Tongan coconut fibre artisan Sione Maileseni has been weaving for 20 years but fears culture and tradition are being lost through generations.
Mr Maileseni, one of around 40 members of the Tonga delegation at the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, learned how to weave in 2003 from a retired teacher who, in turn, learned from reading a book.
Mr Maileseni told ABC Pacific he worked with the Australian Museum last year and visited the different islands of Tonga to document tapa-making and weaving in the kingdom.
“The sad story about documenting all these, the weaving and tapa-making, the old ladies still practising it now said that when they’re gone, no one in their family knows how to make that stuff,” he said.
One way this knowledge is lost through generations is when the children of those who live in the outer islands move to the mainland for an education, he said.
“Once they’re educated, they start their own family, they work, they live on the main island, so they don’t go back to the other islands.
“I think that’s one thing that’s created this loss that we’re trying to preserve and recreate in Tonga.
“To see it fading, it breaks our heart because it’s part of us.
“We need to work together to keep our culture alive because it’s very important and it defines us as Tongans.”
‘I brought the whole of Tonga in my suitcase’
Sitting inside Tonga’s fale, Mr Maileseni weaves a small flower, which he puts behind his ear. He said he had brought the “whole of Tonga” with him.
In front of him is a suitcase, filled with everything he needs to weave the beautiful pieces he has on display.
“The suitcase has coconut fibre that I get from [the] Marshall Islands, amongst everything else.”
Mr Maileseni holds up a helu, an item that has fallen out of use over time and something he’s trying to bring back, traditionally made for ladies with high ranking in Tonga.
The helu, made from coconut midribs and braided fibre, is topped with purple feathers.
He also picks up a kiekie, a traditional waist and headpiece, he made by hand.
“It’s a lot of work. I never use a needle or thread on this,” he said. It took about five months to make.
He’s a proud weaver and an even prouder Tongan, and said he resonated with this year’s FestPAC theme because it is work he does at home.
“I’m trying to revive the lost arts in Tonga, so I think regenerating Oceania is like how we [are] going forward with passing the knowledge and keeping our culture alive for the next generation.
“I think it’s very important to almost everyone who’s participating because, on the opening night, other countries were talking about the lost art that they’re trying to revive, which I’m related to with what they’re struggling with in their own islands.”
Source: ABC Pacific
