Niupani village is situated on Lake Tegano, on the island of Rennell, an upraised coral atoll in the southern Solomon Islands. The people are of Polynesian descent and their lifestyle is simple. The children paddle to school in their small boats, the men work in the gardens and fish on the lake, and the women look after the small children, weave baskets and mats and also practice the art of tattooing in their spare time.

The introduction of Christianity imposed many changes on their traditional way of life, and over time, hostility and rivalry has built up between the South Sea Evangelical Church-goers and those who worship in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. And although the villagers’ lifestyle is seemingly idyllic, trouble is brewing for their beautiful lake, which is in danger from proposed bauxite mining.

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