Augusta Karagamurironga Kuper

Augusta Kuper Kafagamurironga was known as 'Kanana' (mother). She was born about 1890, daughter of paramount chief Page Page from Santa Ana. It was to him that the British gave the Union Jack in 1897 when the Protectorate was proclaimed on the island. She married Henry Kuper (q.v.). Augusta Kuper always maintained and cultivated Santa Ana and Santa Catalina custom, and encouraged the people to maintain their traditional dances after the Melanesian Mission (q.v.) arrived in the area. Colin Allan met her in 1956 and described her as 'enormously fat, elderly, distinguished, dignified'. (1990, pt. 2, 128) She died in April 1970, survived by her daughter and three sons. One son, Geoff Kuper, was one of the first Fiji-trained Solomon Islands Native Medical Practitioners. (NS 30 Apr. 1970)