Weaving
Stories
‘Aga Resort provides a cultural tour, which
is a demonstration of skills of the traditional Samoan way of life. Our tour
guide, Ieremia (pr. Yeh-reh-mee-yah)
a local resident and also employee of the resort showed us how to weave mats,
baskets, even weave a hat from the leave of the coconut tree. He also
demonstrates how to husk the coconut. I am so excited to learn mat weaving,
that I have a go. He weaves half a mat and I complete the other half. I also
had the chance to weave a full mat. Mats have a wide variety of use, sitting
upon placed on the dirt ground to use in the Samoan house or fale (pronounced fah-leh). Quite proudly we take the
woven mat back to our villa, and place it on our balcony. I’ve napped on it
amongst the sound of the breaking waves.
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| Alesana & Ieremia |
Ieremia also tells us the famous stories of
how the coconut came to be, in the story of Sina and the Eel. We’ve heard it
before yet enjoy it ever more as Ieremia relays the infamous myth. We also
learn that Ieremia has a wife and five children and is of the same faith as we
are.
I appreciate Ieremia for trying to preserve Samoan traditions and skills. Cam and I became fond of him – we won’t forget him.
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| Cutting stork in half with machete |
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Beginning of basket
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| Weaving a mat, or 'fala' |
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| Finished product |
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