Culture in harmony with nature: an unforgettable welcome in Honiara
An early morning on the first day of July, 2012…. silhouetted sails color the horizon, slowly approaching the shores of the Solomons against a back drop of distant offshore islands, all of varying shapes, appearing like mirages but rooted into the sea beneath towering cumulus clouds.
We are here in the Solomon Islands, for the Pacific Arts Festival, a gathering place for artists, dancers, musicians, carvers and many more weavers of spirit and beauty from across the Pacific.
Keala Kahuanui and Pua Case of Hawai’i stand on a distant peninsula, a quiet place as close to the sea as they can be, to call in the canoes with ancient chant. I can see them from afar, raising their arms to the sky…the mana of their intention and connection travels seamlessly across the sea.
One by one, the crews reach shore, welcomed by local Solomon Islanders dancing and filling the winds with the sounds of pan flutes. The bamboo flutes create distant sounds that send souls drifting, the same way that certain clouds or gazing at the stars might, reminding us of what has always been and inspiring us as to what could be.
The men playing these finely tuned instruments wear beautifully woven material around their waists, and around their ankles are nuts, strung to create music as they dance. The people of the Solomon Islands are beautiful, and remain captured in my mind with their eyes closed, playing flutes in rapture.
Once ashore, the voices of Pacific Voyagers grow loud and powerful, passion and emotion filling the air as they perform a haka.
As they touch land, they are greeted not only by the ancient, but also by the future, by the fruits of their voyage, their hearts, and their messages….printed on banners, hanging beneath the awnings of the yacht club for all to see.
Each tells a story unique to a particular vaka, a story of ancestral knowledge and experience, of realization and responsibility, of heritage and hope. In the middle are flags of many Pacific Island nations, surrounding an art piece, painted in earth tones and depicting balance of light and dark, land and sea, and all the potential of our vaka motu or inter-island canoe Okeanos, which has sailed here from Vanuatu.
Inside are more posters with powerful imagery, and slogans such as “nurture our lands: cherish mother nature and what she provides, defend our whales: protect the keepers of our ocean knowledge, respect all ocean creatures, Mana o te Moana: guided by the stars, at one with the universe, our blue canoe watched over by our ancestors, and treasure our reefs”.
Amongst messages of hope, there is dancing, beauty unfolding in human expression and laughter, some reuniting and others meeting for the first time, all before the vast sea, our mother.
Today felt like a entire lifetime unfolding but it was only the beginning. What awaits is immeasurable cultural exchange, of artists from across the Pacific, sharing their crafts, their song, and their dance in a remarkable kaleidoscope of beauty and hope, all falling within the embrace of the words chosen to represent this festival of arts….”culture in harmony with nature”….
Karen Holman, Pacific Voyagers
18 Responses to Culture in harmony with nature: an unforgettable welcome in Honiara
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures and your heartfelt words of hope, beauty and passion.
Although you were tired your heart spoke tons of clarity for those of us who are not there can feel like we are there with you in spirit. Maikaʻi no Karen…excellent. Please send us more of your blogs and beautiful pictures of the beautiful people of the Solomon Islands. See you at home soon…have a safe and wonderful time there with the people whoʻs culture is still in tact, thriving and full of aloha. -
Wow, that’s beautiful and what a wonderful experience. I love to see those kinds of culture and to know that people still can manage life living simple.
Thank you for sharing you adventures, ENJOY! -
Great to see you traveling to native parts of the world. You will see the needs for aquaponics and gardening in many of these places.
Best of luck and happy travels,
Glenn -
Linda Furuto says:
Your thought-provoking, touching, and profound essay, along with the breath-taking photos make me feel like I’m experiencing everything with you in the Solomons! Mahalo!!!
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Karen,
Your work allowed me to be there in spite of the distance. Beautifully written. Looking forward to more about the Vaka and the festival activities. Mahalo nui loa, fa’afetai tele and more…
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One day I will see these amazing places. Thank you for opening my eyes to this Beauty.
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Roji Oyama says:
Amazing and most fitting end to a historic journey. Prolific writing, Karen, hope to meet you in Honolulu in late August/early September. Greetings and warmest aloha to all the crews and support staff for making this happen. Dieter, you are a man of vision and conviction. You made your dream a reality to share with the world. May the voyage continue, as the woes must keep reaching the rest of the world. I send this message on behalf of all of us here, in the greater San Francisco area, who proudly hosted the tavaru last August for ten days. You have all left us touched and inspired to work, in ways we are able to, for the health of te Moana.
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Ilka Kottmann says:
Thanks for sharing, wonderful writing & such awesome pictures – almost feels like being there! Can’t wait to read and see more! To everyone who is there: You are soooo blessed to experience this in real! I am there in my heart, blessings and love from Bremen, Germany and congrats to all Pacific Voyagers for completing this most amazing journey with such an important message to the world! Tumeke!!! This is just the beginning of a biiig change… starting in the hearts of people everywhere, coming from Te Moana… AROHANUI!
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Aisake Mausio says:
Thank God you’re all safe. What an inspiring journey. Here is looking forward to the record of your journey via the “Our Blue Canoe”
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Gaylene Sciascia says:
Your beautiful pictures and words allow my spirit to share in it all. thank you, Be well.
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Kim Barclay-Kerr says:
It would be really choice if daily photos and brief updates could be loaded whlie the crews are in the Solomon’s since the Pacific Arts Festival is such an interesting event!!
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Paulina Yourupi says:
Sending greetings from the tiny island of Onoun in Micronesia to all you daring seafarers. I am truly humbled to follow your voyage from the outset up until the end – as you celebrate together in Honiara. What an amazing feat indeed! You make me proud and inspired to do great things.
Kilissow chaapwúúr
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Lori Beraha says:
very inspiring and reawakening..
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Darriel & Iris Woodward says:
Following this voyage has been an inspiration to all of us who have followed and tracked your voyage from the beginning. We were very honored and proud to have hosted your visit with us here in Monterey, CA while on your journey south to San Diego as well as saying farewell to all of you as you departed San Diego . Sending much aloha and blessings to all of you on this magnificent voyage.
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To all of the Pacific Voyagers, mahalo nui loa for sharing your message, your story and your friendship with us. Your journey has enriched all of our lives and made the world a much better place. My heart fills with love at the thought of you! If na akua be willing, we shall meet again.
My heart soars with the knowing that you have all arrived in the right heart, the right spirit and the right mind. Tenei te mihi tino aroha ki a koutou nga toa o Te Moana nui a Kiwa, nga uri whakatipu o nga tupuna o te ao tawhito, arohanui, aroharoa, arohanoa ki a koutou katoa. Ae e waiata ana a tatou tupuna.