ABSTRACT
There are not many visible manifestations of progress on Nauna. The health post, the school, a few speedies, two or three outboard motors, a transistor radio or two, a few paraffin lamps, and the remainders of a small tractor rusting away in the salty air. While outside observers might delight in the picturesque ‘authenticity’ of all this, most of the islanders themselves would gladly accept a little more of the modern comfort and merchandise, which many of them have seen in Lorengau. Roofs of corrugated iron, for example, are desired on Nauna because they are the only means of collecting drinking water. Since there are no rivers, no creeks or springs on Nauna, wells have been sunk into the ground. But the island is small and, naturally, these wells are too close to the beach, giving only brackish water. Even though drinking this brackish water is perfectly acceptable for a Naunian, the drinking of polluted water is not. With the arrival of Western clothes, detergents have come to Nauna. These are used by the women when laundering such Western clothes at the wells. In this way, the wells are polluted, making Nauna's precious well water unhealthy, and people sick. The ‘doctor’ ordered Naunians to boil their water but, as the women disliked carrying more firewood for such purposes, water has become a health problem. Hence, the existence of Western clothes, and of detergents, has made roofs of corrugated iron very important, as well as water tanks for collecting rain water.
