A sheet of tapa, or bark cloth, with two gorgeous tapa crowns made by Reva Tevenino in Vaitahu, Tahuata.
Te tapa me e ua kanahau hei tapa. Ua kanea tenei Reva Tevenino i Vaitahu, Tahuata.
Marquesans make tapa from three different types of bark: mulberry (the whitest), breadfruit (light brown) and banyan (dark brown, even reddish). The crown at left is made from both mulberry and banyan tapa. The bright orange tapa was dyed with ink. The yellow twig-like things are the fragrant root, eino’o.
PUTUI
Stubborn
[pronunciation: poo-TOO-ee]
Grasslands of Tahuata, north of Motopu. Beautiful!
Te fenua no Tahuata, a’e mama’o no Motopu. Mea kanahau!
HUE
Gourd
or
Pumpkin
[pronunciation: HOO-ay]
Salted fish drying on a line, Taiohae, Nuku Hiva.
Te ha’amo’otina no te i’a pa’atai, i Taiohae, Nuku Hiva.
HIKI
Flee
or
Run away
[pronunciation: HEE-kee]
Milo, the cutest puppy ever! At his home, chez Tia and Paloma Ihopu in Omoa, Fatu Hiva.
Mea au na’u oko tenei kaiu nuhe, Milo! Io ta’ia fa’e, io Tia et Paloma Ihopu i Omoa, Fatu Hiva.
KEU
Play
[pronunciation: KAY-oo]
Umuhei, the unique and fragrant bouquet of the Marquesas, is made of different items depending on the island or even the village, but usually includes ylang-ylang, a local flower known as vao vao, wild red ginger, a yellow root known as eino’o, and sandalwood-soaked pineapple eyes. This one also contains basil and tiare (Tahitian gardenia). Made by Pava Raihauti, Tahuata, 2013.
Te umuhei no te fenua enata–ena e tahi aneiho! Ua kanea me te motoi, te vao vao, te ena pukiki, te eino’o, me te mata faahoka me te puahi. Ua kanea tenei me te mine me te tiare. Ua kanea no Pava Raihauti i Tahuata, 2013.
A new addition to Marquesan Now: QUOTES OF THE WEEK! Drawn from my doctoral research interviews, which are pretty much consuming my days lately.
This week’s quote:
Me: “Why are you interested in the old stories?”
Joseph Barsinas: “Because to build the future you must know the past.”
Un nouveau ajout pour Marquesan Now: QUOTES OF THE WEEK! Des citations pris de mes discussions avec les marquisiens pour mon these doctorale.
La citation de cette semaine:
Moi: “Pourquoi les histoires anciennes t’interesse?”
Joseph Barsinas: “Parce que pour construire l’avenir, il faut connaitre le passe.”