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Cultural Etiquette
Cultural Dos and Taboos
1. Women and men should always dress modestly.
2. Men have a higher status than woman. In some villages, women should not stand above men; if a man is sitting a woman should sit.
3. Always ask a person's permission to be photographed.
4. There are many taboos and each village will have its own particular taboos. The traveler will inevitably break one or more during a visit. When this happens apologize and explain your ignorance of their customs. This should smooth out the misunderstanding. Here are a few taboo's to remember:
5. On the island of Ulawa, residents consider it a taboo to eat bananas.
6. It is taboo to wear red or black on the island of Malaita. On this island the locals practice "shark worship" and it is taboo to kill a shark, as it is believed that ancestor's spirit resides in sharks.
7. A place associated with a tindalo, or ghost of power, is sacred. In the event that a tree (growing in the vicinity) falls across a path, one should not step over the tree. Likewise, one should not pass by when the sun was so low as to cast his shadow into the enclosure, as the local legend suggests that the ghost of power would draw his shadow from the passing person.
8. Always walk around a person who is sleeping or sitting. Never step over them.
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