Wood carvers from other Melanesian Island States including Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia will be doing the same. The wood carvers are currently working on their totems as part of the exhibition at the 7th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival currently underway in Port Vila. Previous totems were removed after posing risk to public safety because of wear and tear over the years.

 

Director General of MSG Secretariat, Leonard Lomai, said: “We had to take them down otherwise they might fall on somebody, and people will be claiming compensation from us and the Secretariat.”

He said the old totems were removed after a ritual ceremony to appease the spirits and added that a similar ceremony will be conducted for the same reason before the totems are mounted on the façade of the MSG head office.

 

“For the Vanuatuans, and just like all our MSG countries, we regard these totems and artefacts not just simple artefacts, but they represent spirits that protect the Secretariat.

 

“So, it is for that reason a lot of effort has been made to respectfully conduct events that would signify our respect to mount those artefacts on and call on our spirits to come back and look over and cast their protective wings over the Secretariat,” Mr. Lomai said.

Carver Jack Kauwi said he was humbled that he would be leaving his legacy in Vanuatu and thanked the National Cultural Commission for selecting and supporting his travel to Port Vila to participate in the 7th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival.

 

Mr. Kauwi is from Tambunum village in the Angoram District in East Sepik Province