Welcome ceremony for traditional navigators at FestPac

The Alingano Maisu, left, and the two other voyaging canoes from Satawal Island in Yap prepare to leave Saipan yesterday. Guam will be the next stop of the group led traditional navigator Sesario Sewralur to attend the 12th Festival of the Pacific Arts. (Jon Perez)

The sound of the blowing of conch shells echoed at the Chamolinian Cultural Village in Garapan signaling the start of the last leg of the voyage of traditional navigators from Micronesia.

The Alingano Maisu and two other smaller canoes from Satawal Island in Yap State left at around 5pm yesterday to attend the 2016 Festival of the Pacific Arts in Guam.

Carolinian Affairs Office executive director John Tagabuel said the blowing of the conch shells is a traditional ceremony that signals the start of every voyage. It signals the navigators going out of land to board their vessels and head out to sea.

The Maisu, which came from Palau, the two smaller canoes, the Sakman Chamorro—another traditional voyaging canoe that sailed from San Diego in California—and 11 other vessels will be part of the traditional welcoming of seafarers, a pre-opening event of the 12th edition of the quadrennial event on Sunday.

Tagabuel said the Maisu, the two Satawal canoes, the Sakman, and the 11 other vessels would sail from Agana Bay entering the boat basin just a few meters away from the Paseo de Susana Park in Hagatna, the center of activities of the 12th Festival of the Pacific Arts. The ceremony begins at 5am and is expected to end at around 8am.

“The Maisu and the two smaller canoes are expected to arrive Saturday evening near Guam but they would remain in the water until Sunday’s traditional welcome. They will be just a few miles near the shore,” said Tagabuel.

He added that all 15 vessels—from Guam, Palau, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Australia—will wait for the signal to simultaneously sail toward the boat basin at the Paseo de Susana Park to start the traditional welcoming of the seafarers ceremony.

Songs, dances, and chants will be part of the program where organizers and other officials and the other delegates are expected to welcome them. The public is also invited to join the festivities.

Tagabuel said the Carolinian community on Saipan welcomed the return of the traditional navigators that was led by Sesario Sewralur, the son of legendary master navigator Pius Mau Piailug, and John Lalogo.

Sewralur sailed from Palau along with nine others including his 7-year-old son Dylan. They waited for Lalogo’s group composed of 15 other Satawalese on Saipan.

A crowd of close to 100 at the beach watched as the three sailing canoes left Saipan under the setting sun.

“The Carolinian community came out to give them a warm and open-hearted welcome. We were really excited to see them again, it has been five years since they came here on Saipan,” said Tagabuel.

“We wish them safe travels to Guam. The voyage has been hard for them especially the two small canoes, they were just near Rota when they encountered dead winds and that’s the reason why they arrival was delayed.”

Tagabuel said learning and practicing traditional seafaring takes a lot skill. “Traditionally navigating a canoe is a skill and part of our culture. You will learn to read the stars, know the condition of the water, and watch the direction of the wind.”

Guam, with Micronesia taking its turn to host the quadrennial event, is hosting the two-week long Festival of the Pacific Arts, which opens on Sunday and ends on June 4. Hawaii, Polynesia, will host the 13th Festival of the Pacific Arts in 2022.