Yapese Culture |
||||||
| ||||||
| TravelMart.net » Micronesia Hotels » Yap Hotels » Yapese Culture | ||||||
|
YAPESE CULTURE Yap is the most intriguing island in Micronesia. It is a land steeped in ancient traditions, fascinating legends, and peopled by one of the most distinctive cultures in the Pacific. Attractions like a handmade seaside men's house, cultural village tours, huge ancient stone money discs and stone money banks, dancing, handicraft making, marine life and mangrove forests highlight a visit to this unique outpost. The town of Colonia on Yap Proper is the capital and while it is much more of an urban center than the village areas and outer islands, it still retains the character of the Yapese village lifestyle. Because of its location far from the established trade routes, Yap was only slightly affected by the Spanish colonization of Micronesia in the 1500s, or by the German occupation from the late 1800s to the start of World War II and the Japanese occupation from then until the end of World War II. The American presence and administration up until independence in 1986 has had the greatest influence. Dance is an art form in Yap. Through dance, legends are passed down, history is recorded and entertainment is created. The dances of Yap are raucous, colorful and well-orchestrated. Men and women both start at an early age to learn this special Yap tradition. This traditional life carries into the villages where fishing, sailing and weaving are still important parts of everyday life. Grass skirts for the women and thu'us, a type of loincloth, for the men are the basic garb in the small towns that sit in tranquil settings around the island. The people of Yap are shy but warm. They don't mind visitors who are respectful and appreciative of their lifestyle. With a little coaxing, the visitor may soon find his or herself helping with a chore, like launching a canoe or weaving a basket to carry coconuts. This special kind of island encounter is not unusual on Yap and is part of the Yapese spirit that makes the island so enticing and enchanting. Visitors can still see some of the traditional houses in the villages. The villages of Yap proper still retain the foundations of meeting houses and platforms used by the elder male residents to discuss community matters. Yap has managed to let most of the modern world pass it by and practices Micronesia's most traditional lifestyle. Some 200 miles from Palau, Yapese warriors sailed there in centuries past, despite great danger and hardship, to quarry the giant Yapese stone money. These large circular stones, carved symmetrically and holed in the center for transportation, can be greater in diameter than a man's height. Most of the stone money is stored in the money bank, though some still rests outside the thatched men's hut and family huts to denote wealth and status. Although one can see vestiges of the modern world in Yap today, the Yapese culture is one of the last intact cultures on earth. It is a culture that had withstood the usual calamities of colonization and religious conversions. It is this tenacity and pride in their culture which is one of the unique traits of the Yapese people. Betel Nut Chewing Most Yapese carry a traditional basket woven from palm tree fronds. Inside is their precious cache of betel nuts and the chewing accouterments of powdered lime and pepper vine leaf. Chewing the mildly narcotic betel nut is a national tradition and obsession. The green nuts, about the size of a small walnut, grow freely on thin betel nut palm trees. Chewing a betel nut is a very old and common practice in Yap to relax and enjoy a moment of quietness. When a piece of betel nut, called "buw", pepper leaf, called "gabuy", and a sprinkle of lime powder, called "waeqch" are set together into your mouth and chewed, you may feel hot and slightly dizzy. The effect lasts only ten minutes or so. Exchanging betel nuts is one way to start a conversation. Various Local Attire There are many styles of traditional attire in Yap State. A grass skirt which is made from hibiscus fibers of banana/coconut leaves is for ladies from Yap Main Islands while a lavalava which ia a wrap-around skirt woven from banana fibers or modern threads, is for ladies from the Neighboring Islands. Traditional arrire for men is basically a loincloth but there are many ways to wear one depending on where you are from, how old you are and where you are when wearing it. Various Languages There are many indigenous languages in Yap State. Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian and Satawalese are spoken commonly. English and local languages are both official languages of Yap State. Daily life within the family, in the communities and local governments are conducted in the local languages. Some older people are able to speak Japanese. Commonly Used Phrases Because of extreme shyness and heavily chewing betel nuts some local people might not look happy to talk with outsiders. But soon you will find their willingness to help you once you speak to them. Why not try out some local words:
|
» Car Rental » Plane Tickets
» Yap Hotels & Resorts » Basic Information » Yap Attractions » Yapese Culture » Events and Festivals » Travel Information
» The Pathways Hotel Yap » Traders' Ridge Yap |
USA: +1(310)691-8047, +1(818)793-5651, +1(805)426-4564, Guam: +1(671)488-3878, Philippines: +63(2)687-2343, +63(2)910-0201
Office hours: Mondays-Fridays 8:30am-6:00pm, Saturdays 9:00am-3:00pm, GMT +8:00; OR leave your message on the voice mail.
Fax Numbers: USA: +1(801)805-6622, Guam: +1(671)632-8118, Philippines: +63(2)687-5465
If you are dialing from within Canada, US, or any Pacific or Carribean Island to the UK or to Philippines,
dial international access code: 011.
This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 Aug 2008
Copyright © 2003-2008. TravelMart Network Group, Inc. All rights reserved.