Kamadipw en Wahu #2

As we have gotten to know more people on Pohnpei, we have enjoyed both their company and their hospitality.  Last weekend we were invited to another Kamadipw, this one in U municipality.  As reported previously, these community festivals typically take place in the fall, but due to some changes in U’s traditional leadership (older gentlemen giving up their positions to the next generation), this one was postponed until January.  In talking with people at the festival, we learned a little more about traditional leadership.  Not only is there a regional “King” or Nahnmwarki, there is also a “Prince” or Nahnken.  As the English translations suggest, the two positions are not equal, but since these gentlemen must come from different matrilineal lines, they serve to balance power.  At any rate, both leaders, as well as many with lesser titles, were in attendance. 

As is always the case, the Kamadipw takes place to honor leadership, primarily through the traditional gifts of pigs, yams, and sakau.  As was explained to us, the status of a man depends on his ability to offer all three—the more offered, the higher one’s standing.  As a result, there was indeed an abundance of all three—as well as many other gifts, from pillows and blankets to fruit and traditional skirts—most of which was hung from a couple of trees located next to the nahs (open pavilion).  While the leadership goes home with some of this largess, most gets distributed among the folks in attendance.  Somehow this redistribution seems to get carried out efficiently, with everyone leaving happily with something.  For Lin and me, it was a big chunk of pork, fruit, sugar cane, and coconuts.  Good people; a good time.

Our hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar.  The gentleman is a school principal and also a traditional leader within his community.

Linda and the Village Chief

This lovely lady is well positioned within her community and also serves as our Peace Corps "Volunteer Support Specialist" 

A machete is the tool of choice for opening a coconut.

It's hard not to dribble coconut water down your chin.

Mwaramwars ready for distribution

A nice lady with a flower

A traditional oven.  Once the wood burns down and heats the rocks, the pigs are singed to remove the bristles.  Then some of the rocks are removed and the yams are added to the coals and covered with green leaves to cook.

Pigs and Yams

Baskets are woven on the spot from coconut palm fronds and used to carry the yams to the nahs where the ceremony took place.

Gifts were piled in a tree and hung from the branches

Sakau in the making.

I felt honored in being asked to sit at one of the rock tables where the sakau was being prepared.  Given the impact of sakau  on my digestive system, however, this may be my last swallow....

Kosrae

On Christmas Day we boarded a Nauru Airlines one-hour flight to Kosrae, the eastern most island state of Micronesia located some 350 miles southeast of Pohnpei.  We stayed at the Pacific Treelodge Resort for six days of relaxation.  At 42 square miles and around 6,000 people, the island is much smaller than Pohnpei—also cleaner, less densely populated, and more like what you expect of a Pacific island.  One road circles about 4/5 of the island and usually follows a route within a few yards of the ocean.  Given spectacular coral reefs and unusually clear water, most visitors to the island come to dive.  The rest of us, just to relax.  That said, we did have some pretty neat experiences.

Treelodge  The resort we stayed in is just across the road from the ocean, providing opportunity to walk along the beach at low tide.  It is situated, however, in mangrove swamps, the depth of which changes depending on the tides.  A long elevated walkway takes you to Bully’s Restaurant (named after a notorious 19^th Century pirate in these parts) where we had most of our meals.  The restaurant is located on an inland waterway that is also tidal.  Calling this place a “resort” is a bit of a stretch, but the accommodations were certainly comfortable enough.  The food was said to be the best on the island.  Unique was a Kosraean soup (with a fish base) and a delicious bread made from taro root.

Low Tide

Lacey formation along the beach

Walkway through the mangroves to the restaurant.

Our next door neighbor

Church “Marching”  Strictly by chance, our stay on Kosrae coincided with a church-based event that happens every four years during the Christmas holiday.  Kosraeans from all over the world come back home and participate with the locals in a festive gathering at one church on the island.  There were 11 “teams”—half of which represented local churches and the other half made up of Kosraeans who had settled in places like Guam, Pohnpei, Hawaii—even Seattle!  Anyway, each group wore shirts and dresses unique to their team and marched into the church, singing at the top of their lungs.  Each group then proceeded to sing and march around the front of the church for nearly an hour.  Periodically, they would reach into bags and throw candy and small gifts to everyone seated in the church.  Needless-to-say, the children strategically positioned themselves to reap the most benefit.  During their performance, there was an opportunity for their supporters in the audience to walk to the front of the church and contribute an offering.  At the end, the performers marched out of the church, continuing to throw out more candy and gifts.  It was pretty clear that most of Kosrae’s 6,000 locals and visitors were centered around Tafunsak Church on this day. 

Boat Trip to Walung Village  Accessible only by boat, with neither roads nor electricity, Walung offered us a glimpse into a traditional rural life on Kosrae that hasn’t changed much.  We hired a young man with a small open boat and a 30 hp motor to take us around the north and west shore of the island to the village.  The first part of the trip was tricky—even at high tide the route took us through coral on or near the surface.  We scraped bottom numerous times, which didn’t seem to faze our captain as much as me.  Once we arrived we wandered the village from end to end.  The main street is a dirt path running parallel to the coast.  On one side houses; on the other the ocean.  There is a church and an elementary school (where a Peace Corps volunteer teaches).  We also met a contingent of Navy Seabees who are building a small clinic.  This has been no easy task as all the materials have to be shipped in by small boat.  The Navy spokesperson we talked with indicated that they anticipate working here until next summer when their outfit will move to one of the other islands in the FSM.  Like the schools, their work is funded by U.S. aid—the “Compact of Free Association” money that has been ongoing since the FSM become independent in the 1980’s.  Our return boat trip was even more fun in that our captain veered into the mangroves along part of the coast, following narrow channels only accessible during high tide.

Our Captain 

Main Street Walung Village

Navy Seabees at work building a clinic.

Walung Elementary School

Also…  In addition to the above, we took walks along the shore, met and ate with interesting folks such as an Australian engineer and his wife currently finishing up a water reclamation project in the Marshall Islands.  We also had the opportunity to meet and eat with the Peace Corps volunteers serving in Kosrae—both two year volunteers and another Response volunteer.  One evening we took a sunset cruise of Lelu Harbor with its view of the “Sleeping Lady” mountain.  Before we left we also visited the “Green Banana Paper Company,” a small business enterprise started by an ex-World Teach volunteer who decided to remain on Kosrae.  We got a tour of his business which employs and trains local artisans to use fiber from banana and taro plants to make paper and various weavings.  Their work is beautiful.  As you would expect, we didn’t escape without Lin purchasing a weaving. 

 

The Sleeping Lady Mountain

If you're crazy enough to run at my age, it would be tough finding a better place to do it.

All in all, a fun and relaxing six days.