By JOEL K ANDREW
A LOCAL woodcarver in Papua New Guinea is proud to leave legacy at Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Office in Vanuatu.
Jack Kauwi, from Tambunum village in the Angoram District of East Sepik Province, was in Melanesian Cultural Festival in Port Villa, Vanuatu for woodcarving exhibition.
The National Cultural Commission supported and funded Kauwi to participate in the wood carving exhibition, with other participants from Melanesian Island states like Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia.
These woodcarvers are currently carving totems to be sanctioned and mounted on the façade of the Melanesian Spearhead Secretariat head office in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
The totem carving by the woodcarvers was part of the exhibition at the festival in Port Vila.
Mr. Kauwi was part of this exhibition, and will leave his mark on the façade.
Following the carving exhibition, existing totems were detached as they posed a threat to general public safety due to deterioration.
Director General of Melanesian Spearhead Group (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 new totems are mounted.
“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,” Lomai said.
“For this reason, a lot of effort has been made to conduct events to signify our respect to mounting these artefacts.”
Carver Jack Kauwi said he was humbled that he would be leaving his legacy in Vanuatu and thanked the National Cultural Commission for supporting his participation in the arts and culture festival.
