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The Vaka Taumako Project of
the Pacific Traditions Society

SPECIAL NEWS REPORT: July – September, 2002       Inside this report:   Funds sent for tealolili construction costs.   Mahalo to our friends for their help.   Stopping sale of alcohol in Taumako.   Crew to deliver canoe to Vaeakau people.   Funds for tealolili voyaging canoe.

 

Vaka Taumako Project Special News Updates 2002         — Update, Added 09/25/02 Thanks to generous donations from the Maritime Licensing Center and several private persons, the funds have finally been sent to Paramount Chief Kaveia so that he can make the final payments for labor and materials in construction of the second tealolili at Taumako. The Vaka Taumako Project has not yet received these funds from the German film company, and the payments for labor and materials were due last June when the tealolili was completed. However the donations have relieved the urgent need for those funds, and should the film company ever pay up, then the funds donated may be reapplied to costs of running the Lata Navigation School, and other programs of the VTP that are stalled for lack of support. We still aspire to bring five Taumako builders to Kaua'i to finish building the tealolili there, and to spend time in the planetarium on O'ahu to identify traditional Polynesian navigational stars and constellations. To those who have generously donated: Paramount Kaveai sends his "Big thanks for your strong support! All our children will benefit from your generosity!" — Update, Added 07/25/02 A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED.....and two very generous ones have donated U$1750 and U$300 respectively. As those of you who have been following our reports know, these gifts come when we really need and appreciate financial support. Our deepest thanks to these big-hearted people! $1500 of the first donation (we estimate that this amounts to over 9000 SBD at the current rate of exchange) has been sent to Chief Koloso at Lata, capital of Temotu Province, and the site of the province's only bank. With this money he can pay some of the remaining construction costs for the second te alo lili. Other funds from these gifts have helped pay telephone and money transfer costs to the Solomon Islands, and for maintenance of this website. Mahalo a nui loa to our friends for their help. —– Message from Mimi George 1) The Provincial government and the Provincial Police Commander and the Paramount Chief (on behalf of the Duff Isles Council of Chiefs) have taken steps to stop the illegal sale of alcohol in Taumako. They wrote warning letters to the tradestores and persons trafficing alcohol, and (P.C. Kaveia has sent word to me that) they are exerting maximum pressure to stop the drinking in their own more traditional ways. These actions are against the wishes of some very wealthy and powerful businessmen and politicians. We salute the P.Chief and the Provincial officials for their strong resolve. We are overjoyed to lift the suspension on support for VTP programs! 2) The P.C. Kaveia has a six person crew ready to sail the canoe to the Outer Reef Islands in order to deliver it to it's new owners, the Vaeakau people, so that they might start a traditional voyaging school for the young people there. He is only in need of small funds to pay for the return fares and food and travel costs for his crew. Once they arrive in Outer Reefs, it may be five or six weeks before they are able to board a ship and reach home. The cost is about $500. US. Anyone able to donate that may have the canoe named after them! 3) The 5.5 fathom tealolili voyaging canoe has been completed and the laborers and contributors of materials are awaiting their final payments of $3,666.66 US dollars. These funds were to have come from the German film company that shot footage for a TV program last March. The German film company had difficulties completing their shooting because of the disturbances in the work caused by alcohol abuse, and the VTP gave them back the $3,666.66 on the agreement that this money would be returned to the VTP when the illegal sales of alcohol ceased (with permanent intentions). We do not have any funds to send to Kaveia for paying the workers because of delay in payment by the German film company. So if anyone can make a donation toward paying the missing funds to Kaveai now, it will save the VTP from collapsing immediately! This would be such a shame after all the progress we have made! When the German film company eventually reimburses those funds, then we of the VTP will put that money toward paying for a year of operations of the Lata Voyaging School, including execution of at least two interisland training voyages between Sept. 2002 - 2003.

Vaka Taumako Project of the Pacific Traditions Society PO Box 1561 Kapa`au, HI 96755 Phone (808) 936-8462     FAX    (808) 823-6741     Email:  george.mimi@gmail.com The Vaka Taumako Project operates under the aegis of the Pacific Traditions Society, a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Monetary and some other donations are tax-deductible in the USA. Contacts Mailing address: Dr. Mimi George P.O. Box 1561, Kapa`au, HI 96755 USA Dr. Mimi George, Principal Investigator email:  george.mimi@gmail.com Phone 001 808 936 8462 H. M. Wyeth, Permanent Secretary Phone 001 808 822 0647 FAX 001 808 823 6741 Larry Williamson, President, The Pacific Traditions Society   To get onto our mailing list and/or to send in a contribution, please mail your name, address, email address, and phone / fax to Mimi George at the address above.