23 February 2021
Phase II of 'Arts' of Moana Oceania and Tok Stori Tuesdays
Lagi-Maama is excited to be moving into Phase II of 'Arts' of Moana Oceania and Tok Stori Tuesdays in partnership with Pacific Cooperation Foundation and collaborating with holders of knowledge from the island nations of Tuvalu, Tokelau and Vanuatu.
The live online Lagi-Maama Tok Stori Tuesdays will take place on the last Tuesday of each month from March to June 2021, at 6.00pm Aotearoa New Zealand time via zoom, and in the following order:
Tuvalu on Tuesday 30 March
Tokelau on Tuesday 27 April
Vanuatu on Tuesday 25 May
Final summary on Tuesday 29 June 2021 - register here.
VANUATU
Our third Lagi-Maama ‘Tok Stori Tuesdays’ is focusing on Vanuatu where we engaged Eric Natuoivi to share on ‘what art is’ from his knowledge and understanding as a niVanuatu from Futuna island, Vanuatu. He gifted us with his thinking and feelings in his paper below titled: Art/Weaving: The Origins of Futunese Kato (Baskets) through Folklores, Beliefs and Traditions of Futuna Island, Vanuatu.
Name: Kato (Bag)
Maker: Linda Natuoivi
Place: Futuna, Vanuatu islands
Description: Kato (Basket) is a women’s art created from processed pandanus leaves. The functions of kato are numerous and used both for daily and ceremonial purposes. Kato is constructed from stripped pandanus leaves plaited together firstly to form the base of the kato before it is woven upwards. Patterns are incorporated at the top of the kato to give a taste of beauty before the ending part, the tarabuni, which finally completes the basket. The artistic skills of creating traditional patterns on the kato is professionally done by the weaver using patterns such as the nufe (caterpillar), rou niseni (fern), rago (fly) and many more. The nokave (handles) are woven on opposite sides of the kato for handling or carrying purposes. Traditionally, a kato is never dyed but, in modern days like with this kato, imported dyes are used to dye the pandanus leaves before they are woven. Kato is usually worn either hung over the side of the body, attached to the shoulder by the nokave, or is carried over the back. Traditionally kato are useful objects convenient for carrying goods and belongings. This particular kato is woven by Linda Natuoivi, the wife of the author, Eric Natuoivi, who also comes from Futuna. Linda is one of Futunese skilled kato weavers and is currently affiliated with the Natuoivi Art Association as a weaving trainer/instructor. She conducts weaving classes with youths in her community and is residing in Port Vila purposely to transfer the knowledge and skills of weaving kato to the younger generations.
Credit: Description provided by Eric and Linda Natuoivi. Illustration by Cecelia Faumuina, based on the following Kato from Futuna, Vanuatu, made by Linda Natuoivi - Collection of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 2016.15.5
TOKELAU
Our second Lagi-Maama ‘Tok Stori Tuesdays’ is focusing on Tokelau where we engaged Reverend Iutana Pue to share what Tokelau art is from his knowledge and understanding. He gifted us with his thinking and feelings in his paper below titled: Ko Tokelau: Tokelau Treasures.
Name: Kupega Ta O (Fishing net).
Place: Fakaofo, Tokelau Islands.
Description: This Kupega Ta O is hand knotted and made of coconut fibre. It is the last known fishing net of this type and used to catch ‘O’, a species of small fish. Pandora Fulimalo Pereira (Curator, Pacific) explains that “the kupega (owned by the community) was exchanged for a large nylon fishing net. It is a very heavy kupega and when wet even more so. So the toeina (male elders) thought to exchange it for a much lighter net of synthetic material.” This Kupega Ta O is part of a collection of koa Tokelau (Tokelau treasures) that Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum had commissioned the late Professor Antony Hooper to purchase while he was undertaking research in Tokelau.
Credit: Illustration by Cecelia Faumuina, based on the following Kupega Ta O (Fishing net) – Collection of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 1973.36, 46017
TUVALU
We begin with Tuvalu where we engaged with Reverend Elder Suamalie Naisali Tafaki Iosefa Naisali to share what Tuvalu art is from his knowledge and understanding. He gifted us with his thinking and feelings in his commentary paper below titled: Ko Muna mo Poto Tuvalu - Views on Wisdom and Knowledge as the core values of ‘Art’.
Name: Vaka faika (Fishing canoe).
Place: Funafuti, Tuvalu.
Description: This is a vaka faika made of lakau (wood) and kafa (sennit). The fuatino (hull) is carved from two pieces of lakau that are lashed together with kafa. The puke a mua (prow) and puke a tua (stern) are carved to emphasize a sharp point that cuts through water. Four narrow pieces of lakau are lashed across the fuatino which would have been used as seats. The seat nearest to the puke a tua would have been reserved for the tautai (fisherman) and is called nofoaga a tautai (fisherman's seat). Three kiato (cross booms) made of long, cylindrical pieces of lakau are lashed across the fuatino also. A wide plank of lakau is lashed alongside the fuatino and may have been an allocated space for tuluma (tackle box). An ama (float) made from a light piece of lakau is no longer attached to this vaka but was lashed to the kiato at one point. A foe (paddle) made of lakau also, has come apart from the vaka but would have been lashed across the kiato for easy access. A forked piece of lakau is lashed upright to the kiato, this may have been used to support the kofe (fishing rod) when it was not in use. Vaka faika were used for fishing and could carry more than one person at a time. Replica models of vaka faika were often created as collectible items for the tourist trade.
Credit: Illustration by Cecelia Faumuina, based on the following Vaka faika - Collection of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 1936.295, 24136.5. The Name, Place and Description by Seini Lātū have been taken directly from the same source.