Cultural ceremony with Soulik, Soumas en Kousapw Nan Madap
The road up to Nan Madap is a road test of how well you know where your tires are. I would not want to take an unfamiliar car up that road.
In rainy conditions the shoulder might be soft, this is a one lack track.
A long one lane track up the mountain.
A rare spot where two vehicles can comfortably pass on a rainy day. In the distance ahead a steeper section of road.
Clearance can be tight.
Not apparent from the image is that there is a culvert under the road at the white car. One has to slide past the white car without dropping the left tires into the culvert. How well do you know your car? I can put my tires within a couple inches of where I want them to be.
The journey is worthy. At the end of the road yams are racked up for the upcoming kamadipw en kouspaw.
The nahs of Soulik, Soumas en kousapw Nan Madap. A place that is indeed of an edge, or more accurately a ledge, on the side of the mountain.
The yams are all hung by the side of the road with care - there is a feeling of Christmas in the air.
The yams are a harbinger of the ceremony to come this evening - tonight's session will be run as a Christmas kamadipw.
Sakau ready to be brought in.
The students arrive at the nahs of the Soulik en Nan Madap
The menindei holds the center post. The students are seated in the place of honor. Soumas is in his place of honor. The menindei called the four tehn wehd leaves: koaloal adak, koaloal epwel, koaloal leng, pwei koar di, and each was laid in turn. Then the menindei called the four moahl: moahleina,
moahlasang katau, moahleileng, moahleini. As each moahl was called, the holder of that moahl chimed the stone once. This is something I had never seen before in my twenty-four years on the island. I knew the moahl had names, I had never seen them called nor a team that knew which was which.
Wie sak whose excellent capabilities are audibly evident. One could sense the joy, the happiness in the air. A well led kousapw by a Soumas who is active in his support of his community, a strong sense of tradition and the value of tradition. A strong sense of community, of family.
This was also a celebration of the opening of the Christmas season. The students were treated to Christmas snacks.
Merry Christmas! Gifts from Soumas to each student.
Each student called the menindei by name. Each honored and respected - core values of traditional Pohnpeian culture.
After the class left, the uhpeimwahu peitehl was pounded.
A long one lane track up the mountain.
A rare spot where two vehicles can comfortably pass on a rainy day. In the distance ahead a steeper section of road.
Clearance can be tight.
Not apparent from the image is that there is a culvert under the road at the white car. One has to slide past the white car without dropping the left tires into the culvert. How well do you know your car? I can put my tires within a couple inches of where I want them to be.
The journey is worthy. At the end of the road yams are racked up for the upcoming kamadipw en kouspaw.
The nahs of Soulik, Soumas en kousapw Nan Madap. A place that is indeed of an edge, or more accurately a ledge, on the side of the mountain.
The yams are all hung by the side of the road with care - there is a feeling of Christmas in the air.
The yams are a harbinger of the ceremony to come this evening - tonight's session will be run as a Christmas kamadipw.
Sakau ready to be brought in.
Piper methysticum
Soulik, Soumas en kousapw Nan Madap
petitehl: uhpeimwahu
The students arrive at the nahs of the Soulik en Nan Madap
Naoya, Brandon, Natasha, and Yostrick
Siorine
Sakau enters the nahs, the branches are cut.
Branches cut, the stump will be cleaned and eventually used to power a second stone.
The menindei holds the center post. The students are seated in the place of honor. Soumas is in his place of honor. The menindei called the four tehn wehd leaves: koaloal adak, koaloal epwel, koaloal leng, pwei koar di, and each was laid in turn. Then the menindei called the four moahl: moahleina,
moahlasang katau, moahleileng, moahleini. As each moahl was called, the holder of that moahl chimed the stone once. This is something I had never seen before in my twenty-four years on the island. I knew the moahl had names, I had never seen them called nor a team that knew which was which.
This was also a celebration of the opening of the Christmas season. The students were treated to Christmas snacks.
Merry Christmas! Gifts from Soumas to each student.
Each student called the menindei by name. Each honored and respected - core values of traditional Pohnpeian culture.
Genrisa captures a picture, Natasha, April, and Mary-Ann on the right
Soulik
April, Mary-Ann, Siorine
Genrisa, Natasha
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