The Women of Yap’s Outer Islands: Weaving Their Cultural Identity
In that slow way unique to tropical climates, three women
from my village are walking together down the packed-earth and gravel road that
leads to the two-lane thoroughfare that encircles the island. Hand-woven
pandanus leaf baskets are slung over their shoulders and hold the betel nut
that reddens their teeth with every chew. Their colorfully striped lava lavas
sway as they walk and chat, tied around their hips with only a thin rope or
string holding the straight, rectangular piece of cloth in place. Some wear
t-shirts and some wear nothing more than flip flops with their lava lavas. The
lava lava must be at least knee-length. Here in Yap, a woman baring her thighs
is as shocking as going topless in the United States, but going topless is
perfectly acceptable on this cluster of reef-bound islands and atolls.
When they come of age, the women of the Outer Islands must
wear lava lavas, a hand-woven, wrap-around sarong with a fringe on both ends
that’s made on a simple backstrap loom made of breadfruit wood with bamboo
heddle sticks and shed rods and a mahogany beater and shuttle. Before then, the
young girls wear simple sarongs, loose pants or knee-length skirts usually with
t-shirts.
Called “toeru” in Yapese, it’s considered shameful to buy a
lava lava; gossip will quickly carry the news that the woman who buys one can’t
weave her own. Every young girl is expected to learn to weave. The lava lava has strong cultural
significance in relation to gender identify, death rites and mediation. Women
who wear lava lavas are more highly respected. However, men wear lava lavas
called “bagiy” over their thu’u, or loincloth, for ceremonial occasions that
call for more formal attire. A man’s lava lava usually has black and white stripes,
each the same width, and is gathered around the hips and tied in front.
Decorative dried hibiscus fibers are wound in the layers of cloth and hang in
folds from the waist.
Lava lavas are given to family groups at funerals and can be
used as payment to the chief or community after a cultural violation that might
disrupt the village. They are also used as trade currency in this “Land of
Stone Money” where massive stone discs, some weighing several tons and several
centuries old, are still in use today for certain types of transactions. Everyday
currency is the U.S. dollar since the United States has had a strong presence in
Micronesia dating back to 1944, the final year of World War II.
Three types of fiber can be used in the weaving of lava
lavas: coconut fiber and hibiscus fiber for traditional lava lavas, or modern
thread that provides a softer, much less time-intensive option. The traditional
technique begins with cutting the trunk of a banana tree, then peeling the
outer, tough bark from one side. The woman ties a short thread to her thumb and
forefinger to strip off the bark. As more and more strips are peeled away, the
soft inner core is revealed. The strips that have been peeled away are laid out
one-by-one on a piece of wood or a cut branch where the inside is scraped until
the outside of the strip is all that’s left. The strips are now very thin but
tough.
Drying the strips in the hot sun comes next and will take a
long time. The dry season is best since the strips will dry faster. When dry,
the bark is cut into strips using barnacles found on the beach. Opened, the
barnacle shell offers two sharp knives. Once finished, the dried strips are
tied together in bunches. Processing hibiscus fiber uses a similar method, but
the strips are put in the ocean for a certain time, leaving only the tough
outer fiber. Everything else is washed away in the sea water. Some might leave
the fiber in the water for only four days; others for up to a week depending on
the age and toughness of the plant.
Today the preference is for commercial thread, but the local
fiber is still woven due to its higher value. Used primarily for an exchange or
a funeral, families often have some already made for these very special occasions. They’re seldom worn because the commercial
thread lava lavas are softer and more comfortable for everyday wear.
The warp, or lengthwise fibers through which the weft, or
crosswise threads, are passed, is made on a home-made warping board consisting
of a piece of wood and five pegs. The thread is looped back and forth in a
crazy-eight pattern that separates the threads before they’re tied to the
loom. The actual weaving is often a social
event with the women of the family gathering to watch and help and offer
opinions. After the warp is tied to the
loom, the weaver sits on the floor and places a hand-woven coconut fiber
backstrap around her hips, tying the ends to the loom to hold it steady with
the tension of her body. She then begins to create her unique pattern, passing
the shuttle that contains the weft thread back and forth through the warp, while
adhering to certain accepted colors and symmetry.
On the island of Ulithi, black-and-white, blue-and-white and
green-and-white stripes are usually worn primarily for local dances,
graduations, confirmations and other important occasions. Light blue might be used in place of white
with a dark blue, but there is always a dark base color and a lighter stripe.
The weaver’s “signature” can be found in the stripes with each woman developing
her own unique pattern. On the island of Satawal, weavers are known for their
more complex stripes and the use of several colors in each one. When taken off
the loom, a fringe of approximately ten inches is left on both ends that falls
down the front when wrapped around the waist. The finished rectangle is
approximately 24” x 64”.
All lava lavas have an intricately woven selvage that runs
along the edge of the fabric. On some islands, one pattern may indicate that
it’s a woman’s lava lava while another pattern is for men only. Ulithi’s
weavers often use red for the selvage but almost any color can be used, usually
to use up leftover thread. On the island of Woleai, white borders are common.
The island
of Fais is known for the highly prized, rare lava lava called “machi” made with
a complex pattern on each end that resembles embroidery. Traditionally worn
only by chiefs in centuries past as loin cloths or ceremonial sashes, machi
were considered sacred. It’s said that one sold recently in Guam for more than
$1,000.
When wearing a lava lava, women and girls must sit properly
in the presence of men and must not compliment each other’s lava lavas. If the
string or rope holding up the lava lava loosens, the wearer must go to a
secluded area to adjust it. Pants are never to be worn under a lava lava
although some young girls wear knee-length shorts at times, especially on the
main island of Yap. And lava lavas are
never to be used for any other purpose such as house decoration, a shawl or
blanket.
Getting to Yap and
the Outer Islands. There are only two flights a week to Yap from Guam and
one flight from Palau on United Airlines. A trip to the Outer Islands is sure
to be a memorable experience but it should be arranged up to six months in advance.
It’s advisable to obtain permission
before going. The Yap State Government Sea Transportation Office
operates passenger and cargo service to all of Yap’s outer islands on a monthly
basis. The ship offers limited cabin accommodations and deck space for the
hardy visitor. For the most current schedule of voyages, call 691-350-2403. Visitors
are required to take their own food, sleeping mats and tents for use on the
boat and on the islands as there are no shops, tourist facilities or
accommodations other than the Ulithi Adventure Lodge
(http://ulithiadventurelodge.com). An on-demand air service provided by Pacific
Mission Aviation (www.pmapacific.org) flies to Ulithi twice a week and Fais
perhaps twice a month. Private sailing vessels may stop at the islands but
visitors are advised to obtain the local chief’s permission to visit upon
arrival. Women must cover their thighs with skirts or loose, knee-length shorts
or pants and may not wear revealing bathing attire while on land. Accommodations
on the main island of Yap range from economy hotels, an eco-lodge and a small,
historic inn to resorts. But with fewer than 180 rooms on the entire island,
it’s best to book early. There are no visa requirements. The U.S. dollar is the
common currency and English the common language on the main island. For more information, contact the Yap
Visitors Bureau at www.visityap.com or
yvb@mail.fm.
Outer Island Neighbor's Laundry |
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Preparing the Warp |
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Outer Island Neighbor and her Sister Wearing Their Lava Lavas |
Yapese Man Wearing a Lava Lava with Decorative Hibiscus Fiber |
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Examples of Lava Lava Patterns_L to R - first three are made of modern thread, other four are made of hibiscus fiber |
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Examples of Lava Lava Patterns and Selvages |
About 30 years ago I was invited to visit Yap's outer Islands by an elder I met in the hospital. I boarded the Micro Spirit which took me to several different atolls including Satawal and when I returned I was visiting Madrich and was gifted a beautiful predominantly yellow Lava Lava very much like the one on the very left in the picture titled "Outer Island Neighbor's Laundry". This fascinating article brings back a lot of memories and helps educate me about what I had seen but
ReplyDeletenot fully understood.
I'm glad you enjoyed it and learned more about your lava lava. Thank you for leaving your comment. Were you here with the Peace Corps?
DeleteIt all began many many years before when I was a child and received Rachel Carson's then new book "The Sea Around US" for my birthday. I was a sponge for National Geographic articles about Oceania. Long story short my interest extended to everything Jacques Cousteau, Margaret Meade and everything else I could absorb. Learning how to scuba dive while working at a small hotel in the Cayman Islands in the early '70's before it was a place. It was well off the beaten path then. Bruce Parker the owner of the hotel had shown a slide show of he and his wife Doris trip to then Ponape Micronesia which was fuel for the fire of desire burning inside me. Desire for everything biological above and beneath the sea in less traveled remote tropical places. In fact I read a now ancient National Geographic article showing a girl wearing a Lava Lava holding a notebook taken in front of the Outer Island High School. I always yearned to visit it one day which was what led me to the FSM which was many years in the making. Initially the Governor in Colonia wouldn't permit me to board the Micro Spirit but as luck would have it I had developed a mild illness that led me to the hospital where I got into a conversation with an Outer Island elder who invited me to visit the outer islands. He dictated a letter of invitation which he signed to present to the Governor who reluctantly granted me passage on the Micro Spirit and the rest as they say is History. I'm also a supporter of Habele via Neil Mellen who I connected with some time ago on Facebook. I have seen your photo on their 2018 annual report. I believe it was a picture of students from Woolee-eye. I cant remember its spelling. I also was a huge fan of Father Fran's Mic Sem website over the years. I bet I know other people you know if they're still alive.
DeleteI devoured Rachel Carson's books when I was growing up in the 1950s, too. I still have those well-worn paperbacks. Who was the governor when you were here? Re MicSem, it is being sent to Yap Catholic High School where it will be housed in a soon-to-be-built addition to their new library. It's been at Xavier, as you probably know, but they need the building for a computer lab. They planned to give it to UoG but when the YCHS principal, Michael Wiencek, and the school's director, Fr. Rich McAuliff, found out about it, they intervened and said it would be best to keep it in FSM. FSM national has given them $185k for construction of the building that will be linked with a walkway between the two buildings. They'll hire a full time librarian when it's ready to oversee both the MicSem and the YCHS library and the former librarian who was in charge of it for a long time will help get it established. The ETA for completion is around May 2022. Yes, Habele sent me to Woleai two years ago to write an article about the robotics program that they were sending to the high school. I flew on PMA for the daylong journey. Did you know Don Evans? Norman McComb? Both are still here. Don's been here close to 50 yrs. Norman was in the first Peace Corps cohort and taught in Chuuk before coming here. He spends half the year at his house in RI and the other half here.
DeleteSorry...I don't check this blog regularly. I just accepted your comments.
DeleteI have forgotten so many names but I did meet the minister of the Catholic church on Ulithi who had one of if not the only air conditioner on the atoll which was in his office which seemed kind of selfish to be honest. He was very gracious but it seemed he was benefiting from his position far more than anyone else. I also was the guest of one of the high school teachers. I cant remember his name but he introduced my to a foul tasting but very potent fermented coconut wine that got us very drunk. I met Donna Sheuring (spelling?) who worked for for the government having something to do with the environment. I met her on Kosrae but she lived in Ponape. There was a government official living in Ulithi John Rulmul (spelling) who somehow got the funds to build the dive resort which struggled initially. When I was staying at the ESA hotel the Manta Ray Bay Hotel opened its doors for the first time and I remember a traditional brightly colored grass like skirt dance demonstration in the parking lot by Mulalap & Mulalap Attorney's at Law. I can only remember bits and pieces. I regret not having been to Mog Mog but back in those days traditional attire was mostly what you saw throughout the outer islands. No T-shirts, cell phones or sunglasses then. I remember having eggs benedict at the now demolished Village Hotel on Ponape. Having eggs benedict back when the island loop road was all dirt and the bridges were concrete slabs with no railings. I remember being invited to lunch at P.A.T.S agriculture school which was a delicious fruit bat casserole. It was surprisingly delicious. I still have the cap they gave me. Now I remember exploring Non Madol and hiking hill trails in the center of Ponape (Pohnpei). Then there was Lucas who was top dog on the Micro Spirit and Steve the ships electrician. Steve was an enormous (fat) man who was enormously gentle and admired by the ladies but in those days fat people were considered very attractive apparently. I'm sorry for jumping all over the place (I'm a terrible writer). I remember a freelance photographer from Australia but originally from Europe. He shot pictures for National Geographic and enough other publications that allowed him the ability to travel non stop for years. He'd been all over the place. After a few months in the FSM I went on to the Republic of Palau and snorkeled Jellyfish Lake then on to a brief stop on Nauru which was truly sad. Then on to Fiji where I caught Dengue fever staying at the Royal Hotel on Ovalau where Robert Louis Stevenson liked to stay or so I was told. I liked Fijians enormously. I know things have changed since becoming a dictatorship. Had I not gotten very sick I'd have gone on to Tonga, Western Samoa and who knows where else? The Solomans ,Kiribati, Tuvalu etc. I never made it to the Philippine or Indonesia either but I saw quite a lot. Are you in Yap more or less permanently?
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