Sikaiana community showcase their culture in Cultural Spectacle Day

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The Sikaiana people at Red Beach, Guadalcanal today hosted the media in a two-hour cultural spectacular during which they showcased their traditional way of life.

Fending off outside influence, the Polynesians of Malaita Province who have called Red Beach (in Foxwood area) their home displayed their traditional way of life through food making, weaving and dancing amongst other activities during today’s cultural spectacle.

One of the leaders of the community, Fr Erick Tevaiola, explained that what they their showed today is the traditional Sikaiana way weaving of mats for different purposes, preparation of food in various ways in a typical Sikaiana kitchen, a visit to a traditional house made coconut fronds and observed the traditional way of climbing coconut.

“It’s about preserving our culture and letting our next generation know and to maintain our culture once the old generation goes,” said Fr. Tevaiola.

“We are inviting the media here to promote our culture and to tell them about our efforts to maintain it,” he added.

The Sikaiana community at Red Beach settled there since the 1960s and most who had moved from the island to Guadalcanal had already passed on.

Today’s cultural day was also witnessed by Prof. Bill Donner, who spent three years on the island some 32 years ago and has written about their culture and even still speaks Sikaiana language.

Donner told SBM that a lot have changed but the people have maintained their culture.