Located in a secluded valley of the Chaîne Centrale in New Caledonia, the remote tribe of Ouayaguette (Wevia) represents one of the most preserved indigenous communities on Grande Terre. During an immersion in 2006, this work documented a way of life anchored in subsistence farming, customary protocols, and deep resilience.

Entry into the valley and access to the tribe were facilitated by Wilfried, a friend from a neighboring clan who served as driver and guide. Permission to stay and photograph was granted through the sacred ritual of the coutume — a traditional offering of rice, tobacco, and a speech presented to the clan chief. In a community where Fwaâi remained the primary language, Teddy was one of the very few French-speaking members, becoming the primary bridge for conversation and daily exchange.

The series stands as a rare visual archive capturing the living memory of a community deeply shaped by early 20th-century colonial and missionary transformations, from the enforced destruction of traditional cases to mandatory Western dress. Twenty years later, this project evolves into an ongoing epistolary dialogue : a registered letter sent back to Teddy reopens the conversation, bridging two decades of silent transformation between the photographer and the people of Wevia.