LAND GROUPS, LAND REGISTRATION, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS

Authors

Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Abstract

Neoliberal economic development requires that land boundaries and land groups be identified and registered, creating property rights and titles that can be bought, sold, and transferred. Registration makes land and land groups legible, thereby allowing states to exercise control and make land accessible to potential investors. This process of commodification creates changes that are often socially traumatic. In many Melanesian societies, individual and group rights to land are traditionally fluid and dynamic. Registration, however, freezes them. This paper examines how the process of land registration not only identify but also create land groups and influences how they respond to economic development projects. Two case studies on Guadalcanal illustrate this and highlight that land groups are not always passive victims. However, their agency can only be exercised within the limits established by the state. This paper locates Guadalcanal’s experiences within broader discussions of land and economic development in Oceania.

Recommended Citation

Kabutaulaka, Tarcisius (2019) "LAND GROUPS, LAND REGISTRATION, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 42: No. 3, Article 1.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol42/iss3/1