Page 14 - Fiji Traveller 8

Building on tradition

Na Waqa Drua

By Kite Pareti
It has been 150 years since a grand traditional boat was built in Fiji, says artist Carson Young.
Young and twelve local craftsmen are now reviving this tradition by building a tabetebete-class waqa drua
(an outrigger voyaging vessel) in the heart of Suva.
Follow the sound of buzzing power saws behind the St Stephen’s building, and you will find the team
enthusiastically labouring over the vessel. Work on the hull is now underway.
“For the future of canoe culture in Fiji, building something over 100 feet is a challenge but a worthy
cause because we haven’t had any since the passing of Ratu Cakobau in the mid-18th century and so that
knowledge was important to recapture,” Young told Fiji Traveller.
The project titled ‘Na Waqa Drua’ (the twin ship or the sacred ship), was made possible with support from
the Pacific Community (SPC), European Union and others, and is expected to be completed early next
year.
Young is no stranger to boat-building as he played a key role with the late Colin Philip and others in
designing the Uto ni Yalo, a hand-crafted traditional ocean voyaging vessel that has traversed the region
for the last 14 years.

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