Craft therapy at the arts festival
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
I’ve been getting some craft therapy here at the festival village. There’s something quite meditative about sitting in the shade of these traditional island style houses, where the breeze blows through and watching the ladies weaving.
At the Festival of Pacific Arts, fales have been erected circling the oval at Samoana High School in Pago Pago and every country attending has one in which to display their art and craft.
In the Tongan fale, they’re making Tapa. This young girl is a Tongan who lives in American Samoa. She came down and spent the day here learning this traditional craft that is still practiced in Tonga today. Her teacher on this day is Kari Vao, part of the Tongan craft delegation, who explained that the skill of making tapa is still very important to Tongan women, who rely on selling the beaten bark for income. The bark is made into fabric that will later be joined together and decorated for use as mats, wall hangings or in traditional costumes.
Craft is a big component of the festival. I got the rare chance to see shell money being made by the Solomons’ group. It’s a form of currency that’s still used today for bride price and compensation payments.
Stewart Abdul Yareki-Port Moresby , August 4th 2008
I seems all was worth the story and the length of stay in Pago Pago.
PNG is a melting pot of traditions and as they say in PNG, YOU WILL FIND THE WHOLE OF THE PACIFIC HERE from east to west, noth to south we have it all.
Children must embrace modernization BUTT NEVER EVER leave out the very essence that make us OCEANIA.
I give praise to all our ancestors, forefather & mothers who gave us this great blessing of tradition.
And a say thank you to all that make it happen or carry these traditions on from one generation to another.