Copyright © 2005 Tom Ludvigson. All rights reserved.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The
research on which this study is based was carried out with
the aid of a scholarship from the New Zealand University
Grants Committee. Additional funding was provided by the
Swedish National Council for Social Research, the Lars
Hierta Memorial Trust, and the University of Auckland
Research Committee. The Research Committee also funded a
three months visit to New Zealand for one of my informants
from my field area. For all this financial support I am
most grateful.
The people of central Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu allowed me to
live among them, and provided ethnographic information and
companionship during my seventeen months in their area. I
thank them all for their patience and generosity. My hosts
at Truvos, on the south-east side of the upper Ari valley,
deserve a special mention, in particular Lisa of Kuvutana,
who made me a member of his household for most of my time
there. Ku meze!
Kamalai komororo iniku.
I owe a special debt to my supervisors at the Department of
Anthropology, Dr Nancy Bowers, Professor Ralph Bulmer and
Dr Anne Salmond. Without their encouragement and untiring
assistance this work would never have been completed.
Several people read and commented on earlier drafts of some
of the chapters: Susan Freeman, Patricia Kinloch, Phoebe
Look, Marjorie Sprecher, Claudia Tattersfield, Steven
Webster, Barbara Wilkie and Julie Viviariae. Mike Goldsmith
edited the manuscript, Nigel Baumber and Robert Mann
assisted with proofreading, and Sue Stenner typed it. Drs
Orchard and Gowers helped with identification of plant
specimens. I owe them all great thanks for their interest
and help. Mary Ludvigson re-typed the manuscript for
electrronic publication. Thank you all very much!