Tahiti Beyond the Postcard: Power, Place, and Everyday Life

Acknowledgments

XI Although the task of putting words to paper can feel like the loneliest of endeavors, what lies behind the words has been a delightfully social, cooperative undertaking. Many people are within these pages. They have opened their worlds to me, helped me gather information, included me, patiently taught me, answered my endless questions, and discussed my ideas. They read what I wrote, commented, and read again. Without them, there would be no book. I am profoundly grateful, humbled, and honored by the many people in French Polynesia who helped me. Our good friends Édouard and Kim Tai Piha, and their extended family, Poema and Billy, Rachelle and Philippe, Kiki and Moana, and Brigitte; as well as Jessica (my daughter’s constant companion ), Vaimiri, Tevaihau, and Haurai shared their lives and thoughts with us, fed us, and laughed with us. Many of them also visited us in Seattle. On Huahine, Édouard took my husband, Richard, under his wing, working in the faa‘apu, going on midnight fishing trips, teaching him how to fertilize vanilla, and building new benches for the church. Marietta and Atea Tefaataumarama opened their hearts and lives to us, inviting us to events that became some of my most memorable experiences. I learned much from Marietta, as I worked side by side with her in the Fare Pote‘e and traveled with her and Atea with the matahiapo to Taha‘a. One of my most memorable experiences was when she and Tamari‘i Mata‘ire‘a, a troupe of eighteen dancers and musicians from Huahine, came to Seattle to perform at the Seattle International Children’s Festival and at the Northwest Folklife Festival. Acknowledgments XII acknowledgments Many other friends couldn’t have been more generous, inclusive, and helpful: Théophile and Huguette Ihorai, Heitiare and Willy Tereua, Kiki and Bianca Taupu, Jean Yves Teri‘itapunui, Hiti and Turia Gooding, Tetua and Émile Piha, Georges Matauteute and Pauline Barff, Paul and Vatiana Atallah, Marty and Moe Temahahe, and (in Fetuna) Peto and Mariette Firuu and their children, Angéla and Arai. Bruno Saura, professor at the Université de la Polynésie Française, a friend and mentor on Huahine, and constant supporter, painstakingly read my manuscript and provided enormously helpful feedback. Dr. Yosihiko Sinoto of the Bishop Museum in Hawai‘i taught me about the complex history of Huahine, and included Richard (trained as an archaeologist) as a member of his archaeological team on Huahine. It is an understatement to say that my research would not have been possible without the loyal friendship of Dorothy Levy, soul mate, facilitator, and sounding board for everything I did on Huahine. Dorothy also read my manuscript and provided supportive feedback. Her mother-in-law, Mama Rere Teururai, was profoundly helpful as I asked question after question. Dorothy’s daughter, Sabrina Levy Birk, lawyer and artist, provided useful insight on the politics of French Polynesia. I am particularly grateful to Teva Sylvain and Diane Commons for their willingness to talk to me about their postcard businesses and for the helpful insights these conversations provided. I also benefited greatly from conversations with Jan Prince, Dominique Wolton, Norbert Itchner, Richard Shamel, Etienne Faaeva, Henriette Colombanie, Jean-Pierre Amo, Etienne Ragivaru, Jean-Merry Delarue, Paulette Viénot, Karine Villa, Christel Bole, Brigitte Vanizette, Laurent Bessou, Louise Peltzer, Gilles Fuller, Christine Sauvagnac, and Suzanne Lau-Chonfont. I am deeply gratified that Do Carlson (widow of Henri Hiro) and Chantal Spitz read parts of my text and provided valuable input. Several students read the manuscript in earlier drafts and provided their honest, critical, and extraordinarily helpful feedback: Rochelle Tuitagava‘a Fonoti, Karen Capuder, Jaye Sablan, Ellen Wohlford, Shumei Huang, and Hang Truong. Anthropologists Setha Low, Lamont Lindstrom, and Stuart Kirsch offered discerning and meticulous feedback on drafts of my manuscript that was critical for improving its quality. Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan, editor of the University of Washington’s Culture, Place, and Nature series, also provided perceptive input. acknowledgments XIII At the University of Washington Press, Lorri Hagman moved my manuscriptalongwithremarkablewisdom ,care,andspeed.KerrieMaynes’scopyediting was impeccable. I was fortunate, once again, to have Ashley Saleeba design the layout of my book. I thank Amir Sheikh for making the maps. I am grateful to Raoul Céré for providing me with high-quality images of the postcards. I thank the government of French Polynesia for graciously granting me permission to carry out my research. I thank the Fulbright...