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Yam ceremony, Wapi Sagi Maprik style
By COLIN TAIMBARI
Growing giant yams still remains a
sacred part of the people of the Maprik district in East Sepik
province.
In fact, Maprik is synonymous with growing some of the biggest and
longest yams in Papua New Guinea, if not the world. The people
here take pride in the art of yam growing and the ceremonies
associated with its harvest and display as it brings with it
status and recognition in their society. The harvest is celebrated
in a traditional yam ceremony called the Wapi Sagi.
Having listened in awe at the many stories about the yams of
Maprik, I was finally going to see for myself the yams been
harvested, decorated and displayed in the Haus Tambaran (Spirit
House).
An early 4am rise at Surf Site Lodge situated on the white sandy
beaches of Boram opposite the airport saw us drive up Wewak Hill
to pick Post Courier sports journalist John Pangkatana and EMTV
cameraman Steven Teptehhi at the up-market In-Wewak Boutique
Hotel.
The Sepik Iron Man fever was all over town but our minds were set
on the two and a half hours drive on the Sepik Highway to Apangai
Village in Maprik.
From the beachfront, you do a rather sudden climb to the top of
hills surrounding Wewak town and then you snake your way mostly
along the ridge top through Yangoru, past grasslands headed
towards the Sepik plains and then on to Maprik.
The road is sealed all the way through but certain sections,
especially around Yangoru have deteriorated although it was only
sealed in 2006. The Maprik section of the highway is tops as the
bitumen has been laid with fine pebbles presenting a solid and
smooth base for driving.
Our host and guide for this trip is local tourism operator Alois
Mateos assisted by his son Aiwo. Alois - a veteran of tours on the
Sepik River, especially the upper Sepik River around Ambunti - is
a strong believer in preserving our traditional cultures.
And using his established tourism market, Alois likes to promote
new and unique products whereby locals or resource owners not only
participate but also receive some monetary benefits from tourism
as well. So in close consultation with village elders from Apangai,
Alois had arranged for a traditional yam ceremony to be staged at
the village for tourists and other visitors as a lead up to the
Sepik Iron Man competition.
This year's traditional yam ceremony was to be the first and based
on its success, Alois is determined to market it internationally
every year.
Our excitement quickly disappears as we find out that there has
been some disagreement among the villages and the ceremony
cancelled. Obviously, someone forgot to tell Alois otherwise we
wouldn't have made the long road trip.
"I've tried to assist you people and I've even brought the media
people here to promote your ceremony but if you can't organize
yourselves then I am not going to get involved with you people
again," a disappointed Alois told the village elders.
Village elder Peter Yapimi quietly confides in Alois that the
people he was dealing with should not be trusted and that he will
make sure there is a traditional yam ceremony next year.
Sensing our disappointment, they quickly usher us inside the House
Tambaran where the yams are brought in after harvest, painted,
decorated with feathers, lined with sacred carvings and offered as
thanksgiving to the spirits for a bountiful harvest and seeking
more big harvest in the upcoming season. Apart from some carvings
placed on the sides of the house there are no yams in sight. Alois
who was there 2 weeks earlier to finalize arrangements for the
ceremony said a newcomer would have goose bumps at the sight of
the yams been presented in the Haus Tambaran as you'd sense some
strong unexplained spiritual presence in the house. The yams come
is all kinds of shapes including animals and human body parts and
every care is taken to decorate and dress them. Owners of yams
shaped like females' body parts are publicly reminded of their
misdemeanor of breaking with strong traditional taboos and
sleeping with their wives during the planting season.
Peter Yapimi took us to his yam house to show us some of his
harvest while explaining to me how the yams are grown without
giving away too many traditional secrets. Peter is adamant the
sacred art of yam growing will live on among his people for many
more years and will be practiced like the generations before them
did. The yams take six to 12 months to grow but before it is
planted, a long stick used as a mark to measure the depth at which
the yam will grow and the whole is filled with soft soil and the
yam sapling placed at the top and covered slightly. Once, firmly
rooted, the yam's growth can be monitored through chambers dug in
the soil surrounding the base of the yam and if a part of the yam
is sprouting out in a certain direction, it is cleared and filled
with soft soil to enable its advancement. Peter explained that the
yam ceremony or 'wapi sagi' is performed when the harvested yams
are lined up for public viewing and there is singing and dancing.
The ritual also involves "sambra" where you exchange with
traditional partners or neighbouring villagers. Other yams are
kept and distributed during funeral feasts.
Just when we are about to leave, someone tells us the biggest
harvest this year has been a 9 footer by the neighbouring village.
Searching for the 9 footer, we chanced upon a yam ceremony of a
different kind - the modern day church influenced yam ceremony at
Kukwal village. Here, while they still treasure the art of yam
growing, the harvests are not offered in thanksgiving to the
spirits but to God. In fact, the yams are measure by rope for
their thickness and length and graded from A downwards. They were
carefully decorated with flowers and birds feathers and neatly
laid out on the lawn under a temporary shelter.
Elders of the Assembly of God Church which has a huge presence in
the area were leading the thanksgiving ceremony and were
pleasantly surprised by our unexpected appearance giving thanks to
the Almighty for answering their prayers.
Jikinimbu/Alma Local Level Government councilor Henry Saki they
had been preparing and praying for the occasion for one month and
part of their prayer was for media coverage of their ceremony.
Saki said they were seeking media exposure because rather then use
yams in the traditional and customary rituals and practices, they
wished to sell them in large quantities as cash crops or for
commercial purposes.
Returning to Wewak, I couldn't help but try to put into
perspective the world of the traditional yam man Peter Yapimi and
his counterpart, the modern yam grower Henry Saki and what the
future holds for this age of ritual of Wapi Sagi.
 
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