SC.2023.12. Undana-Rama Village

Undana-Rama

Undana-Rama is a gem of a village, a hundred huts gathered together around the twenty dwellings from those who built the nearby Dam of Undana-Ré to protect the rich protected harbour and connected stream rich with rare fishes, frogs and plants.   Spurred on by planetologist Florin Haban, a few military engineers from a naval infantry regiment who had been on the verge of retirement banded together, built the dam. A dam whose clever design transfers the heat from the lava faster to the water, the hotter it is.   Local press magnate Taminofen Areta has optioned the rights for both book and movie versions of the story, I cannot wait to return to New Tsou City to discuss the matter. My prior documentaries and short films have all been comparatively well received, but only within planetologist circles, I wish for a wider reach, so that these wonders be appreciated by a wider audience.   The village is ruled by a married pair of elders, who split rulership duties amongst themselves, in the fashion currently thought to have been performed all over Asirania for thousands of Arnds. Both elders speak for each other, unless both are present, and are for the intents and purposes of local law, one legal person. There are six duties to split between both members of the pair:

organization of fish gathering

organization of fruit gathering

justice and adjudication

matchmaking

education

worship

My hosts went through some effort to get me to understand that prior elders were same-sex couples, neithers, etc, and that children do not affect the eligibility of a pair to be ruling elders, nor are any of the six duties reserved for any one gender or role within a couple, this is in contrast with the view of some Tsou researchers that island tribes were as conservative, socially, as the current Tsou rules, more research is needed in this area.

— Undana-Ré: extremophile territory, by Florin Haban, proceeds of the Royal Tsou Oceanographic Insitute, New Tsou City 814AK.