GIVE HIRI MOALE A FAMILY FOCUS

In the time

before

when the land

was dry

the Motu set out

to trade for sago

and the families

watched

and waited

and worried.

Then the men

came back

and the women

danced and sang

as they do today.

Welcome to

Hiri Moale.

What is the key word in the poem above used in the

TV advertising over a decade ago?

It is family. Sadly the Hiri Moale festival has a focus

on grass skirts and breasts.

It would be great if the Hiri Moale had dancing girls

as always. But let there be a deeper focus on family.

After all, the men went up to the Gulf Province to

find food for their families. The families watched

and waited.

They rejoiced when the men came back. Many men

were lost in storms as late as the 1950s. It was then

that the administration stopped the voyages.

Let there be a focus on family. Hula dancers for tourists.

Family activity for villagers. Churches, women’s groups,
schools and youth groups to be involved.

We are

the people

of the sea

who left

a distant shore

and came

to this land

in the time before.

The winds that blew

our crab claw sails

pushed the clouds

along the shore

and so we went

to sea again

to follow the winds

and trade for sago.

This is our culture

and every year

we live the past

again.

Welcome to

Hiri Moale.