Moana Oceania - Tuvalu - Te Taumata Toi-a-Iwi

Tuvalu

Vaka faika (Fishing canoe)

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. Text by Seini Lātū
Collection of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 1936.295, 24136.5
Illustration by Cecelia Faumuina

Ko Muna mo Poto Tuvalu - Views on Wisdom and Knowledge as the core
values of ‘Art’

Lagi-Maama 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’.

Read “Ko Muna mo Poto Tuvalu" paper here.

Tok Stori Tuesdays

Ko Muna mo Poto Tuvalu – Views on Wisdom and Knowledge as the core values of ‘Art’.

A commentary by Reverend Elder Suamalie Naisali Tafaki Iosefa Naisali. MBE.