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Short Stories
true stories from Banaba
— read free —
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For more than thirty years, we have gathered the memories, legends and lived experiences of the Banaban people — stories of war and survival, tradition and celebration, loss and extraordinary hope.
Here you can read them free: true accounts from one of the Pacific's most remarkable communities, told so they will never be forgotten.
War on Banaba
— the escape, atrocities, and survivor stories
Arthur Mercer WWII Mystery
Why did he ‘jump ship’ only to be captured by the Japanese on Ocean Island (Banaba)?
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Imminent Peril: Ocean Island on the Brink of Invasion
A teenage survivor of the SS Triona sinking tells her own story of capture and survival.
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War Atrocities Banaba
(Ocean Island)
Firsthand accounts from those who survived Japanese Occupation World War II.
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Escaping War on Ocean Island (Banaba)
The day Japan bombed Pearl Harbour they turned southeast to drop bombs on Ocean Island.
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Returning to Ocean Island
Post War
Phosphate mining resumed after the Japanese invasion of Banaba during WWII.
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Tradition & Culture
— weddings, frigate bird snaring, the clans
Banaban Tradition of Frigate Bird Snaring / Taming
The importance of Te Kabwane Eitei and the taming of Frigate birds within traditional culture.
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Words of Banaban War Chant
PART ONE: Words of "Emananga Emanangannga" Men’s War Chant for Te Karanga (Banaban War Spear) Dance.
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Banaban Dance
PART TWO: Choreography, Music Phrase and Counts for Emananga Emanangananga - A Dance Inciting Warriors to Battle.
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Curious Banaban Dance:
Te Karanga
Firsthand Account of te karanga, spear dance, Ocean Island (Banaba) in 1896.
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Banaban Traditional Weddings
Past and Present: An important cultural ceremony proudly passed down over the generations.
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Banaban Traditional Fishing Skills
Indigenous Banabans were known as the greatest
fishermen in the Pacific.
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Island History
— shipwrecks, Te Aka village, the legacy
Saving Te Aka Village
Hundred of items were scattered over the ground of the old Te Aka site.
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The Future of the Banabans
PART ONE: Decided by member of UK Parliament in House of Commons 1978.
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Banaban Compensation Claims
PART TWO: Debate over compensation claims tabled in UK House of Parliament 1979.
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Shipwrecks of Ocean Island
PART ONE: Ships Ocean Island Reef Claimed between
1901 - 1928
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Shipwrecks of Ocean Island
PART TWO: First hand account of SS Kelvinbank, the last shipwreck January 1953.
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Banaban Legacy
Raobeia Ken Sigrah's lifelong mission to preserve Banaban culture.
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Snippets of Ocean Island/Banaban History
Original stories published in Banaba/Ocean Island News over a five-year period.
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Banaban Landowners
Visit their Homeland
Banaban landowners from their island of Rabi visit Banaba Nov, 1967.
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Ocean Island Kart Club
Go-kart racing and the set-up of the Ocean Island Kart
Club during the 1960s.
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Snippets of Ocean Island/Banaban History
Original stories published in Banaba/Ocean Island News over a five-year period.
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Banaban Landowners
Visit their Homeland
Banaban landowners from their island of Rabi visit Banaba Nov, 1967.
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Reflections
— the personal and environmental pieces
Food for Thought
When I’m asked, “Where is Banaba?” I reply, “Scattered all over Australia.” Banaban, Raobeia Ken Sigrah.
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Should Banabans Call
Australia Home
Banabans call for recognise for their contribution to Australia's agriculture sector.
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Between a Rock and
a Hard Place
"Fijians Want Their Island Back" so where do the Banaban go from here?
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What is the Future for Our Oceans?
Is Kanton Island the new jewel in a tarnished crown?
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The Moon's Clan
Banaban 1931
Stretching, I slowly rise in the eastern sky.
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Come Meet the Banabans
The Banaban website banaban.com was first created and launched in 1993.
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The Author's Story
The story behind the authors of Te Rii ni Banaba. Raobeia Ken Sigrah and Stacey M. King
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Just One Day at a Time
"Winning short-story Winton Outback Writer's Festival 2021"
by Stacey King
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If these true stories moved you...
The Land of Matang series brings this world to life. Nakaa's Awakening weaves Banaba's true history and legends into unforgettable fiction — inspired by the very stories you've just read.
Get a free chapter
Get a free chapterJoin the list for a free chapter of Nakaa's Awakening — and be first to know when Book Two, The Curse of Nakaa, arrives.
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