There are more than 20,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. When European expeditions began to venture into this space in the 16th century, they found even the most remote archipelagos to be inhabited. But how has it been possible that people without iron, maps and navigational tools had not only settled in, but had uphold regular links of kinship and trade between those distant island worlds? The key lies in indigenous skills of vessel construction and navigation, a traditional knowledge that has been disrespected and marginalised in the course of the Western exploration and colonisation of the Pacific. Therefore today, there are only a few places where living traditions of ancestral voyaging remain.
Revitalising, Documenting and Teaching Ancestral Vessel Construction in Taumako (Solomon Islands) and the Massim (Papua New Guinea)
The brothers Sanakoli (front) and Justin John ( Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea) on a traditional Sailau canoe.
Taumako: A vaka, a deep sea voyaging vessel.The aim of Dr Marianne George's project is to support the island communities in reactivating this endangered knowledge and passing it on to younger generations. The cultural anthropologist and sailor has a long record of researching Pacific voyaging cultures and maintained close links to local initiatives that are committed to the revival of the old knowledge. The project involves the construction of new ships in two locations (on the island of Taumako in the Solomon Islands and in the Massim region of Papua New Guinea) in accordance with the traditional methods. There is a particular focus on the development of model training programmes in which expert elders teach the youths, as well as on a video and audio documentation of all cultural processes involved.
The first project year is devoted to the construction of traditional canoe houses or hale vaka. The hale vaka provide the essential infrastructure where the vessels can be stored to protect them from weather, but which serve also as community centres for the islanders. Once the new hale vaka are completed, the construction of the so-called proa, massive outrigger vessels, will start. Because of their design, the mast can be moved from one end of the main hull to the other, allowing a quick adjustment to adverse wind conditions. The vessels are built almost exclusively from natural and locally available materials.
The entire island communities are involved in the process of building the hale vaka and the boats. It includes the preparation of food for the workers as well as festivities and blessing ceremonies and is thus foundational to the identities of these Pacific Islander cultures and the strengthening of intergenerational bonds. In addition, the revival of the ancestral techniques opens up new perspectives for the remote communities. In these regions, which are visited by cargo boats only every few weeks, the traditional knowledge can help to reduce the dependence on modern materials and tools as well as expensive fuel, and to re-establish the ancient voyaging networks within and across the archipelagos.
Taumako girls sewing Pandanus leaf mat to make the sail of a vaka.
Taumako boys and men sewing woven sail mat together to make vaka sail.
Lashing Sailau. Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
Preparation of breadfruit for vaka builders in Taumako.
Grant holder
Dr Marianne George
Institution
Pacific Traditions Society, Anahola (Hawaii, USA)
Support
The Gerda Henkel Foundation supports the project by covering the costs of personnel, travel and materials.
This project was documented in spring 2024.