Vaka Parangaina (Tepuke)
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| Above and below: vaka tepuke sailing off the coast of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, during the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts. |
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| William Keizy adjusting a scale model of a vaka tepuke that he has built for sale. Contact details are at the end of this post. |
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| Scale model of a vaka tepuke bult by William Kiezy. |
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History
This type of canoe is called “
vaka tepuke”, a traditional voyaging canoe that was used by the Polynesian
people of Taumako to
navigate around the eastern Solomon islands for trading
and visiting relatives on other islands in what is now Temotu Province. Common
in Temotu in the 18th Century, by the mid 19th Century, construction and
navigation had almost ceased due to contact with outsiders and the influence of
modern methods of communication.
The vaka type “tepuke” originated in Taumako, Duff
Islands, Temotu Province. According
to oral tradition, the names of three men are associated with the building of
the earliest vaka tepuke. These men
were Luolangi, nicknamed Lata, of Mwaeva Village, Moko'uli of Takulu Village and
Hinota of Vanua Village. They shared their diverse skills and knowledge in an
attempt to revive the type of canoe, the vaka
lua (double canoe), which their ancestors had used long before to travel
across oceanic distances. However, their efforts resulted instead in an
outrigger style of vessel that they called vaka
tepuke. This style of craft is unique, not found elsewhere in the Solomons
or the Pacific. Their canoe was completely constructed in the forest that
provided all necessary materials. Its journey to the sea was assisted by a
flooded river, hence the name tepuke
(flood). The story of Lata Luolangi and his associates, and their labours in
building the vaka tepuke is a long
one, now only known to a few old people on Taumako. (Enquire William Keizy on
+677 7594178.)
Vaka builder/navigator.
My name is William Keizy, age 54. I live where I was born,
on the tiny remote island of Taumako, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands. The
island is home to about 600 Polynesian people. In 1979/ 1980, I witnessed my
own people trying to build one
vaka
tepuke. They lamented that the necessary skill and knowledge was fast
vanishing, and in particular the knowledge of making ropes and doing the
lashings required to hold the craft together. However, there were still two old
men on the island aged 70 and 80, who had the knowledge. My own understanding
of
vaka construction, gleaned from my
father and other relatives, led me to build a
vaka tepuke in 1993. This took one year.
A second was built in 1994, and is now in the
Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New
Zealand.
My third
vaka tepuke is at the National Gallery
in Honiara. This one was constructed especially for the 11
th
Festival of Pacific Arts held in Honiara in July 2012. I sailed this craft from
Taumako to Honiara using traditional means of navigation.
I am available to assist in building traditional Polynesian
canoes and to offer training in traditional navigation.
I am also an expert at building models of these kinds of
canoes. Please contact me if you are interested in this.
William Keizy:
phone +677
7594178 (only works if I am near a major centre with mobile coverage)
Email
william.keizy@gmail.com
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| William Keizy instructing others on how to build a vaka tepuke |
My name is William Keizy, age 54. I live where I was born,
on the tiny remote island of Taumako, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands. The
island is home to about 600 Polynesian people. In 1979/ 1980, I witnessed my
own people trying to build one vaka
tepuke. They lamented that the necessary skill and knowledge was fast
vanishing, and in particular the knowledge of making ropes and doing the
lashings required to hold the craft together. However, there were still two old
men on the island aged 70 and 80, who had the knowledge. My own understanding
of vaka construction, gleaned from my
father and other relatives, led me to build a vaka tepuke in 1993. This took one year. A second was built in 1994, and is now in the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New
Zealand. My third vaka tepuke is at the National Gallery
in Honiara. This one was constructed especially for the 11th
Festival of Pacific Arts held in Honiara in July 2012. I sailed this craft from
Taumako to Honiara using traditional means of navigation. 
