The figureheads were stained black and inlaid with shell, matching the canoes. Nguzunguzu war gods watched out for enemies, reefs and sand bars, calmed the seas and kept away evil water spirits. Nguzunguzu may hold heads, skulls or birds in their hands. Skulls were believed to contain the life force, so head-hunting transferred power from the victims to the warriors. Birds may have represented navigators like the frigate bird which are used to spot bonito schools.
Most lures resemble fish.
War and bonito fishing canoes were docked in decorated canoe sheds which were also ceremonial houses for the men and contained ancestor relics and skulls. In Langa Langa Lagoon these custom houses watched out from the seaward side of the artificial islands, while the villages were sited on the sheltered side facing inland. Pre-contact fishing ceremonies were very important, especially festivals for the beginning of bonito season. Dolphin hunts involved the whole community. Fish-shaped caskets were made for bones.