On the afternoon of January 17, 2024, DYCA Director Alex Gilfiley and Historic Preservation Officer Jeffery Marbey took a trip to Toruw, Maap. The purpose of the trip was to meet with Edmund Pasan, a canoe builder, local medicine healer, and an elder of his community.
This visit aimed to discuss potential future funding for building traditional Yapese canoes and repairing an existing canoe, named Mathow Maram. Mr. Pasan showed Director Gilfiley and HPO Officer Marbey the “Mathow Maram” canoe, in which he explained that the type of canoe is called popow. Mr.Pasan also clarified that Mathow in the Yapese language translates to mean ocean, and Maram in the Yap Outer Islands language means moon. Along with sharing the past sailing trips the Mathow Maram canoe had traveled: From Yap to Palau and back, another trip from Ngulu back to Yap, and then from Lemotrek to Guam and back to Yap.
Furthermore, discussions focused on plans to build a bigger canoe, with the anticipation of motivating the youth to engage and grasp a more clear understanding of Yap's cultural practices. In addition the DYCA team reviewed an ongoing HPO project following up on the progress and expected date of completion of a 5ft display canoe of the type called Chugpin.
For further information, please contact DYCA at (691) 350-2168 or HPO at (691) 350- 4226. Thank you.
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