Uvea Coast

Around Uvea, reefs and passages mark the boundary between lagoon and open Pacific. The island of ʻUvea, also known as Wallis, is surrounded by a lagoon and smaller islands. Reefs provide shelter and fishing grounds, while openings through them lead towards neighbouring islands. Tides, weather and sea conditions shape the passage between these waters.

Across western Polynesia, family ties, exchange and political influence connected islands by sea. Tongan influence reached ʻUvea in the fifteenth century, forming part of its long history of relationships with neighbouring island societies. Canoe travel and knowledge of reefs and winds sustained connections across water as well as daily work close to shore.