Alcheringa Gallery
665 Fort Street
Victoria, BC, Canada
TEL: (250) 383-8224
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Sharing of the Feast
Ake Lianga
Solomon Islands
2007
acrylic on canvas
14" X 11"
$650 CDN
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In the Solomon Islands, it is very common to have a feast to mark significant events in the life of the coastal people. Fishermen are tasked with the job of catching enough fish to feed and share among the village. The fishermen look for the seagulls which will mark where the bonito (tuna) are currently feeding. A feast such as this often happens during the harvesting of land crops. A feast is a way of getting everyone together to honour the differing status of the villagers – the differing ranks in the community (chief, headmen, medicine man, etc). It can also be a time to celebrate the changing of the status amongst the villagers. It is very typical to divide the catch and other goods into different baskets that are later presented to the various community members. The chief’s basket is ornately decorated and will contain the best catch of the day. In some areas the chief will take a portion of his basket of fish and sacrifice it back to the sea in appreciation to the spirits. During the feast, there will be many stories told, knowledge passed on from the elder generations to the young ones, dancing and singing of traditional songs and chants. The feast is used as an opportunity to make new rules for the villagers and make any changes in responsibilities from household to household.
-Ake Lianga
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