, ▁family ▁business ▁and ▁traditional ▁religion ▁circles ▁around ▁cl an ▁relationships . ▁ ▁The ▁Sa ib ai ans ▁have ▁been ▁leg ally ▁acknowled ged ▁as ▁being ▁the ▁Trad itional ▁O wn ers ▁of ▁Sa ib ai . ▁ ▁They ▁are ▁of ▁Mel anes ian ▁origin ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁village ▁communities ▁following ▁traditional ▁patterns ▁of ▁hunting , ▁fish ing , ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁trade ▁for ▁many ▁thousands ▁of ▁years ▁before ▁contact ▁was ▁made ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁European , ▁Asian ▁and ▁Pacific ▁Island ▁visitors ▁to ▁the ▁region . ▁Str ong ▁kin ship ▁and ▁trade ▁t ies ▁exist ▁between ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Sa ib ai , ▁M t ▁Corn wall is ▁and ▁Bo igu ▁Islands , ▁with ▁less ▁strong ▁but ▁still ▁important ▁t ies ▁with ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁Pap uan ▁communities . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁European ▁contact ▁In ▁ 1 6 0 6 , ▁Lu ís ▁V az ▁de ▁Tor res ▁sa iled ▁through ▁Tor res ▁Stra it ▁islands , ▁navig ating ▁them , ▁along ▁New ▁Guinea ' s ▁southern ▁coast . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁be che - de - mer ▁( se a ▁c uc umber ) ▁and ▁p ear ling ▁boats ▁began ▁working ▁the ▁re ef s ▁of ▁Tor res ▁Stra it . ▁The ▁first ▁European ▁to ▁visit ▁Sa ib ai ▁was ▁probably ▁a ▁be che - de - mer ▁operator ▁named ▁John ▁Del arg y , ▁who ▁visited ▁the ▁island ▁with ▁his ▁South ▁Sea ▁Island er ▁crew ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁while ▁searching ▁for