Vaka Taumako Project -- November, 2006 News Update

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The Vaka Taumako Project of
the Pacific Traditions Society

NEWS UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2006
Volume 7 Issue 3

Inside this issue:

Report from the Solomons
Lots of New Photos

Vaka Taumako Project
Project Newsletter, November 30, 2006

Report from the Solomons by Meph Wyeth.

Greetings and best wishes for a happy Christmas and New Year from Chief Kaveia, Cecilia, Vaka Taumako, and the Taumako people!!

ON 13 NOVEMBER, 2006, MIMI AND MEPH FLEW TO HONIARA, and on the following Saturday took a flight to Lata, Temotu Province. From there, Ben Hepworth conveyed them by motor canoe to Pidgeon Island in the eastern Reef Islands. There they enjoyed Ben's hospitality for two nights, and also delivered a radio to the people of Nifiloli. On Monday, 20 November, Ben drove them to Taumako.

On Taumako, they stayed with Chief Kaveia and his family in Kahula, on the island's east side. According to the Chief, this area is where his ancestor Lata was born.

At a community meeting shortly after Mimi and Meph arrived, Chief Kaveia's grandson, Captain Luke Vaikawi of the Royal Solomon Islands Police, explained recent developments to the people of Taumako. The day after this meeting, 23 November, the ship Kaona arrived at Duff Islands, and Meph, who had to catch a flight back to Hawai`i, boarded it. She took with her 2 model tepuke which Fox Boda had recently repaired. One of these will be on display at the Kaua`i Museum's "Sailing with Lata", scheduled to open on 27 April, 2007.

As of this writing, Mimi is still on Taumako. She plans to return in about 3 weeks. Look for a more complete report from her at the end of December. In the meantime, we hope you will enjoy looking at these pictures.

Mimi shows an interested audience at Kahula a printout of Nohoanga TeMatangi (Kaveia's "Wind Compass" To view this on the site, click the NohoangaTe Matangi link in the Table of Contents.)

Chief Kaviea examines a printout of Nohoanga Te Matangi.

Chief Kaviea processes lawyacan, used in lashing, in the lagoon atKahula. In the background stand the unpopulated Bass Islands.

Now ready for use, Chief Kaviea's lawyacan hangs drying on a tree.

Fans of Dixon the Bush Journalist may enjoy seeing him hard at work cutting a hole that will accomodate lashing for a portion of the ama. Dixon'swife Emily and their two small sons were also on hand to help.

Captain Luke Vaikawi, on holiday from his duties as a member of theRoyal Solomon Islands Police, helps lash an ama onto one of the two tealo at Kahula.

Children assist with the important job of beating coconut husks in preparation for manufacturing sennit lashings.

Many hands, and an occasional foot, make the work of lashing light!

Like everything else in voyaging canoe building, the manufacture of rope from hau (hibiscus family) bark is a community effort.

Here is another example of a community effort: a thatching party onTahua, the artificial island, repairs a house.

Chief Kaveia's daughter, Vaka Taumako, works on her project, this big pig. On a hot afternoon, she is giving it a bath in the lagoon.

Taumako rapid transit in action! On Taumako transportation options are feet and canoes. Here a party of ladies paddles outside the fringing reef to meet the ship Kaona.

A sign in Honiara shows how Solomon Islanders are trying to raise awareness of the plight of sea creatures who encounter plastic bags. As in Hawai`i and elsewhere, people in Honiara frequently bestrew the beaches with rubbish, apparently with no regard for the environmental consequences.

A dramatic expression of the shortcomings of modern shipping. The unfortunate Tremax Express, a victim of imprudent loading practices, capsized at the dock in Lata several months ago. With no heavy equipment available to remove her, she sits at the municipal wharf in Lata, a hazard to docking operations. This would not have happened to a voyaging canoe!

The good ship Kaona at Lata. Small ships like this one carry people and freight around Temotu's outer islands. These vessels and marine radios are Taumako's only links to the outside world. However, ship service is erratic at best. A favorite local amusement is trying to determine when the next boat will arrive! At Christmas and during national elections, vessels may visit Taumako as frequently as every ten days, but at other times, months may go by between ship arrivals. One goal of the Vaka Taumako Project inreviving regular canoe voyaging in Temotu Province is to give its people more transport options.

Wherever Meph went with the model tepuke, people were fascinated with them. Here passengers and crew of the Kaona enjoy looking at the models on Lata wharf.

Geoffrey Kuper wants everyone to see how pleased he and his family are with the radio Terry sent him. It is a real blessing to the Kuper household.
Mahalo, Terry!

Vaka Taumako Project of the Pacific Traditions Society
PO Box 712 Capt. Cook, HI 96704	Phone (808) 328-1318 FAX (808) 823-6741 Email: vaka@aloha.net

The Vaka Taumako Project operates under the aegis of the Pacific Traditions Society, a 501(c)3, non-profit organization. Monetary and some other donations are tax-deductible in the USA.

In Germany, donations for the VTP are tax deductible if you donate to the Verein zur Frderung kultureller Traditionen (a non-profit organisation) under the key word "Vaka Taumako Project". For address and bank account information see www.traditionen.org

Contact
Dr. Mimi George, Principal Investigator
Mailing address:
Dr. Mimi George and Paramount Chief K. Kaveia
P.O. Box 712, Capt. Cook, HI 96704 USA
e-mail: vaka@aloha.net
Phone 001 808 328 1318

H. M. Wyeth, Permanent Secretary
Phone 001 808 822 0647
FAX 001 808 823 6741

Larry Williamson, President,
The Pacific Traditions Society
e-mail: larryw@hawaiian.net

To get onto our mailing list and/or to send in a contribution, please mail your name, address, e-mail address, and phone / fax to Mimi George at the address above.

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Web Design: Larry Williamson, Kauai, Hawaii -- larryw@hawaiian.net

Updated 12/19/06