sentences:  In the past they lived in hamlets in the mountainous hinterland, or on the banks of lagoons in the southwest or the Mara Masika Strait (separating Malaita and South Malaita islands), but during colonization many coastal villages were established.Traditionally, they practiced subsistence agriculture of taro, yams, and sweet potatoes, as well as raising pigs and fishing.During colonization they were encouraged to export copra and raise cattle on a small scale.