HIRI-MOALE FESTIVAL 01

The Hiri Moale festival is a cultural display and re-enactment of the traditional sea trading expeditions of the Motu-speaking people of Port Moresby. Many years ago, some of the Motu-speaking people would go on annual trading expeditions to the Gulf of Papua in massive seafaring vessels called “lakatois”. There they would exchange with the inhabitants of that area clay pots, called “uro” and other valuables for sago and canoe logs. These expeditions were called “Hiri” and were not only spectacular in terms of the number, nature and size of the sailing craft involved and the cargoes they carried but also very important economically and in other ways to the Motuan people. Apart from the re-enactment of the Hiri Trade, the festival is littered with various activities one can indulge themselves in. There is no shortage of entertainment as cultural dance groups do performances for festival goers to enjoy, in preparation for the arrival of the Lakatoi. These cultural dancing groups, of the Motu people, provide color and saturation to the festival.

Visitors can find themselves mesmerized by the synchronicity and flow of the various performances. The intricacy of the traditional attire is complimented by the rhythmic and hypnotic choreographed dance movements, while the whole performance is engulfed in the thumping beat of the “kundu” drum and a chorus of song caroled in the native Motu tongue.

Vanagi Canoe Race

Soon, the dancers and canoe racers give way for the main event of the day, the arrival of the lakatoi. As the sun slowly descends over the horizon, a large group of dancers assume formation in two long parallel lines from the base of the main stage to the edge of the sandy beach. This formation of dancers begins their traditional dance routine, like how it used to be during the early days of the trade, to welcome the arrival of the Lakatoi.

Young women dressed in traditional outfits, sing and sway their hips in rhythmic and alternating twists, causing their “grass skirts” to pivot in a hypnotic repeated motion. Young men pound their “kundu” drums, producing a melody for the entire dancing group to sing beautiful Motuan hymns. as the two lines of dancers navigate, and gyrate, up and down the beach front, without missing a step.

Momentarily the large sails of the incoming Lakatoi become visible in the golden sunset, as it inches nearer to the shore. Government Officials of Papua New Guinea, such as Ministers and Governors, join the Lakatoi’s welcoming party; this demonstrates just how significant the history of this trade was to the country’s old history. The welcoming party give a warm reception to the Lakatoi, as garden foods and livestock are then exchanged by the leaders and chiefs for all to see. Each Government Official is gifted with different garden foods and livestock to re-enact how goods brought back from the Hiri Trade was distributed to the village chiefs and leaders. The ceremony ends

The Legend

when all gifts have been exchanged, and slowly, while not letting a single note of their chorus slip, the parade of dancers perform their final exit dance as they make their way from the main arena.

The first voyage took place when Edai Siabo, from the village of Boera was sailing home from a fishing trip when a great eel appeared and dragged him under the sea. The eel was the spirit of the sea. The eel returned Edai to the surface, then instructed him to build a great lagatoi (sailing canoe) fill it with cooking pots, and to sail westward, following the south-east tradewind called the laurabada (Motu language).

Obeying the spirit, he built the first hiri lagatoi, named it Bogebada (which means sea-eagle), loaded it with pots his wife MADE. He then sailed up the coast into the waters of the Gulf of Papua following the southwestern trade winds. There they traded Uros (clay pots) with Rabia (sago) and returned home when the wind direction changed.