Details

Latitude

-4.71979

Longitude

143.6055

Start Date

2018-08-15

End Date

2018-08-15

This string figure represents a type of red pandanus (Pandanus conoideus). Its oil-rich fruit is an important part of the Awiakay diet. After being harvested, the long fruit is cut into pieces and boiled, with the core removed. Once boiled, the red seeds can be easily removed from the base, which is sometimes sucked out, and then discarded. The seeds are washed with water and eaten with sago or sweet potatoes, either by dipping the sago or sweet potatoes into the red sauce, or by sucking and spitting them out. The design of this string figure is like a close-up of the seeds of pandanus fruit. Once finished, this string figure can be transformed into yambiam kuma ‘bioluminescent mushrooms’ (64) or into tapuka oluka pokonba mokonan ‘bent-over old man’ (50). Image: 02: Darja Munbaŋgoapik showing the final design ‘red pandanus’

Sources