Solomon Islands
Santa Ana — one of the many islands bearing this name in the Pacific, this one situated in the Solomon Islands archipelago — is a small volcanic island lying just off the southeastern tip of Makira (San Cristobal), the sixth-largest island in the Solomons chain. With an area of approximately fifteen square kilometers and a population of around 2,500, Santa Ana (known locally as Owaraha) preserves one of the most vibrant traditional cultures in Melanesia — a community whose shell-money economy, shark-calling traditions, and elaborate ceremonial life have survived the transformations of the colonial and post-colonial eras with remarkable integrity.
The character of Santa Ana is defined by its cultural continuity. The islanders maintain the production and use of shell money (red-shell discs painstakingly ground from the fossilized shells of the Chama pacifica mollusk), which continues to function as ceremonial currency in bride-price payments, dispute resolution, and inter-island trade. The men's ceremonial houses, decorated with carved and painted figures representing ancestral spirits and cultural heroes, serve as centers for traditional governance and the transmission of cultural knowledge. Dance festivals — featuring elaborate body decoration, wooden shields, and the rhythmic stamping dances that characterize Solomon Islands ceremonial life — are performed for community celebrations and, increasingly, for visiting expedition cruise passengers who provide a welcome source of income.
The culinary traditions of Santa Ana reflect the Melanesian reliance on the sea and the garden. Fresh fish — caught by handline, spear, or the net-casting techniques developed over millennia — provides the primary protein, prepared simply: grilled over coconut-husk coals, wrapped in leaves for earth-oven cooking, or consumed raw as a form of sashimi. Sweet potato, taro, and cassava form the starchy foundation, cultivated in gardens that climb the island's volcanic slopes. Coconut is omnipresent — drunk fresh, grated for cooking, and pressed for the oil that is used in both cuisine and body care. The betel nut, chewed with lime powder, is the ubiquitous social stimulant, offered to guests as a gesture of welcome.
The marine environment surrounding Santa Ana is healthy and productive, benefiting from the island's remoteness and the Solomons' position within the Coral Triangle. Coral reefs fringe the island, supporting diverse fish populations and the sea turtles that nest on the island's beaches. Dolphin pods are frequently sighted in the channel between Santa Ana and Makira. The traditional shark-calling practice — in which ritualists use rattles and chants to attract sharks for ceremonial purposes — represents one of the most extraordinary examples of human-marine interaction in the Pacific, though its practice has become less common as younger generations engage with modernity.
Santa Ana is accessible by small boat from Makira or by expedition cruise ships that anchor offshore and tender passengers to the beach. There is no airport, hotel, or commercial accommodation on the island — visits are arranged through cruise itineraries or by prior arrangement with village leaders. The dry season from May to October offers the calmest seas and most comfortable conditions. Visitors should bring modest clothing (bikinis and shirtless attire are inappropriate in the village), small gifts for their hosts (school supplies and fishing equipment are especially valued), and an attitude of genuine respect for a community that has opened its cultural life to outsiders with generous hospitality.