Page 38 - IB September 2024

Art Art

Rako Pasefika artists performing the ‘Kau ta’ as part of the storytelling session by Master Steven John. Photo: Supplied

“When we first began, quite a few of our members were extremely rare, with only three known to be in existence. It is
part of the Rotuman delegation that was with the Fiji not seen in dances anymore.
delegation for the Festival of Pacific Arts in Palau,” said “We spent a couple of years researching it,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell. “And what we noticed while we were there is how “And then late last year, we did a revitalisation project where
much cultural loss there was in Rotuma, particularly in terms we went back to Rotuma and worked with elders for a period
of our creative practice. So, when we came back from Palau, of time and then remade the suru and revived a lot of the
we decided that it was really important for us to create chants around the suru.
a space for more Rotuman artists so that they could focus “One of the first pieces that we remade is now part of the
on their cultural recovery, trying to revitalise a lot of the permanent civic collection at the Australian Museum. And
practices that we had lost.” since then, we’ve started reintroducing the headdress back
into a lot of the Rotuman youth community so that they can
Initial vision use it again in their dance practice.
Rako Pasefika’s initial vision was to create a space for “We’ve done that kind of work over the last 10 to 15 years
Rotuman artists to focus on cultural revitalisation. where we have been working with our elders, researching old
“Over the years, a lot of the other small island communities chants, researching old dances. When we went to the Festival
that were living in Fiji, like Banabans, and Tuvaluans who of Pacific Arts in Palau instead of wearing fabric or any
were also losing a lot of their creative practice, started modern sort of fibres, we revived the old dance mats.”
becoming part of Rako as well,” said Mitchell. “And so, we Rako Pasefika has also undertaken the task of reviving
came together to support each other to revitalise a lot of our cultural mats.
practices.” “We worked with one of our elders, Emotama Pene and
Rako Pasefika is a not-for-profit limited liability but also under his guidance, we developed an interpretation of the
has charitable trust arms being set up in Fiji and New Zealand taktakoi and arumea mats which were worn in ancient times
that enable ongoing cultural development and community for dance or regular day wear,” says Mitchell. “We also
engagement work. Established by Mitchell and Laudan began to develop some forms of tefui lei (unique garlands of
Kotoitubou, the organisation is run by a core team of seven Rotuma). We have ongoing projects with practitioners and
people under a collective leadership model. Three are Fiji- culture keepers on Rotuma to continue to work on the revival
based, three are in New Zealand, and one is based in Hawai’i. of other adornment. The pieces are cultural adornment,
Funding comes from multiple sources, including revenue treasures, or storied objects, rather than artefacts which
from performances and international touring, the Rako tend to be relics of the past stuck in museums; as for us, they
Designs fashion line, and commissioned work and grants. represent an ongoing continued culture.”
Mitchell said their work on cultural recovery involves a lot of
research around lost art practices. Growing artists
One such recent project was about reviving a Rotuman Rako Pasefika often supports Pacific artists by providing
traditional headdress called a suru, a big, feathered them with opportunities to develop their work, collaborate
headdress made with feathers from two native birds, the with others, and gain visibility in the wider arts community.
Tavake (Phaethon lepturus) and the Armea (Myzomela “Over the last 15 years, we’ve had about 100 to 200 artists
chermesina). It was worn by the ruling monarch—the Sau—in go through Rako,” says Mitchell. “But at any one time, we
ceremonies, dances and war and represents the sun and stars, usually have about 20 artists within the collective. We get
which were significant elements in Rotuma’s ancient religion. young people that come through and they’re with us for three
The last known suru was collected in the 1800s, and are to five years.

38 Islands Business, September 2024