Marshall Islands : Flying Traditional Marshallese Proa

Footage by Ainikiōm
All Rights Reserved

Wa in ej 24 ne, waan Leyson Aluka jen Narmej Island (Jittok-En) ilo Jālwōj Atoll, juōn likao eo ewōr 35 an iōō im emōj an kōmmane 4 tipñōl ko rej jerbal ion Jālwōj rainin. Video in ekar kōmman Ilo raan in Monday, December 15th ilo mōlean Jittok-En ilo Jālwōj.

Translation:
This wa (canoe) is a 24 footer, built by Leyson Aluka(steering the canoe), a 35 year old man from Narmej Island, who’s built 4 Tipñōl (middle-sized traditional proa) that are now catering for the people’s needs in Jālwōj Atoll. This video was made in December 15th in the waters of Jittok-En in Jālwōj (Jaluit Atoll).
{end translation}

This piece features local young man, Mr. Leyson Aluka. He is one of our master canoe builders/sailers who has built and practically trained many boys and young men over the years including his kids, to build and sail canoes that are currently being used today to sustain people’s livelihoods in the islands. Here, Mr. Aluka shows us a portion of his skills in maneuvering the canoe with ease and magnificent talent!

Mr. Aluka’s knowledge of the canoes and their association with wind and sea is vast and is a community enabler of traditional knowledge.

Mr. Aluka, including the other
master canoe builders/sailers are fixed on building a traditional walap (open ocean voyaging canoe) that can assist the remote communities in Jaluit Atoll with the much needed sea transportion between Majuro (RMI Capital), other sub-centers including Ebeye, Kwajlein Atoll and other islands.

This initiative has been endorsed by the Jaluit Atoll Local Government and traditional leadership including the communities as one of their top 5 priorities in their Capacity Development Plan. A 5 year plan that was facilitated by the Pacific Centre for Environment & Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) at the University of the South Pacific in collaboration with the RMI’s Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs and the RMI HIstoric Preservarion Office through the European Union Global Global Climate Change Alliance + Scaling Up Pacific Adaption (EU GCCA + SUPA) Project - Component II: To Enjance Community Resilience to the impacts of Climate a change through Capacity Development.

The traditional capacity is evident here and the main resources are obviously these master canoe builders/sailers. All there is to do is enable these masters enable their communities.