| Description |
Building a canoe for the palolo rise, an event that occurs twice in a year, is rarely described and documented in moving and still images. With accompanying text capturing knowledge shared by a Master Craftsman, Lesā Motusaga of Sa‘anapu village in Samoa, this paper provides insights into the Intangible Cultural Heritage associated with the building of a paopao, dugout canoe, for a rich fishing tradition.
Palolo, a delicacy that rises pre-dawn from coral beds seven days after the full moon in October and November, is known as the caviar of the Pacific, an apt description given the high price people are willing to
pay for this rare seafood. Briefly, it is a seafood with significant socio-cultural value now enjoying high, if not inflated, economic value.
The natural environment is not a typical classroom but is, insofar as Intangible Cultural Heritage is concerned, an important setting where knowledge is transmitted, particularly knowledge of the environment and tapu or sa, the sacred laws or forbidden acts designed for its protection and conservation. |
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