33This mass tourism has created a new culture of Trobriand carving.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37They're carving objects and shapes
0:15:37 > 0:15:39that they've never seen before in their life.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43When was the last time that you saw an elephant on Kiriwina?
0:15:44 > 0:15:49This culture is not about carvings, it's about...agriculture,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54it's about people going on Kula expeditions,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56it's about everything that we are.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- How much are they? - This is all very, very foreign.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06With cash in their pockets,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09few of these people now have need for the Kula Ring.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14It's clear that, to see Kula in action,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17we'll have to travel to the other islands.
0:16:21 > 0:16:2420 years ago, it was Kula canoes, not cruise ships,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26that were regularly leaving these shores.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Instead of cash, the valuables they carried
0:16:30 > 0:16:32were shell armbands called "mwali".
0:16:36 > 0:16:38These mwali armbands were given as gifts
0:16:38 > 0:16:41to Kula partners on different islands,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45creating a debt of obligation which had to be repaid.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49The relationships between Kula partners
0:16:49 > 0:16:52opened the way for other commerce.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55But at its heart, Kula was about power...
0:16:55 > 0:16:57and the network that was created
0:16:57 > 0:17:00as these mwali armbands moved around the Kula Ring.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07For over a generation, one chief called Nalebutau
0:17:07 > 0:17:09dominated the region.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12He controlled the most prestigious armbands
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and led many Kula expeditions.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18This man was Edric's great-uncle.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27Edric's privileged upbringing took him to university in Australia
0:17:27 > 0:17:29and a career in marketing.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33He returned last year to an island very different to his childhood.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Edric moved to a hut outside his village.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40The time has passed.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45I went away for 11 years and I came back as a total stranger.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48And I felt... totally, totally uncomfortable.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52What I was taught when I was a child cannot be applied,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54cos the world has changed so much.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58I know the emotions attached with Kula,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I know the techniques attached with Kula.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I have never practised Kula myself,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08so I've got no idea about what the nature of the game is.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13In so many ways, it is like a missing jigsaw puzzle.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18It's almost like... there is a vacuum somewhere,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21there is a vacuum that needs to be filled.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26It's been an odd day.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28The arrival of a cash economy
0:18:28 > 0:18:32seems to be slowly suffocating traditional forms of wealth,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36but the cruise ship also brings thousands of people together,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39even drawing in Kula canoes from other islands.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44And, in a strange twist, these new arrivals can bring
0:18:44 > 0:18:47more exciting news from around the Kula Ring.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53- KNOCK AT DOOR - Hello?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Nagiya! What's going on?!
0:18:56 > 0:18:57WILL LAUGHS
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- Right!- Yeah.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Oh, my God! OK.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07OK, Nagiya, I'm coming.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Let me just get my T-shirt on.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I have no idea what's going on.
0:19:15 > 0:19:16WILL SPEAKS IN THE NATIVE TONGUE
0:19:18 > 0:19:20- Yeah? - WILL LAUGHS
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Oh, man, everybody's here.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Morning, everyone.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31It's a big moment, Will.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33All the mwali, apparently, have landed on Iwa
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and Nagiya's getting really excited!
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- Can we go and get 'em? - Yeah, it's possible.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42There are some canoes that came from Katava.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- Yeah?- For the...tourist vessel.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- We could always... - You've got to be kidding me!
0:19:48 > 0:19:50No, we could always ask them
0:19:50 > 0:19:55if we can get a lift with them and go across to Kitava.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- Sena buena!- ALL:- Sena buena!
0:19:58 > 0:20:00LAUGHTER
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Nagiya has heard that, on the remote island of Iwa,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06a Kula expedition has just returned home,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09bringing with it dozens of mwali armbands.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13These armbands can be Nagiya and Edric's entry point
0:20:13 > 0:20:14into the Kula network,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17if they can persuade the Iwa Islanders to part with them.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19THEY SPEAK IN NATIVE TONGUE
0:20:22 > 0:20:24By hitching on the tourist canoes,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27we have our best shot at forging this new Kula partnership.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32That was an unforgettable morning.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34It's not your traditional Kula expedition,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36but that clearly doesn't matter to Nagiya,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39because he has dropped about 25 years today.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I've never seen him so animated, laughing.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45He's absolutely full of life. I can't believe how lucky we've been.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48And, to be honest with you, God bless tourism.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49MAN SINGS IN NATIVE TONGUE
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Nagiya wants to leave the next day,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06which gives us one afternoon for packing and preparation.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Rice? How much rice?
0:21:09 > 0:21:1110 kilos? 20 kilos? 50 kilos?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Four Gentles, please.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- This is the local tobacco? - This is a block.- OK.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25This is going to get us a lot of favours.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11We leave the following morning,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14heading to the village where the canoes have beached.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16BIRDSONG
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Wow!
0:22:19 > 0:22:21This is the most southerly point on Kiriwina.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25It feels like the ends of the earth.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Thatched huts, white sand.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Hello.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32WILL LAUGHS
0:22:34 > 0:22:36That's awesome.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38What an incredible ship.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Goodness me!
0:22:40 > 0:22:43I'm so pleased to see these canoes, I can't tell you.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Our journey will take us 12 miles east from Kiriwina
0:22:47 > 0:22:50to the island of Kitava, where we can pick up supplies
0:22:50 > 0:22:55before heading on to Iwa, where the mwali armbands are to be found.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Ohh! Up!
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Hiya!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03ALL WHOOP
0:23:12 > 0:23:14The sail is absolutely enormous!
0:23:14 > 0:23:17It's loads of pieces of tarpaulin patched together.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20But that'll do.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27We're off, Nagiya!
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- Buena! Beuna! - LAUGHTER
0:23:33 > 0:23:35The sail is up.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Now we've just got to get between...
0:23:37 > 0:23:41the space between these two islands without getting completely soaked.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43MAN SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE WILL LAUGHS
0:23:56 > 0:23:59These extraordinary canoes have made this journey for centuries.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Each one is individually named and decorated,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09and specially built for Kula expeditions
0:24:13 > 0:24:16There's three guys in the middle here...bailing.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The other guy, in charge of the rigging at the back,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22is in charge of the sail.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28And then, of course, there's me and Edric.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31And I think our primary role on this boat
0:24:31 > 0:24:34has been to try and block some of this water coming in over the sides,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36because it's been relentless.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Here comes the rain.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08After a very wet morning, Kitava finally comes into view.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12This is it. Kitava.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Absolutely flying in.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20The sail's coming down.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Hey-hey, hello!
0:25:24 > 0:25:26MAN SHOUTS
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Nagiya, we made it.
0:25:32 > 0:25:33Brilliant.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Kitava is Kiriwina's smaller neighbour,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42where Edric and Nagiya have strong clan connections.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51But upon arrival here, Edric receives some upsetting news.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55We just learnt, here in Kitava,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58part of our clan has passed away,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00and I have to trim my hair.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04When somebody dies, that is the mark of a mourning period.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Very, very sad news for Edric,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13and what it means in terms of Kula, is that all Kula activities
0:26:13 > 0:26:16have to be suspended out of respect for the deceased,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and there should be an all-day funeral feast today
0:26:19 > 0:26:21that we are going to attend.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Funerals are big public events in the Trobriands,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and Edric is very well known.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Half our rice supply is taken as a gift.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39This is the only truck on the island and it's come to pick up Edric.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43I think, um...
0:26:43 > 0:26:45he's feeling the pressure today.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49This is the first time he has ever gone to a funeral feast on Kitava.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56You know, he's having to walk in the footsteps of the great Chief Nalebutau.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03As our car travels across the island, we pick up fellow mourners.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Everybody recognises Edric's family name.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11His father is a well-known person here, on Kitava Island.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15- Edric carries his reputation with him.- Yes.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Do you feel the pressure, Edric?
0:27:21 > 0:27:26Yes, all of a sudden I feel that pressure, I didn't expect that.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36His forefathers' reputation will follow Edric wherever he goes,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38so he must behave accordingly.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00The man died of old age
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and is buried in the centre of the village.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Over 200 people are already here,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12and with each new arrival, more food is brought.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19People are arriving in streams, carrying piles of sticks
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and baskets filled with yams.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23And then they're erecting these little turrets
0:28:23 > 0:28:25which they're filling to the top
0:28:25 > 0:28:27with as many yams as they can fit in,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30placing the biggest ones on the very, very summit.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33This is a gift for the deceased's family.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Just like the Kula yam houses,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40the wealthier the man, the taller his pile.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47The women are set back from the village.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Just stood outside the widow's hut
0:28:53 > 0:28:57and it's like nothing I've ever seen before.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59She's sat just in a darkened corner.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Her friends just cutting her hair, as is customary.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10Everybody around her is crying in this most rhythmical tone.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12WAILING
0:29:14 > 0:29:17It's the role of these women to publicly mourn,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21and with every new arrival, a fresh chorus can be heard.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23WAILING
0:29:27 > 0:29:31What's astonishing about today is that this is actually
0:29:31 > 0:29:36the death of a man in a village numbering no more than maybe 40,
0:29:36 > 0:29:41and yet it's still so, so important to come here and show that you care.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46What it all ties in to me is just how great
0:29:46 > 0:29:51the sense of kinship and networking is amongst these people.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53That it's not just about this village,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55it's not even just about this island,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58it's about placing yourself in the whole Kula Ring.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05At midday, the feast is ready.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Edric's contribution of rice is given a very public showing.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16His gift is fitting for his status,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19and it will benefit Edric more than anybody else.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24I never knew the deceased.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26It doesn't really matter,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29there is still a traditional obligation in place.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33You still need to show face, but the consequences of that
0:30:33 > 0:30:34strengthens many other links,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36and also with Kula.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40The relatives of the deceased, in one way, shape or form,
0:30:40 > 0:30:41they will have to repay.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50For Edric, today is no longer about saying goodbye to an old man,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52it is about asserting his family name
0:30:52 > 0:30:56and making sure that the deceased's family is indebted to him.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02I've been watching him, and he has been squirreling his way
0:31:02 > 0:31:05between every single one of the houses round here.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09And in fact, at lunch-time he leant into me and said, you know...
0:31:10 > 0:31:13.."It's quite something for a man of my standing
0:31:13 > 0:31:15"to come to this funeral.
0:31:15 > 0:31:21"These people aren't quite in the same league as my past."
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Essentially, if these guys receive any Mwali any time soon,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30it won't even be up for discussion, it has to come my way now,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34they are obligated, because I have come here to show my face.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56The funeral feast today was just an incredible experience.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Edric said from the start,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03today is not about Kula, there's not going to be any exchanges today,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05but it really WAS about Kula,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09I could see him networking, I could see him making new relationships.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14I think I'm beginning to realise that Kula is much more than
0:32:14 > 0:32:15just the trading of shells.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18It is travelling to different islands
0:32:18 > 0:32:22and saying, "You are important, you are important to me.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23"And the reason you are important is
0:32:23 > 0:32:27"because we have a family history and we have a connection."
0:32:38 > 0:32:39Well, it's another beautiful day today,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42but there's virtually no wind.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46The wind that there is, I can see is blowing in the wrong direction.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49So what we are going to do is take the crew dinghy.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54Maybe it's not as beautiful, but it's going to get us there at least.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08We have been told there's over 100 Mwali on Iwa.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13The journey there takes four hours
0:33:13 > 0:33:15and Edric spends most of it in silence.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19After a 25-year wait,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22he is now very close to making his first Kula connections.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26'As we get closer to the destination,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28'there's a lot of anxious moments, I guess.'
0:33:28 > 0:33:33Trying to figure out what is there for you,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37what exactly are you going to say to your Kula partner?
0:33:38 > 0:33:41'What is their expectation? What is my expectation?
0:33:42 > 0:33:43'How should I be greeted?'
0:33:45 > 0:33:47What is my game plan?
0:33:47 > 0:33:50And what will be my Kula partner's game plan?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Wow, there it is, Iwa!
0:33:56 > 0:33:58That is an extraordinary shape.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02It's like a big, green table top in the middle of the sea.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Oh, right, we're here!
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Good grief, well done, guys.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Iwa is one of the remotest islands in the region.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26Flanked by 40-metre-high cliffs, its two villages lie at the summit.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33Edric and Nagiya immediately begin changing into Kula dress.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37They will work separately on Iwa,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40each trying to find somebody to get them a Mwali arm band.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46For Edric, failure would bring shame on his family's reputation.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49My great-uncle has been here before so many times.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54And everyone of the older generation on Iwa know about him.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I suppose I am the first one to come back here,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01so it's a fair bit of pressure of expectation.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05You do feel almost the weight of history
0:35:05 > 0:35:08watching the guys sticking on the Kula ornaments.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12You can't help to think about who else has been down here in the past.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13Who's got ready in that cave?
0:35:15 > 0:35:19And I'm beginning to see two very different sides to Edric and Nagiya.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24I have to be honest, I feel quite sorry for Edric.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Everywhere he goes, people talk about his dad, Chief John and Nalebutau.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30And I think he feels...
0:35:31 > 0:35:33..immense stress to try and live up
0:35:33 > 0:35:36to their expectations to be that man.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Nagiya, on the other hand, is having the time of his life.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Securing a new Mwali arm band
0:36:05 > 0:36:09will begin a new Kula partnership for Edric and Nagiya,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12strengthening connections between these two distant islands.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Nagiya is on an absolute mission.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19This guy is twice my age.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23Gone up this cliff face in no time.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29These arm bands aren't given away easily.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31They must persuade possible Kula partners
0:36:31 > 0:36:33that they are worthy of such a gift
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and can repay this kindness in the future.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04When he was younger, Nagiya had a reputation
0:37:04 > 0:37:07for being an exceptionally smooth talker.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It looks like Nagiya is on the charm offensive.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13The betelnut and tobacco have just come out.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16But that Mwali is staying firmly on the wall so far.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08As Kula has declined on Kiriwina,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and their expeditions ceased,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13people on Iwa have found new Kula networks.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Nagiya is repeatedly shunned by his old partners.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49It seems, for Nagiya, that he just doesn't have the influence any more,
0:40:49 > 0:40:54after a 25-year absence, to own most of these pieces,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57or they've already been promised to other people.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58And it's a great shame really.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It's quite difficult following him around and...
0:41:01 > 0:41:07seeing him get kicked back every time he knocks on somebody's door.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Shut out by his old Kula network,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Nagiya can only wander between the houses.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21On the other side of the village,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Edric is facing a very different problem.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32I don't know what's wrong with Edric, something's not right.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35He's not really making eye contact and he's not talking to anybody.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Something is definitely up with him.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44I feel scared, I feel nervous.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47In fact, I feel petrified. Um...
0:41:48 > 0:41:53..I have no idea how to manoeuvre or manage this Kula network,
0:41:53 > 0:41:58but I carry a name, and therefore the people's expectation here
0:41:58 > 0:42:01is that we have to live up to that level.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Because of the family Edric comes from,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07he cannot do Kula with just anybody.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10He can only mix with the island's aristocracy.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14But what the people of Iwa don't know
0:42:14 > 0:42:18is that Edric lives in a shack in the woods without a yam garden.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23I just recently moved back, from the city,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and I am trying to get myself established.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Nothing is ready, nothing is ready at the moment.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34My position back in the village, my village,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37is one of just building up.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Um...definitely nowhere near
0:42:41 > 0:42:44the capacity to be able to host
0:42:44 > 0:42:48any Kula partners that may come from Iwa or from Kitava.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52The whole Kula...
0:42:52 > 0:42:55it's a lot easier to give than it is to receive.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Because when you receive, you also receive an obligation
0:42:58 > 0:43:00and responsibility that comes with it.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07I think Edric is having this realisation
0:43:07 > 0:43:10that actually...
0:43:11 > 0:43:15..for all of his going away, leaving this area,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18going to university, taking jobs in the big city,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22that actually all boils down to nothing over here.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25He hasn't got a yam garden.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27He's not really part of a village...
0:43:28 > 0:43:31..and I think he's finding himself quite alone.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35At the end of their first day,
0:43:35 > 0:43:40neither Edric nor Nagiya have any Mwali.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10The next day, Edric and Nagiya are up early.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16They have decided to try the island's other village.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21The reception immediately seems more welcoming.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25People keep emerging out of houses and out of fields.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29Just holding Nagiya's hand, or shaking hands with him.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31He clearly knows people here.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Word has travelled overnight
0:44:35 > 0:44:38and one of Nagiya's old partners has remembered him.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42After 25 years, we've literally just arrived,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46and they're already laying on a massive feast for Nagiya.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48There's two tables here...
0:44:48 > 0:44:50filled with goods.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Just inside, three Mwali hang on the wall.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54It feels really strange for me, being present at this ceremony,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56it's something that I've thought about so much
0:45:56 > 0:45:59since we arrived here in Papua New Guinea.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03The moment when I see the first Kula exchange.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10I've seen during my travels just how much it means.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16It's about...keeping and binding people to each other
0:46:16 > 0:46:18from all of these different islands.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23You have to provide food, you have to provide lodgings,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25you have to be ready to receive your Kula partners
0:46:25 > 0:46:27and you have to try and keep the link going
0:46:27 > 0:46:29for as long as you possibly can.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33This is symbolic of all of that.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Well done, Nagiya, well done. Very good, very good.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19Good day, Nagiya.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21LAUGHS
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Great stuff!
0:47:29 > 0:47:32Emboldened by Nagiya's success,
0:47:32 > 0:47:34Edric sets off to look for Mwali.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41In this solo situation, where you get thrown in a dip,
0:47:41 > 0:47:43you have two choices.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45You either swim or you sink.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57This is the first time Edric has ever tried
0:48:57 > 0:49:00to negotiate for a Kula piece.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05This feels like a really significant moment.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09Not only could this potentially be his first ever Mwali,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11it could also be his first ever Kula connection.
0:49:11 > 0:49:16If this does happen now, this could be an amazing chance for Edric
0:49:16 > 0:49:20to step out of the shadow of his father and great-uncle.
0:50:00 > 0:50:01Edric, what just happened?
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Well, I just got given...
0:50:04 > 0:50:06one Mwali.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08- This is for you? - Yeah, this is for me.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10Wow! How do you feel?
0:50:10 > 0:50:14Er...excited.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Um...I suppose I wasn't really expecting that.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23- Oh, I'm so pleased!- Yeah. - I heard you saying...
0:50:23 > 0:50:26What was amazing for me is I could hear you saying, basically,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29"Yeah, you know, I haven't actually got anything to offer,
0:50:29 > 0:50:33"I have no real networks." You know, you were completely honest
0:50:33 > 0:50:36and it looks like you got a serious reward, as well, so...
0:50:36 > 0:50:39I'm quite glad that they've actually shown an act of faith.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42- That faith, yeah.- Yeah, now...
0:50:42 > 0:50:44You need to go and plant some yams.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46BOTH LAUGH
0:50:46 > 0:50:49Now the real obligations begin.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Yeah, right!
0:50:51 > 0:50:53A lot of responsibilities...
0:50:53 > 0:50:56MUSIC PLAYS
0:50:58 > 0:51:02The start of a new Kula connection transforms everybody's mood.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05HE SINGS
0:51:05 > 0:51:08LAUGHTER
0:51:15 > 0:51:16He's such a big kid.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20It's nice to see him happy again.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24You can't keep an old man down.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29HORN BLOWS
0:51:29 > 0:51:33That evening, Nagiya's new Kula partner calls a feast.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35With the whole village attending,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39I begin to understand why Kula is so important to an island like Iwa.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47This is Kula hospitality.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06What would happen here if there was no Kula?
0:52:24 > 0:52:30I guess Kula is not about the physical exchange of Mwali.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34That is the end symbol,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37but Kula is everything else underneath.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40It's a little bit like the ocean.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45You have the waves that you can see, that you can feel.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47What you do not see and what you do not feel
0:52:47 > 0:52:53is the vast underwater current that moves.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59Kula is about storytelling, conversations
0:52:59 > 0:53:01and spending time with people.
0:53:02 > 0:53:07Time is the item that is being traded.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24We leave the next day, carefully loading the Mwali into the dinghy.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Edric and Nagiya bid farewell to their new Kula partners
0:53:28 > 0:53:31with the promise of returning their hospitality.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Any Kula expedition that goes out, it's a challenge.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49The biggest challenge is to prove to yourself
0:53:49 > 0:53:53that you have what it takes to make the journey.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00And when you come back, whatever you come back with, you come back
0:54:00 > 0:54:02a lot more mature, a lot wiser
0:54:02 > 0:54:05and a lot more responsible.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09You'll be surprised that you are a very different man.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Work starts again now, boys!
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Back to the gardens tomorrow.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14We've been here less than two minutes
0:55:14 > 0:55:16and Nagiya is already sat down on his porch
0:55:16 > 0:55:19and has started recounting tales from his trip.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21And for somebody as old as Nagiya,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24that could well be the last time he ever goes on a Kula journey,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28so it's his job now to inspire the next generation.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34You can't help but feel that as these different islands
0:55:34 > 0:55:36start going in their own different directions,
0:55:36 > 0:55:40that it's moments like this that are so, so important
0:55:40 > 0:55:44to somehow keeping them rooted to their traditions
0:55:44 > 0:55:47and keeping the idea of Kula going.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58'For Edric, who also need yams for his Kula partner,
0:55:58 > 0:56:01'it's time to combine ancient tradition
0:56:01 > 0:56:03'with 21st-century technology.'
0:56:03 > 0:56:07This is a very Edric solution to a very old problem.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10His Kula partners are coming in three months, so what's he done?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12He's gone and got his laptop out,
0:56:12 > 0:56:14he's set up a little cinema in his village
0:56:14 > 0:56:17and he's charging one yam seed per seat.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29I think we have to get started.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31These people are getting a little impatient.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38'But it's not to be Edric's night.'
0:56:38 > 0:56:40Oh, no! The projector's on fire.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54I think the fuse has blown, in the projector.
0:56:57 > 0:56:58Back to the drawing board, Edric?
0:57:01 > 0:57:04Well, obviously, things haven't gone to plan, but Edric assures me
0:57:04 > 0:57:09that he will be back tomorrow, and he is going to try again.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12And if I have learned anything about Kula,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14it's that it is all about the journey.
0:57:23 > 0:57:28'My own journey in the Coral Triangle has also come to an end.'
0:57:28 > 0:57:29Oh, mate, thank you so much.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Thanks for everything.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36'Within these waters, extraordinary communities continue to survive.
0:57:38 > 0:57:42'I've been fortunate to witness their incredible skills.
0:57:44 > 0:57:45'I have felt their warmth.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50'And seen their resilience.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54'Their futures will be shaped
0:57:54 > 0:57:57'not only by the new forces that have arrived...'
0:57:57 > 0:57:59That tanker is about
0:57:59 > 0:58:01200, 300 times our size.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04'..but by the choices the next generation make...'
0:58:04 > 0:58:05Stand up!
0:58:05 > 0:58:08'..as they adapt to this changing world.'
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Stand up. Sit down.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13As the planet becomes increasingly connected
0:58:13 > 0:58:16and our cultures bleed into one another,
0:58:16 > 0:58:21the survival of these people and their unique way of life
0:58:21 > 0:58:23seems more important than ever.