Editing Tuvalu (section)

==Culture==
{{see also|Tuvaluan mythology}}

===Architecture===
The traditional buildings of Tuvalu used plants and trees from the native broadleaf forest,<ref name="CHF1">[[#Hedley|Hedley]], pp. 40–41</ref> including timber from ''pouka'' (''[[Hernandia]] peltata''); ''ngia'' or ''ingia'' bush (''[[Pemphis]] acidula''); ''miro'' (''[[Thespesia populnea]]''); ''Tonga'' (''[[Rhizophora mucronata]]''); ''fau'' or ''fo fafini'', or woman's fibre tree (''[[Hibiscus tiliaceus]]'').<ref name="CHF1"/> Fibre is from [[coconut]]; ''ferra'', native fig (''[[Ficus]] aspem''); ''fala'', screw pine or ''[[Pandanus]]''.<ref name="CHF1"/> The buildings were constructed without nails, lashed together with plaited [[sennit]] rope handmade from dried coconut fibre.<ref name="MG">{{cite book |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Michael. |title=Transformations of the Meeting-House in Tuvalu |year=1985 |publisher=Antony Hooper and Judith Huntsman, eds., ‘Transformations of Polynesian Culture’ Polynesian Society}}</ref>

Following contact with Europeans, iron products were used including nails and corrugated roofing material. Modern buildings in Tuvalu are constructed from imported building materials, including imported timber and concrete.<ref name="MG"/>

[[File:Interior of a maneapa in Funafuti, Tuvalu.jpg|thumb|Interior of a maneapa on Funafuti, Tuvalu]]
Church and community buildings ([[Maneaba|''maneapa'']]) are usually coated with white paint that is known as ''lase'', which is made by burning a large amount of dead coral with firewood. The whitish powder that is the result is mixed with water and painted on the buildings.<ref name="TP">{{cite web |last=Panapa |first=Tufoua |title=Ethnographic Research on Meanings and Practices of Health in Tuvalu: A Community Report |publisher=Report to the Tuvaluan Ministries of Health and Education: Ph D Candidate Centre for Development Studies – "Transnational Pacific Health through the Lens of Tuberculosis" Research Group. Department of Anthropology, The University of Auckland, N.Z. |pages=39–41 |year=2012 |url=http://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/arts/Departments/anthropology/documents-publications/Tufoua%20Ethnographic%20Research%20on%20Meanings%20and%20Practices%20of%20Health%20in%20Tuvalu%20final.pdf |access-date=6 January 2018 |archive-date=4 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204014558/https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/arts/Departments/anthropology/documents-publications/Tufoua%20Ethnographic%20Research%20on%20Meanings%20and%20Practices%20of%20Health%20in%20Tuvalu%20final.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Art===
{{Main|Art of Tuvalu}}

The women of Tuvalu use [[cowrie]] and other shells in traditional [[handicrafts]].<ref name="ATP"/> The artistic traditions of Tuvalu have traditionally been expressed in the design of clothing and traditional handicrafts such as the decoration of [[mat]]s and [[Fan (machine)|fan]]s.<ref name="ATP">{{cite web |last=Tiraa-Passfield |first=Anna |title=The uses of shells in traditional Tuvaluan handicrafts |publisher=SPC Traditional Marine Resource Management and Knowledge Information Bulletin No. 7 |date=September 1996 |url=http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/TRAD/7/TRAD7_02_Tiraa.pdf |access-date=8 February 2014 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222023428/http://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/Doc/FAME/InfoBull/TRAD/7/TRAD7_02_Tiraa.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Crochet]] (''kolose'') is one of the art forms practised by Tuvaluan women.<ref name="UNDP1">{{cite web |work=aucklandcouncil. |title=Kolose: The art of Tuvalu crochet |date=March 2015 |url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/Arts/artscentretheatresgalleries/Documents/kolosecatalogue.pdf |access-date=12 July 2015 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923180236/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/Arts/artscentretheatresgalleries/Documents/kolosecatalogue.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The design of women's skirts (''titi''), tops (''teuga saka''), [[headband]]s, [[armband]]s, and [[wristband]]s, which continue to be used in performances of the traditional dance songs of Tuvalu, represents contemporary Tuvaluan art and design.<ref name="TPwa">{{cite web |last=Mallon |first=Sean |title=Wearable art: Tuvalu style |publisher=Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa) blog |date=2 October 2013 |url=http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2013/10/02/wearable-art-tuvalu-style/ |access-date=10 April 2014 |archive-date=14 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114192800/http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2013/10/02/wearable-art-tuvalu-style/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[material culture]] of Tuvalu uses traditional design elements in artefacts used in everyday life such as the design of [[canoe]]s and [[fish hook]]s made from traditional materials.<ref name="K1931">{{cite book |last1=Kennedy |first1=Donald |title=The Ellice Islands Canoe |url=http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Memoirs_%28Additional%29/No._9%3A_Field_Notes_on_the_Culture_of_Vaitupu%2C_Ellice_Islands%2C_by_D._G._Kennedy/The_Ellice_Islands_Canoe%2C_p_71-100/p1 |year=1931 |publisher=Journal of the Polynesian Society, Memoir no. 9 |pages=71–100 |access-date=19 April 2019 |archive-date=6 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006034408/https://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Memoirs_%28Additional%29/No._9%3A_Field_Notes_on_the_Culture_of_Vaitupu%2C_Ellice_Islands%2C_by_D._G._Kennedy/The_Ellice_Islands_Canoe%2C_p_71-100/p1 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="GKTGS1">{{cite book |last1=Gerd Koch (translated by Guy Slater) |title=The Material Culture of Tuvalu |year=1981 |publisher=University of the South Pacific |location=Suva |id=ASIN B0000EE805}}</ref>

In 2015, an exhibition was held on Funafuti of the art of Tuvalu, with works that addressed [[climate change]] through the eyes of artists and the display of ''Kope ote olaga'' (possessions of life), a display of the various artefacts of Tuvalu culture.<ref name="AoT">{{cite web |last=Takemoto |first=Shoko |title=The Art of Tuvalu – Climate Change through the eyes of artists in Tuvalu |publisher=exposure.co |date=4 November 2015 |url=https://shoko.exposure.co/the-art-of-tuvalu |access-date=23 December 2015 |archive-date=23 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223080848/https://shoko.exposure.co/the-art-of-tuvalu |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Dance and music===
{{Main|Music of Tuvalu}}

[[File:Dancer, Tuvalu stage, 2011 Pasifika festival.jpg|thumb|upright|A Tuvaluan dancer at Auckland's [[Pasifika Festival]]]]

The traditional music of Tuvalu consists of a number of dances, including ''[[fakaseasea]]'', ''[[fakanau]]'' and ''[[fatele]]''.<ref name="RG">{{cite book |last1=Linkels |first1=Ad |title=The Real Music of Paradise |year=2000 |publisher=Rough Guides, Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.) |isbn=1-85828-636-0 |page=221}}</ref> The ''fatele'', in its modern form, is performed at community events and to celebrate leaders and other prominent individuals, such as the visit of the [[Duke of Cambridge|Duke]] and [[Duchess of Cambridge]] in September 2012.<ref name="CJH">{{cite web |last=Capt. John Hensford, with photos by Tony Prcevich |title=The Royal Visit to Tuvalu – September 2012 – The Inside Story |year=2012 |url=http://ktaweb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Royal_Visit_Tuvalu.pdf |access-date=6 January 2016 |archive-date=8 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308212545/http://ktaweb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Royal_Visit_Tuvalu.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="VM">{{cite news |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/william-and-kate-tour-2012-duke-1329728 |work=Mirror Online Edition |title=Game of thrones: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge play king and queen before dancing the night away in Tuvalu |access-date=21 October 2012 |location=London |first=Victoria |last=Murphy |date=18 September 2012 |archive-date=21 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021205248/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/william-and-kate-tour-2012-duke-1329728 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Tuvaluan style can be described "as a musical microcosm of Polynesia, where contemporary and older styles co-exist".<ref name="RG"/>

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Cuisine of Tuvalu}}
The [[cuisine of Tuvalu]] is based on the [[Staple food|staple]] of [[coconut]] and the many species of fish found in the ocean and lagoons of the atolls. Desserts made on the islands include coconut and [[coconut milk]], rather than animal milk. The traditional foods eaten in Tuvalu are [[pulaka]], [[taro]], bananas, [[breadfruit]]<ref>Morris, Rachel, "To the Lifeboats," in ''Mother Jones,'' November/December 2009</ref> and coconut.<ref name="CHC">[[#Hedley|Hedley]], pp. 60–63</ref> Tuvaluans also eat seafood, including [[coconut crab]] and fish from the lagoon and ocean.<ref name="FRFSP" /> [[Flying fish]] are also caught as a source of food.<ref name="CH-GA">{{cite journal |ref=Hedley |last1=Hedley |first1=Charles |title=General account of the Atoll of Funafuti |url=http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Journals/16686/487_complete.pdf |year=1896 |journal=Australian Museum Memoir |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=1–72 at 65 |doi=10.3853/j.0067-1967.3.1896.487 |access-date=28 September 2013 |archive-date=15 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015112253/http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Journals/16686/487_complete.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="PIM34-9"/><ref name="IGT">{{cite journal |author1=Turbott, I. G. |title=Fishing for Flying-Fish in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20703275 |date=December 1950 |volume=59 |issue=4 |journal=The Journal of the Polynesian Society |pages=349–367 |jstor=20703275 |access-date=7 April 2024 |archive-date=7 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240407031033/https://www.jstor.org/stable/20703275 |url-status=live}}</ref> Another traditional food source is [[seabird]]s (''taketake'' or [[black noddy]] and ''akiaki'' or [[white tern]]), with pork being eaten mostly at ''fateles'' (or parties with dancing to celebrate events).<ref name="Bennetts"/>

Pulaka is the main source for [[carbohydrate]]s. Seafood provides [[protein]]. Bananas and breadfruit are supplemental crops. Coconut is used for its juice, to make other beverages (such as [[Palm wine|toddy]]) and to improve the taste of some dishes.<ref name="Bennetts"/>

A 1560-square-metre pond was built in 1996 on Vaitupu to sustain [[aquaculture in Tuvalu]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile: Tuvalu |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization |url=http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/FI-CP_TV/en |access-date=2 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326031726/http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/FI-CP_TV/en |archive-date=26 March 2009}}</ref>

[[Flying fish]] are also caught as a source of food;<ref name="CH-GA"/><ref name="PIM34-9">{{cite web |last= |first= |work=V(2) Pacific Islands Monthly |title=Life on Nanomanga |date=21 September 1934 |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-311547727/view?partId=nla.obj-311551615#page/n26/mode/1up |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="IGT"/> and as an exciting activity, using a boat, a [[butterfly net]] and a spotlight to attract the flying fish.<ref name="Bennetts"/>

===Heritage===
The traditional community system still survives to a large extent on Tuvalu. Each family has its own task, or ''salanga'', to perform for the community, such as fishing, [[house building]] or defence. The skills of a family are passed on from parents to children.

Most islands have their own ''fusi'', community-owned shops similar to convenience stores, where [[canned food]]s and bags of rice can be purchased. Goods are cheaper, and fusis give better prices for their own produce.<ref name="Bennetts"/>

Another important building is the ''falekaupule'' or [[Maneaba|''maneapa'']], the traditional island [[meeting hall]],<ref name=TKII>{{cite web |url=http://www.sprep.org/att/IRC/eCOPIES/Countries/Tuvalu/42.pdf |title=Te Kakeega II – National Strategies for Sustainable Development 2005–2015 |year=2005 |publisher=Government of Tuvalu |access-date=14 October 2011}}</ref> where important matters are discussed and which is also used for wedding celebrations and community activities such as a ''[[fatele]]'' involving music, singing and dancing.<ref name="Bennetts"/> ''[[Falekaupule]]'' is also used as the name of the council of elders – the traditional decision-making body on each island. Under the Falekaupule Act, ''Falekaupule'' means "traditional assembly in each island&nbsp;... composed in accordance with the Aganu of each island". ''Aganu'' means traditional customs and culture.<ref name=TKII/>

Tuvalu does not have any museums; however, the creation of a [[Tuvalu National Cultural Centre and Museum]] is part of the government's strategic plan for 2018–24.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tuvalu national culture policy strategic plan, 2018–2024 |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000265528 |access-date=15 April 2021 |publisher=UNESCO}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennoune |first=Karima |date=24 September 2019 |title=Preliminary findings and observations on visit to Tuvalu by UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights |url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25035&LangID=E}}</ref>

===Traditional single-outrigger canoe===
[[File:Canoe carving on Nanumea.jpg|thumb|upright|Canoe carving on Nanumea]]
[[Paopao (canoe)|''Paopao'']] (from the [[Samoan language]], meaning a small fishing-canoe made from a single log), is the traditional single-[[outrigger canoe]] of Tuvalu, of which the largest could carry four to six adults. The variations of single-outrigger canoes that had been developed on Vaitupu and Nanumea were reef-type or paddled canoes; that is, they were designed for carrying over the reef and being paddled, rather than being sailed.<ref name="K1931"/> Outrigger canoes from [[Nui (atoll)|Nui]] were constructed with an indirect type of outrigger attachment and the hull is double-ended, with no distinct bow and stern. These canoes were designed to be sailed over the Nui lagoon.<ref name="PM">{{cite journal |author=McQuarrie, Peter |url=http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_85_1976/Volume_85%2C_No._4/Nui_Island_sailing_canoes%2C_by_Peter_McQuarrie%2C_p_543-548/p1?page=0&action=searchresult&target= |title=Nui Island sailing canoes |journal=Journal of the Polynesian Society |volume=85 |issue=4 |year=1976 |pages=543–548 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |access-date=19 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813162429/https://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_85_1976/Volume_85%2C_No._4/Nui_Island_sailing_canoes%2C_by_Peter_McQuarrie%2C_p_543-548/p1?page=0&action=searchresult&target= |url-status=dead }}</ref> The booms of the outrigger are longer than those found in other designs of canoes from the other islands. This made the Nui canoe more stable when used with a sail than the other designs.<ref name="PM"/>