Fatutu

Handcrafted accessories made from white hibiscus flowers indigenous to Nukutaeao. The Nukutais utilize a special technique to preserves these flowers, which has made them popular among visitors during their Merchants' Fair.

The flowers symbolize purity, resilience, and eternal life. However, the interviewee seems unaware of this symbolism.

From the crests and foam of the sea the designer drew inspiration, weaving a snippet of nature's verse into lace that graces this dress.

Puzzle pieces sewn onto the hem, colored with murex extract and mordanted with seawater. In the settled patterns lie the faint shapes of palm leaves, waves, and an island.

The pieces rise and sway with the hem, speaking of drifting and longing. The interviewee sewed them together, but they will never form a complete picture of home.

A necklace crafted from various marine shells, each one intricately inscribed with hieroglyphics, except one, the furthest to the left.

The Nukutais consider these shells sacred, wearing them as amulets throughout their entire life. The inscriptions symbolize their emotional journey and most significant moments. Thus, the number and neatness of the inscriptions reflect the wearer's age, experiences, and soul.

A necklace adorned with shells, almost resembling a section of spine pulled from the depths of the sea. The interviewee added her most cherished Spirit Shell to the necklace and agreed to paint the engraved text blue for the shoot, after confirming the paint could be removed. "It looks ... different, like it's getting new clothes too," the interviewee remarked.

An umbrella woven from palm leaves, with a few lush strands of longing trailing from the tips.

The interviewee smiled and said, "I really love the smell inside it. Sometimes I even hide under it for a nap, just like I used to do by the coast."

A mysterious totem inked on the interviewee's arm, which seems to lack deeper significance.

The Nukutais, skilled at living in harmony with nature on their secluded island, use stone powder as paint and their bodies as canvases to create unique designs.

A multi-layered underskirt, soft and closely hugging the legs, its weight increasing gradually with each added layer. The interviewee couldn't stop praising the skirt. "It's a little hard to move in all these layers ... it's like wading through the rolling waves on the beach. I really miss that feeling."

A pair of white block-heeled shoes, the patterns painted on them a little rough, capturing the girl's growth and lingering attachments.

The interviewee arrived in a hurry before the interview began. Her steps were light but a little unsteady, as if still practicing. "I'm not used to walking in shoes. The ground here isn't as soft as back home."

The island was sinking.

Few noticed the dotted archipelago drifting in the South Pacific. As the merchant ships sailed away with the final tides before sunset, taking with them tropical fish and Nukutai handicrafts, they left behind an ever-submerging cemetery and a coastline battered repeatedly by storms. Nukutaeao is but a tiny dot in the ocean, a place that might be erased from the map with a swipe of a finger.

Masked figures reached out, stating, "We are born in the wrong era."

The tumultuous waves repeatedly affirmed their foresight. For the first time, those who lived their lives alongside shells argued intensely. The elders, shaking their heads, stubbornly ignored the signs, while the young discreetly covered the cracks in their shells, discussing an era-defining revenge and their planned escape.

The debate stretched until dawn. When the stars faded into the morning light, the new chieftain led what remained of their tribe from the vanishing island onto the "Free Breeze".

She said the Nukutais had no choice left.

"The world outside is filled with hate and war."

The shells passed down from our ancestors tell us how frightening the world outside Nukutaeao is. Wicked witches hide in ancient caves, Nakarua serpents often conjure colossal waves on the seas, and roaring monsters and giant birds lurk on every island.

Nukutaeao is peaceful and serene, while disputes are ever-present outside.

"The outside world is full of cunning, evil people who will hurt others easily."

What I've seen on the "Free Breeze" is quite different. People sing and dance, and they're masters of fascinating performances. The brave sit on small boats drifting with the waves, spreading "peace and love." Every night, under the watch of the Southern Cross, the passengers sleep peacefully. They seem no different from us.

"We are born in the wrong era."

The outside world isn't as bad as we heard, and people aren't as evil as we imagined ... Are these people truly the right targets for our vendetta?

Pandora Wilson: You are certain to be the subject of great curiosity in agreeing to this interview. So little is known about your homeland.

Fatutu: There's a reason for that, the "Veil of Nothingness" cast by our ancestors, it hid Nukutaeao from the outside world.

Pandora Wilson: So, prior to now, you never had any contact with the outside world?

Fatutu: No, we did, our people would periodically welcome traders to our land and invited guests to come and experience our island.

Pandora Wilson: That does make me curious, what kind of goods do you have to trade?

Fatutu: Pickled red snapper, sundried hala fruit ... Oh, and we use a special technique to preserve hibiscus flowers, the accessories we make from them are always very popular.

Pandora Wilson: Considering all that happened, I'm surprised that you seem so positive about the "outside world."

Fatutu: ... We Nukutais have always been hospitable. Even aboard that cruise ship ...

Fatutu: Ah, but I noticed that the guests on that ship seemed to love and yearn for the sea. That's quite different from our people. I wonder why they don't miss their homes and friends?

Pandora Wilson: Perhaps it's because they don't have a home like yours.