Reid, you won't believe this, but I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia forty years ago, so this was a total blast from the past for me. I lived on Pohnpei (then Ponape) and visited the Marshalls, Truk and Yap (but not Kosrae or Palau). Also did some work in Kiribati. We saw traditional dancing and singing during training because they do it for tourists as a performance, but didn't see it much otherwise, but what they did do regularly (weekly) was gather together to drink sakau (the narcotic kava drink), which they pounded on these huge flat stones, added water, filtered, and served in a half coconut. During this traditional ceremony the women would dance and the men would 'play' the stones with rocks and sing traditional songs. It was quite magical as the island had no electricity outside the capital, so it was lit by only kerosene lanterns.
I saw Nan Madol as well, which is amazing. It was a fascinating place and I think you've described it very well. As you wrote, they adapted things from ocean and land to serve their needs -- the head leis in the video being a good example, which smelled divine -- and the grass skirts, handicrafts, lotions, lots of things.
The missionaries did have a big influence by recruiting people to the church, but none of the invading foreigners (Spanish, German, Japanese, American) could suppress their language or culture. They still had a traditional clan system when I was there, with kings!
So thanks for bringing back these memories and reminding me of their singing ritual. It truly is special and unique.
Ellen, thank you for this amazing comment- I wanted to wait a few days to reply to make sure I could properly respond in kind! What did most of the work in Micronesia consist of, and how developed at that time was Pohnpei? I had not known about the music played with the rocks, and that's a fascinating insight and demonstration of the island's resources being deeply woven and appreciated in Micronesian culture. Imagining the kerosene lanterns being the sole lighting of this ceremony truly brings me there. I'd also love to hear more about the clan system and if you saw it play out in daily life at all.
I'm glad you found it interesting! I lived with a local family the entire time, so saw things quite up close and personal. We had some sakau/kava gatherings and a big feast at our house, and that's when the clan system was the most obvious. At the feast, they roasted pigs and dogs in a fire pit as well as taro and breadfruit, and then this was divided up and passed out to families based on status in the clan system (but everyone got some). At the sakau ceremony the order of drinking was also based on the clan system, from what I remember. There was also a big funeral at my house and there was a feast for that as well. Sakau was part of every one of these and the gatherings were held in a special open-air but covered part of the house with a place for the royalty and older men and women to sit on sides built above the dirt floor where the big stones for making sakau were located. It was quite cool and even romantic, I have to say.
In terms of occupation, people near the capital tended to work in government jobs as this was the capital for the state and the country. But outside the capital people might work the land, have livestock, or run stores or things like that -- a lot of people living on the edge. I remember mangos growing on trees and the uncle in my house tending breadfruit trees. A lot of intestinal ailments as we drank rain and spring water with no treatment or filtering.
But it was an incredibly beautiful place, the ocean was full of food, and it was a fascinating culture. (People would get possessed by ghosts, usually women, and there was a lot of drama being an island.) I have a lot of interesting memories from my time there, but have never been back. I don't know what it's like now and how much more developed it's become.
Btw, can I suggest that you might want to gather all your posts in a book. You've done a wonderful job and there's so much information here.
That is so kind! I think I will plan to do that!
Reid, you won't believe this, but I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia forty years ago, so this was a total blast from the past for me. I lived on Pohnpei (then Ponape) and visited the Marshalls, Truk and Yap (but not Kosrae or Palau). Also did some work in Kiribati. We saw traditional dancing and singing during training because they do it for tourists as a performance, but didn't see it much otherwise, but what they did do regularly (weekly) was gather together to drink sakau (the narcotic kava drink), which they pounded on these huge flat stones, added water, filtered, and served in a half coconut. During this traditional ceremony the women would dance and the men would 'play' the stones with rocks and sing traditional songs. It was quite magical as the island had no electricity outside the capital, so it was lit by only kerosene lanterns.
I saw Nan Madol as well, which is amazing. It was a fascinating place and I think you've described it very well. As you wrote, they adapted things from ocean and land to serve their needs -- the head leis in the video being a good example, which smelled divine -- and the grass skirts, handicrafts, lotions, lots of things.
The missionaries did have a big influence by recruiting people to the church, but none of the invading foreigners (Spanish, German, Japanese, American) could suppress their language or culture. They still had a traditional clan system when I was there, with kings!
So thanks for bringing back these memories and reminding me of their singing ritual. It truly is special and unique.
Ellen, thank you for this amazing comment- I wanted to wait a few days to reply to make sure I could properly respond in kind! What did most of the work in Micronesia consist of, and how developed at that time was Pohnpei? I had not known about the music played with the rocks, and that's a fascinating insight and demonstration of the island's resources being deeply woven and appreciated in Micronesian culture. Imagining the kerosene lanterns being the sole lighting of this ceremony truly brings me there. I'd also love to hear more about the clan system and if you saw it play out in daily life at all.
I'm glad you found it interesting! I lived with a local family the entire time, so saw things quite up close and personal. We had some sakau/kava gatherings and a big feast at our house, and that's when the clan system was the most obvious. At the feast, they roasted pigs and dogs in a fire pit as well as taro and breadfruit, and then this was divided up and passed out to families based on status in the clan system (but everyone got some). At the sakau ceremony the order of drinking was also based on the clan system, from what I remember. There was also a big funeral at my house and there was a feast for that as well. Sakau was part of every one of these and the gatherings were held in a special open-air but covered part of the house with a place for the royalty and older men and women to sit on sides built above the dirt floor where the big stones for making sakau were located. It was quite cool and even romantic, I have to say.
In terms of occupation, people near the capital tended to work in government jobs as this was the capital for the state and the country. But outside the capital people might work the land, have livestock, or run stores or things like that -- a lot of people living on the edge. I remember mangos growing on trees and the uncle in my house tending breadfruit trees. A lot of intestinal ailments as we drank rain and spring water with no treatment or filtering.
But it was an incredibly beautiful place, the ocean was full of food, and it was a fascinating culture. (People would get possessed by ghosts, usually women, and there was a lot of drama being an island.) I have a lot of interesting memories from my time there, but have never been back. I don't know what it's like now and how much more developed it's become.