Time code Speaker Title Dialogue
00:00:17:17 – 00:00:25:22 Title: The Once Was an Island: Te Henua e Noho Il était une fois une île
00:00:49:11 – 00:00:59:01 Title card: Taku, also known as the “The Mortlocks”, is an atoll 150 miles North East of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. Taku, une atoll aussi connu sous le nom de “Mortlocks” est située à ?? km au Nord Est de Bougainville en Papouasie Nouvelle Guinee.
00:01:00:00 – 00:01:08:11 Title card: A Polynesian community of 400 live on Nukutoa, the atoll’s only inhabited island. It is 0.3 miles long and 3.3 feet above sea level. Nukutoa, la seule île habitee de l’atoll, abrite une communaute polynésienne de 400 personnes.
Cette île est de ?? de long et se dresse à ?? au dessus du niveau de la mer.
00:01:09:21 – 00:01:22:00 Title card: The Taku people have lived here for more than 1000 years. They are now experiencing some of the first effects of climate change. Le people Taku vit ici depuis 1000 ans et desormais en proie aux premiers effets du changement climatique.
00:01:55:07 – 00:02:12:04 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
My name is Satty. I am married. I have five kids, three boys and two girls. I’m 30 years old. I’m a farmer and a fisherman. That’s all I do here. Je m’appelle Satty, je suis marié, j’ai cinq enfants. Trois garçons et deux filles. J’ai 30 ans. Je suis un fermier et un pêcheur. C’est tout ce que je fais ici.
00:02:14:01 – 00:02:35:04 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
Sometimes when I’m fed up with the kids even if there is protein in the house I just have to say… “Wife you have to look after the kids today.” My wife says “don’t go, don’t go. I’m doing laundry you must stay with the kids.” I say “No, no, I’ve found this fishing spot, it’ a great spot. I must check it out today.” So… I go. Des fois quand j’en ai marre des gosses, même si nours avons des provisions de protéines à la maison, je dis à ma femme…
“Femme, aujourd’hui tu gardes les enfants”. Ma femme dit “Non, ne pars pas! J’ai de la lessive à faire, reste avec les petits!”. Je lui dis “Non non, j’ai trouvé ce coin pour la pêche, un super coin, faut que j’aille voir ça aujourd’hui”. Et puis je pars.
00:02:38:20 - 00:02:57:09 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
Something has caught onto the line. I don’t think it’s a fish. Must be something else. So we have two fish. We have one real fish and we have one bad fish. We call it hiloa. I like that fish. Quelquechose s’est pris dans ma ligne. Je pense pas que ce soit un poisson. Donc nous avons deux poissons: un vrai et un faux. On l’appelle hiloa. J’aime ce poisson.
00:03:16:17 – 00:03:21:03 Women cooking Subtitles (Takuu):
I have no strength anymore. That’s it break it like that. Je n’ai plus de force. C’est ça, casse le comme ça.
00:03:28:01 – 00:04:00:14 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
My name is Endar. I’m 48 years old now. I’m married to a Papua New Guinean. My brother wanted me to see my father before my father dies. That’s why… the reason I came. I live in Port Moresby. My father is the elder of our clan. He is te matua in this house Hare Naoro. After he got sick he couldn’t walk anymore, so they had to carry him to the sea for him to have his wash bath him there, bring him back. Je m’appelle Endar. J’ai 48 ans. Je suis mariée à un Papou??? Mon frère voulait que je vois mon pere avant qu’il ne meurt. C’est pour ça que je suis venue. J’habite a Port Moresby. Mon père est le plus vieux de notre clan. C’est le Matua??? De cette tribu Hare Naoro. Depuis qu’il est tombé malade, il ne peut plus marcher, alors il faut le porter à la mer pour lui donner son bain et le ramener.
00:04:08:01 – 00:04:44:19 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
I have to give a break to my sisters too because all these years they have been caring for the father. The period of time I’m here I have to look after him. Coming back and seeing women here it’s very, very hard, they can’t do things that I can do. Like, I’m the first woman to work. I travel on my own because I have to go on business trips. I am the one who changes a lot of things. It would be worse for me to stay on this island compared to life in Port Moresby with my husband. Je suis aussi ici pour que mes soeurs fassent une pause, elles ont passé toutes ces années à s’occuper de mon père. Alors quand je suis ici, je m’occupe de lui. Quand je reviens c’est toujours dur de voir la vie des femmes ici, elles ne peuvent pas faire ce que je fais, par exemple, je suis la première femme de l’île à travailler, je vais enn voyage d’affaire toute seule. J’initie beaucoup de changements. Pour moi, rester sur l’île serait pire que ma vie avec mon mari a Port Moresby.
00:05:26:05 – 00:05:32:23 Title card:
With no shops, electricity or regular boat service, the islanders have remained largely isolated from the rest of Papua New Guinea.
00:05:33:14 – 00:05:40:20 Title card:
This separation has helped them retain an egalitarian culture where resources are shared equally as well as traditional Polynesian religion, which they alone still practise.
00:05:42:11 – 00:05:44:15 Village man Subtitles (Takuu):
Come and get those two shares. Viens chercher tes deux parts.
00:06:12:02 – 00:06:13:13 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Ok, that’s enough. Ok, c’est assez.
00:06:29:17 – 00:07:19:16 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
My name is Telo Fakatutufenua. With my wife Medlyn we have six children but two daughters have been adopted out by the family. Come along. I am a man who is very keen in my traditions. To me it’s a very, very colorful thing. I love it. So two, three times a year I have to teach the children traditional dances for concerts because it’s also a good thing to help the children while they are still small. They have to start picking up traditional dances. Je m’appelle Telo Fakatutufenua. Avec ma femme Madeline, nous avons six enfants mais deux des filles ont été adoptées par des membres de la famille.
Allez on y va.
Je suis un homme très attaché a mes traditions. À mes yeux c’est plein de couleurs, j’aime vraiment ça. Donc deux ou trois fois par an, j’enseigne les danses traditionnelles aux enfants pour les concerts car c’est une bonne chose d’aider les enfants quand ils sont encore petits. C’est quand ils doivent commencer a apprendre les dances traditionnelles.
00:07:24:16 – 00:07:51:16 Tello Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
I think today most of the traditions have been forgotten and I think Mortlock is one of those few places around Papua New Guinea who still keep their cultures and traditions but… already the life of the community has been very distorted and… I think I’ve already seen signs of a … bad future for my children. Je pense qu’aujourd’hui, la plupart des traditions a été oublié et Mortlock est un des rares endroits de Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée qui entretient sa culture et ses traditions mais… la vie de la communauté a déjà bien change et… je pense que je décèle déjà les signes d’un futur tourmenté pour mes enfants.
00:08:34:06 – 00:08:56:14 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English/Takuu):
When I was living in this area in this house this is where my kitchen is. Now the sea has washed the place and it’s very sad to see that the children growing are not seeing what we have seen before. You see the sea level rising, it’s destroying our island. Quand j’habitais à cet endroit, ma cuisine se situait ici. Maintenant la mer a tout englouti et c’est triste de se dire que les enfants grandissent sans voir ce que nous pouvions voir avant. Vous voyez le niveau de la mer monte, ça détruit notre île.
00:08:59:05 – 00:09:00:13 Child Subtitles (Takuu):
Like other islands? Comme les autres îles?
00:09:00:14 – 00:09:06:15 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
Yes, destroyed like other islands. If the sea level rises… we’ll drown. You’re going to drown? Oui, comme les autres îles. Si le niveau de la mer monte… nous allons nous noyer. Vous allez vous noyer?
00:09:06:16 – 00:09:07:13 Child Subtitles (Takuu):
Yes. Oui.
00:09:07:14 – 00:09:14:14 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
If they want us to go to another place, would you like to go? No? You don’t want to go? S’ils veulent nous envoyer dans un autre endroit, voudriez-vous y aller? Non? Vous ne voulez pas partir?
00:09:15:10 – 00:09:17:02 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
What are we going to do? Qu’est-ce qu’on va faire?
00:09:17:03 – 00:09:18:10 Child Subtitles (Takuu):
Climb the coconut trees! Grimper aux cocotiers?
00:09:18:11 – 00:09:28:16 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
How can you climb the coconut trees when the sea rises and there is no island? What are you going to do? Where would you live? Which island, do you think? Comment veux-tu grimper aux cocotiers quand le niveau de la mer monte et qu’il n’y a plus d’île? Qu’est-ce que vous allez faire? Où allez-vous vivre? Quelle île?
00:09:28:17 – 00:09:29:06 Child Subtitles (Takuu):
Amotu! Amotu!
00:09:29:07 – 00:09:34:14 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
No, because Amotu will be destroyed too just like the other islands. Non car Amotu va être détruite tout comme les autres îles.
00:09:44:08 – 00:09:48:20 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Hey Tamaki! Do you have some taro to harvest? Eh Tamaki! Est-ce tu as du taro à récolter?
00:09:48:21 – 00:09:49:16 Tamaki Subtitles (Takuu):
Yes. Oui.
00:09:49:17 – 00:09:53:19 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Because my garden has got no taro. Everything dies because of seawater. Parce que je n’en ai pas dans mon jardin. Tout meurt à cause de l’eau de mer.
00:09:54:18 – 00:09:58:01 Tamaki Subtitles (Takuu):
No problem, let’s meet there. Pas de problème, on se rejoint là-bas.
00:09:58:02 – 00:10:00:07 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Ok thank you, that’s it then. Ok merci, on fait comme ça.
00:10:00:18 – 00:10:04:13 Baseline Key:
Taku
Garden Island
00:10:04:20 – 00:10:22:14 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
No snakes… No harmful insects… Not on the island. Except…mosquitoes. It’s the only thing that makes people afraid to come to the garden. Pas de serpents… pas d’insectes dangereux… pas sur l’île. Apart… des moustiques. C’est la seule chose dont les gens ont peur quand ils viennent au jardin.
00:10:26:23 – 00:10:59:06 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
When the garden was given to my father by his father the garden had already been affected by salt water. The giant taro takes 15 years to grow and there’s maybe over a hundred different types of ceremonies you have to dig giant taro for. That’s why this salt is a big thing affecting the lives of families on the island. Quand ce jardin fut transmis à mon père par son père, l’eau salée l’avait déjà endommagée. Le taro géant met 15 ans à pousser et il y a peut-être plus d’une centaine de cérémonies pour lesquelles nous devons récolter le taro géant. C’est pour ça que le sel est une chose qui affecte énormément la vie des famille de l’île.
00:11:07:12 – 00:11:27:08 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
As you see, this area here, this bit in here it’s completely affected and there is no chance of giant taros growing again. It’s a waste of time replanting giant taros because they will never grow up. And there’s nothing we can do now. Comme vous pouvez le voir, cet endroit ici, ce morceau-là, c’est complètement affecté et il n’y a aucune chance que le taro geant pousse ici à nouveau. C’est une perte de temps de replanter les taros géants car ils ne vont jamais pousser. Et maintenant, on ne peut rien y faire.
00:11:36:10 – 00:11:53:08 Title card:
Increasingly the islanders have become reliant on food supplied by the Autonomous Bougainville Government. However it only comes sporadically, making planning difficult.
00:12:07:14 – 00:13:01:06 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
We build sea walls because we think it’s the only way we can stop the sea. I mean the high tides and the current and the waves that’s the only way we can stop the sea from coming in and… claiming higher ground. But I see my aunts and my uncles with their sea walls they get pretty upset. The more storms we have the more work they keep doing. When I was a little kid I use to play around on the beachfronts. There was white sand. Since we’ve started to… make the sea walls we have no white sand. So that feeling… that feeling that was with me since I was a kid it’s not here anymore. I think my place is… it’s losing it’s beauty. Nous construisons des digues car celà nous semble être le seul façon de stopper la mer. Je veux dire la marée haute et le courant et les vagues c’est notre seul moyen de stopper la mer de venir dans les terres et de gagner du terrain. Mais je vois, mes tantes et mes oncles et leurs soucis causés par leurs digues. Plus nous avons de tempêtes, plus ils doivent réparer. Quand j’étais petit, je jouais sur la plage. Il y avait du sable blanc. Depuis que nous construisons ces digues, il n’y a plus de sable blanc. Alors ce sentiment… ce sentiment qui a grandi avec moi depuis que j’étais un enfants, il n’est plus. Je pense que mon île… est entrain de perdre sa beauté.
00:13:11:14 – 00:13:35:22 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
The Bougainville Government sent teams over to the island doing this survey and these questionnaires and… just trying to collect information on how the people would feel moving to a different place. But the more they ask questions to the people here the more they panic the people. So we know that the Government of thinking of doing something but the question is how long will it take?
00:13:52:15 – 00:14:10:15 First community speaker (yellow shirt) Subtitles (Takuu):
It looks like there are a few options for our community. One option is to build more effective sea walls that will help to stop the sea. Another option is to relocate to the place the Government says it will provide for us. What is the best option and why?
00:14:11:14 – 00:14:28:17 Second community speaker Subtitles (Takuu):
I would like to be able to stay. But let’s think in the long run. Eventually our island won’t exist so yes, we have to look at the option of moving to Buka. If you like it that way I’ll be the first person to move.
00:14:29:09 – 00:14:39:13 Third community speaker Subtitles (Takuu):
If you go to Buka you’ll be chased away by the local landowners. This is what the people in Bougainville do now. You won’t stay very long.
00:14:39:18 – 00:14:48:22 Fourth community speaker Subtitles (Takuu):
The island will sink when the kids are that age. They’ll leave because there’s no food, no garden.
00:14:49:16 – 00:14:56:23 Community member (red hat) Subtitles (Takuu):
Yes that’s true, the island is slowly sinking. The sides (of the island) are going down, then we will go down.
00:14:57:11 – 00:14:59:01 Fifth community speaker (off camera) Subtitles (Takuu):
Wait, all of you be quiet.
00:14:59:11 – 00:15:35:24 Seventh community speaker (Kokoto) Subtitles (Takuu/English):
There is someone who created this island. Do you think the creator who made the people on this small island surrounded by this ocean you think he doesn’t know that the sea level is rising up? We understand that God the maker knows this. He knows it. Hallelujah. So God is in control. God cares for Ausi, God cares for Kaua, God cares for my uncle here! God cares for Avo! God is in control, that’s all I want to share with you.
00:15:37:06 – 00:15:39:11 Eighth community speaker Subtitles (Takuu):
That’s Kokoto’s opinion.
00:15:40:24 – 00:16:00:24 First female community speaker Subtitles (Takuu):
We cannot leave the unique culture of this land. We share the same culture in this land. We need engineers to come and study this place so that we will know what is happening to this island before we consider migrating from our island here.
00:16:17:23 – 00:16:20:07 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Did you go to the meeting?
00:16:20:10 – 00:16:21:09 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
Yes.
00:16:21:21 – 00:16:23:12 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
What did you talk about?
00:16:23:19 – 00:16:38:13 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
Some said if this island is eroding they plan to move to Buka. Others said, even if the islands are eroded they can’t go, they will die with this island.
00:16:38:18 – 00:16:45:01 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
That’s what I think too. It’s not right for us to move to another place.
00:16:45:13 – 00:16:55:07 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
According to Kokoto, why do we have to leave? Don’t we know that this island was created by God on high?
00:16:55:16 – 00:17:17:12 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
It is our ancestors who are responsible for our well-being. As for God, where is he? He is an unknown person. Where does he live? Where is his office? How can we just go and get him to make our island good? I think we need to find someone to investigate our island.
00:17:19:01 – 00:17:21:16 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
Well the majority went for the scientist.
00:17:21:17 – 00:17:23:14 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
They’ll come and have a look.
00:17:40:03 – 00:18:09:10 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
I don’t think the culture can work if you take it out to other lands. All these types of plants that are growing in Taku won’t be available in our new destination. And also… the elders in the village are the people who will normally emphasize the traditional cultures and if they are not coming with us to our new land, then you know it’s going to be very hard to take your culture with you.
00:18:19:00 – 00:19:05:12 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
This… ladder… needs to be… fastened. No, Leave it, leave it. I’m coming down. I like my home. It is my home. I have my own resources here. I have the sea. I have my crops. I could live. But if home is going somewhere else then… I will be forced to move. But I do not want to move.
00:19:21:17 – 00:19:24:24 Radio controller Subtitles (Takuu):
Are there any government officers coming on the boat?
00:19:27:04 – 00:19:30:02 Radio reply Subtitles (Takuu):
I can’t hear what you said.
00:19:30:03 – 00:19:34:01 Radio controller Subtitles (Takuu):
I am asking if there are any government officers coming on the boat?
00:19:34:16 – 00:19:37:07 Radio reply Subtitles (Takuu):
Negative
00:19:40:07 – 00:19:48:05 Title card:
The Sankamap is the only boat to service Taku but it only comes a few times a year and with as little notice as a few days.
00:19:48:13 – 00:19:56:01 Title card:
For the community, the boat’s arrival is an important opportunity to connect with the mainland and communicate their request for a scientist to visit.
00:20:16:00 – 00:20:40:12 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
I intend going on the ship. Don’t you want us to go together? We could go on this boat. Eh? What? You’re staying?
00:21:18:13 – 00:21:21:10 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
He doesn’t want me to leave him behind.
00:21:41:01 – 00:21:46:11 Title card:
Two years later
00:21:47:24 – 00:21:51:04 Baseline key:
Buka, Bougainville
Papua New Guinea
00:22:01:11 – 00:22:15:12 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
I wanted to come back to Taku to come and see the place, the people and also because my father died and I haven’t… I wasn’t there that time he died and I wanted to see the family especially my sister. I left her behind.
00:22:23:04 – 00:22:27:08 Location title:
Banio Plantation
Bougainville
00:22:34:08 – 00:22:40:07 Title card:
Banio Plantation is where the Government claims it will relocate the islanders within a year.
00:22:43:02 – 00:22:57:04 Title card:
Bouganvilleans are Melanesian, having a very different culture from Polynesian Taku. If they move to Bougainville, the islanders will have less access to the sea, face the pressure of earning money, and be exposed to diseases such as malaria.
00:23:11:08 – 00:23:22:07 Title card: After a decade-long civil war, local Bougainvilleans have reclaimed much of the land. It is very unlikely that the Government will proceed with the land purchase in the time it anticipates.
00:23:35:04 – 00:23:41:06 Baseline key:
Office of Taehu Pais
Member for the Atolls
Autonomous Bougainville Government
00:23:44:06 – 00:23:55:01 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
I’d like us to talk as I need some advice. I want to know when the land will be ready for relocation?
00:23:55:23 – 00:24:13:04 Taehu Pais Subtitles (Takuu):
We do not plan to move everyone at once. They must realise the only way is to move to the mainland. Encourage them to think of the future. They cannot just think of today.
00:24:13:05 – 00:24:16:02 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
Yes, for the children in the future.
00:24:16:20 – 00:24:20:07 Taehu Pais Subtitles (Takuu):
It will get worse so they must make a decision now.
00:24:20:16 – 00:24:41:22 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
The last time we went to Taku they requested a scientist to come and now two scientists are going there with me. These scientists will help prove that there is a serious problem on the island because some people have not changed their minds but where will they go when things get worse?
00:24:47:16 – 00:25:03:10 Faith Endar Adu
Scott Smithers
John Hunter
Faith Endar Adu
Scott Smithers
Faith Endar Adu
Scott Smithers
Faith Endar Adu
Scot Smithers
Faith Endar Adu Motu – island
Motu is island
What’s the ocean?
Ocean is Te Moana
And
Koe e fano ki fee – where are you going?
Koe
Koe, a koe, koe
Ki Fee – F A E?
Yeah
00:24:54:04 – 00:24:57:11 Baseline key:
Scott Smithers
Geomorphologist
00:24:59:14 – 00:25:01:21 Baseline key:
John Hunter
Oceanographer
00:25:27:11 – 00:25:41:07 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
The people on the island cannot believe that, you know, there is a… danger there for them. For the scientists to be there and tell them what is happening on the island that will make them change their mind to move out of the island before anything will happen.
00:25:43:06 – 00:26:00:22 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
I know this island hasn’t been having these kinds of people. The information the scientists will give will be a very great help. It’s like digging up the past and knowing that there is something good around us. We can still do something. It’s not too late.
00:26:47:00 – 00:27:10:19 John Hunter
At the moment the world is warming up and it’s warming up because of other people in the world, it’s certainly not you, it’s other people in the world who are burning things like diesel fuel in large amounts. This is putting gases into the atmosphere, which actually cause the world to warm. One thing we know is going to happen during this century, we’re going to get some sea level rise.
00:27:12:19 – 00:27:30:11 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
As the sea comes to the island the sea wall stops the sea. That’s the only way the people can hold the water back. As you go to some locations on the island there are much lower locations. That’s where some of the water gets up so it’s been playing a… big role in the community I mean, the island itself.
00:27:54:10 – 00:28:07:20 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
As you can see most of the sea walls are built just in front of the houses. So if I had a house along the beach I would build my sea wall but as you can see there are no huts out there so there are no sea walls.
00:28:08:24 – 00:28:21:02 Scott Smithers And the beach is obviously very valuable for people to put their canoes and… so when the north-westerly winds come up where the canoes are do the waves break right up into the hale at the top?
00:28:21:03 – 00:28:22:10 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
They do, they do.
00:28:22:10 – 00:28:41:16 Scott Smithers Sea walls like this, what they actually do is they impede the islands ability to cope with sea level rise. Sure you might have the off wave that comes up and swashes down the back of the berm, is what we call it, the high point. But when it does that it actually builds the island up.
00:28:42:00 – 00:28:49:19 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
The islanders started building sea walls. It was their decision. They made the decision. Nobody knew the consequences.
00:28:50:10 – 00:29:15:07 Scott Smithers Now the walls are in I don’t think the community would allow the walls to be taken away. So I really think that what we have to do is try and have something that’s further offshore that performs the function of the walls, but actually also allows some sand to build up. The reality is, is that major engineering costs money. But I guess the end option is for everyone to move. That costs a lot, lot of money.
00:29:25:16 – 00:29:41:17 Satty Puaria Subtitles (Takuu):
I think we should move the house further back from the beach front so that the sand can build up and the shoreline can rebuild. We are panicking because we built our houses too close to the beach front.
00:29:42:04 – 00:29:56:03 Satty’s wife Subtitles (Takuu):
No one wants to be flooded or forced to relocate. We should listen to him. He knows what is happening here so we should listen to what he says.
00:30:29:07 – 00:30:35:10 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
What do you think you will do… if something happens to the island?
00:30:36:06 – 00:30:39:18 Endar’s sister Subtitles (Takuu):
I won’t go, I’ll stay here.
00:30:39:19 – 00:30:40:22 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
Why won’t you go?
00:30:41:05 – 00:30:51:12 Endar’s sister Subtitles (Takuu):
I am not fit to go, I am old. I am not strong enough… to do the things I would need to do there.
00:30:54:20 – 00:31:14:21 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (Takuu):
I know you are old but I feel sorry for the kids coming up. We are overpopulated. It is good for people to move to Buka for this reason too.
00:31:17:20 – 00:31:35:01 Endar’s sister Subtitles (English):
My sister still disagrees with what I am saying. The time I went to see my father’s cemetery I Just told my sister the sea is coming closer to the cemetery. It’s hard for me to speak it out because I don’t want to make her upset.
00:32:03:20 – 00:32:04:10 John Hunter
Ok, stop.
00:32:06:14 – 00:32:07:09 Scott Smithers Is that your mark?
00:32:07:20 – 00:32:08:09 John Hunter Yep.
00:33:12:15 – 00:33:28:23 Scott Smithers You can see there’s a lot of water bubbling out there, if I throw this on you can see if drift away. It’s very sulphureous. You can see that, the fine mud that’s come up there? See the calcium carbonate that’s come up?
00:33:30:01 – 00:33:42:05 Scott Smithers Well yesterday, you know? We levelled from the beach on the lagoon across to the sea. The tide was at one and a half metres. And your garden, which has the salt water coming into it, is actually about 20 cm lower.
00:33:42:02 – 00:33:45:02 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
Lower than the level of the high tide yesterday.
00:33:44:09 – 00:33:57:06 Scott Smithers That’s right. If the level of the high tides rises by 50 cm or a metre over the next century or so, then the water level is going to be coming up all the time.
00:34:00:12 – 00:34:22:24 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
After I’ve been watching the scientists working I have realised why we have a lot of salty water in our garden. I found out the level of the giant taro pit were a bit lower than the level of the rising sea. So this is why the salty water is getting higher and higher because also the level of the sea is going up.
00:34:26:22 – 00:34:41:09 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
I’ll have to go and build a, some sort of barricade around my salty pump. I call it a “salt water pump” already because it’s coming up like a pump.
00:34:41:18 – 00:35:07:23 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
You know, fence it away so that this salty water won’t move around to affect my giant taro. The work I’ve been doing with John and Scott has really given me the overall idea of what is happening in our garden. And maybe by the time we have completed all the jobs I think… actually I’ll be starting an office like a scientist on the island.
00:35:53:16 – 00:36:00:10 Title card:
When Telo and the scientists return from the garden the island experiences an unusually high tide.
0:36:00:19 – 00:36:03:11 Scott Smithers The water is still pretty high for a low tide isn’t it?
00:36:06:13 – 00:36:35:15 Scott Smithers At the moment these large waves are affecting all the northern islands of Papua New Guinea. So, this is a big scale event. I’m a little worried that this afternoon we will see waves like we did yesterday and maybe a little worse even. That’s one reason we don’t want to keep you all here for very long today because people might to go and move some of their possessions out of the way of those waves. They might not come, but they might.
00:37:26:02 – 00:37:27:08 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Wait, wait!
00:37:28:01 – 00:37:30:07 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
Isn’t there a support for the float?
00:38:05:02 - 00:38:19:12 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
Like for me to see the place like this and my sisters, they do not know what it is all about and I’m feeling sorry for them because they don’t know anything. Maybe these things will happen so that they will understand what I am talking about.
00:38:22:24 – 00:38:28:20 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
Oh no there’s one great big one coming. Great big one coming.
00:40:13:04 – 00:40:16:22 Male in green hat Subtitles (English):
Well, that’s the end of us. No school.
00:41:13:04 – 00:41:56:12 Radio Australia Show When I left this morning the tides were still lapping at village doorsteps and there might be a bit of respite given that the huge swell that also came in with the king tides is possibly dying down somewhat… There are going to be many of thousands of people who are so astonished some of course who have lost their homes entirely… thousands of people in Papua New Guinea have suffered degrees of loss. So far loss of life has been relatively minimal but the cost to property and the cost to economic well-being of people affected is going to be large.
00:42:03:10 – 00:42:06:08 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
Nothing about the Mortlock people. Still forgotten.
00:42:11:10 – 00:42:17:23 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Last night this guy said he’d have things in order by today.
00:42:17:24 – 00:42:19:15 Telo’s friend (stripe shirt) Subtitles (Takuu):
It’s been four or five days.
00:42:19:16 – 00:42:20:18 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Five days.
00:42:21:04 – 00:42:33:08 Telo’s friend (red shirt) Subtitles (Takuu):
The problem with living on this island is when things like this happen we must get food services faster in order to save the people.
00:42:33:13 – 00:42:36:03 Telo’s friend (stripe shirt) Subtitles (Takuu):
The Government does not do anything.
00:42:44:00 – 00:42:53:18 Title card:
During the four days of the flood it has been too dangerous to fish or harvest taro. With imported food already scarce on the island many families now have little to eat.
00:42:55:12 – 00:43:01:03 Radio controller Charlie – Charlie – Charlie – Charlie – Charlie - Echo – Charlie – Charlie – Charlie – Echo – (radio noises)
00:43:13:06 – 00:43:17:08 Medlyn off screen? Subtitles (Takuu):
He called Charlie – Charlie – Charlie – Echo but no one replied.
00:43:18:11 – 00:43:22:11 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
Charlie – Echo but no answer.
00:43:22:22 – 00:43:25:01 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Any news about the ship?
00:43:25:08 – 00:43:34:13 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
The crew is on stroke because they haven’t been paid. See how many months they’ve been on strike now.
00:43:38:21 – 00:44:04:08 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
When it comes to an emergency like what just happened to us how can we deal with this problem when there is only one ship in the province? One day when we have the real problem and when we ask the Government and if the Government… doesn’t do it immediately maybe they’ll find nobody on this island, we’ll all be gone before any rescue team or whatever get here.
00:44:41:15 – 00:44:58:11 Scott Smithers John and I have been surveying around the island we can see where some parts of the island have been eroded, over the next few months some of those changes might come back. And that’s what happens on islands but some of them may not because this is a big event.
00:44:59:02 – 00:45:09:07 John Hunter And you have to think that well those flooding events in 50 years time they may be happening 3 to 10 times more often just because of sea level rise.
00:45:09:20 – 00:45:33:04 Scott Smithers I fully understand why people are worried and concerned and there are thing that should be important for your Government, but I don’t want everybody to get very sad very soon because there are things we need to worry about. But we can worry and we can think and we can get things happening in the time. We need to be productive rather than panicking.
00:45:33:16 – 00:45:46:17 John Hunter You can alleviate that to a certain extent simply by planning, by moving to the areas of the island that are a bit higher. And that’s one way we can help, by telling you which parts of the island are higher.
00:45:50:02 – 00:46:03:21 Scott Smithers There’s the issue of climate change here but there’s also simply an issue of money and resources and we’re talking about a country that simply doesn’t have the money to do the things that need to be done.
00:46:22:08 – 00:46:37:08 Satty Puaria Subtitles (Takuu):
The Government must not spend their money on us leaving. You know how much money thay plan to spend on the relocation programme? Each year it will cost millions. After 10 years it will be 10 million kina.
00:46:39:08 – 00:46:44:05 Satty’s wife Subtitles (Takuu):
We’re getting worse because our houses are built on low ground.
00:46:45:05 – 00:46:50:04 Satty Puaria Subtitles (Takuu):
We have to raise the ground and then houses will be higher.
00:46:51:03 – 00:46:56:24 Satty’s wife Subtitles (Takuu):
Build the houses on higher posts, upstairs.
00:46:57:05 – 00:47:18:00 Sattu Puaria Subtitles (English):
We cannot wait for the Government. I believe we should start helping ourselves first. Then if somebody can see that somebody might be willing assist. If we can’t help ourselves then who can help us? Our ancestors were much wiser than the people today. They knew where they had to put the houses. It’s us now that we want to occupy much of the land. I think we could do a rough plan, we could sit down just looking at the physical features of the land.
00:47:20:13 – 00:47:43:02 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
And we could plan out the next row of houses where they should have been built and how they should have been built to avoid worse accidents. But the thing is it would be very hard convincing the people. If the people want to be relocated that’s their decision but I guess I’ll be the last one.
00:48:02:01 – 00:48:03:13 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
I’m not staying back.
00:48:05:07 – 00:48:11:03 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Maybe they won’t like us. Islanders from other atolls have gone there and had conflicts with land owners.
00:48:11:11 – 00:48:19:05 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
You just don’t know how many years we can stay on the island. You don’t know how the waves will react.
00:48:19:15 – 00:48:32:19 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
Yes, if this island gets destroyed then at least we’ll be safe on the mainland. The first relocated people will get the good places. If we move later, we’ll be given bad places.
00:48:33:07 – 00:48:41:17 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
I want to be with the first people that are going. I won’t stay for the last lot.
00:48:48:05 – 00:49:08:13 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
I’ve been always saying I’m not going I’m staying back on the island until I die. But seeing what happened a couple of days ago it actually changed my mind. And if the people have to move out of this island I’ll be one of them with my family.
00:49:10:11 – 00:49:30:02 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (Takuu):
The place where we’re going to live is very different. Here on the island, you can relax and get your food from the gardens. It’s very easy. The land and the sea there are owned by landlords who have their own rights.
00:49:30:03 – 00:49:39:05 Medlyn Subtitles (Takuu):
And we’ll depend on money so you have to go to school and get a job and help your father and mother.
00:49:40:17 – 00:50:01:21 Telo Fakatutufenua Subtitles (English):
Today I think I don’t have any trust any more on the Government because they say things that will never happen. I didn’t want to leave my culture, my traditions, way of life, of living… but I have to do it for the good of my children and for the future of my children.
00:51:11:08 – 00:51:51:12 Scott Smithers Maybe when people do things they need to consider more about whether or not if the places that they hold dear, they had to leave or even if those places were to be struck off the map how would they feel about that. And then they need to magnify that impact by 10 times because this is all these people know, their whole culture their life, everything is here. It’s not like they can just travel up the coast or somewhere else this is it. This is their world and their world is being destroyed.
00:51:57:03 – 00:52:14:16 John Hunter The climate signs I think will say that the developed world has to start to really reduce it’s emissions in order to allow the developing world to raise it’s emissions we can’t expect the developing world to actually not have any greenhouse gas emission increases, otherwise they’re just not going to lift themselves out of poverty.
00:52:22:05 – 00:52:37:22 Faith Endar Adu Subtitles (English):
I’m sad about losing part of my culture but it’s… it’s life that we have to move on with. You cannot sit down here and stay and die here because of your culture. You have to move out and then carry on with your life.
00:54:05:18 – 00:54:47:06 Satty Puaria Subtitles (English):
I myself, I still feel hope. We can hang around this island for some time. Somebody big must not look down. Somebody big should say let’s see what you’ve got. Let’s get together and do something. Maybe we can do better than I do with somebody my size. No matter how small you are you’re useful and you are still part of the world. If you lose something small in the world you lose a lot.
00:55:29:02 – 00:55:42:01 Title card:
By 2050, between 50 and 200 million people are predicted to be displaced because of climate change. Many of these people are likely to be in the Asia-Pacific region.
00:55:54:06 Credits begin.