ICH Communities Safeguarding Pioneers

*e production of small souvenir mats is fares much better than for the large versions. *e reeds from which these mas- Yap State Historic Preservation terpiece mats are woven are found on many islands, but the reeds from GDh. are of superior quality. *e mats woven from these reeds have long usage life and are resilient Oce of Micronesia to color fading. *ese reeds have more luster and a brighter look when dried under the sun. Francis Reg Authentic Cra2s Cooperative Society is a women- Ocer, Yap State Historic Preservation Oce led cooperative formed to promote and revive Maldivian traditional arts and cra2s, especially those arts and cra2s that have died or are fading out completely. *ese goals are to be achieved through identi"cation, education, production, and product marketing. Since its inception in $+#$, the society has worked with traditional mat weavers and reed growers in GDh. . An initial study showed grim prospects as only three women were Carefully separating the quality reeds he Yap State Historic Preservation Oce (YSHPO), conducted and followed up with the collected cultural or active growing and drying reeds, and with a lack of enthusi- for drying © Aminath Abdulla located in Yap State in the Federated States of ethnographic information to complete the project "les. asm. *e same could be said about the handful of mat weavers Micronesia (FSM), operates under the Department of General and grants administration and management are in Gaddhoo and . TYouth and Civic A!airs of the Yap State Government regular responsibilities handled by the Historic Preservation MACCS being a nonpro"t organization can help these not know how to make the thread from sea hibiscus. So the and has a regular budget funded by the local government Ocer, the Administrative Ocer, and the Grants Manager. women only by showing and guiding them through outside weaver buys the thread from another person who specializes and the National Park Service (NPS) and the United States O2en times, principal investigators or professionals are hired help. *is was achieved by funding through the Global in thread making. Department of the Interior (DOI). YSHPO also receives occa- through contract for special projects requiring professional Environment Facility small grants program implemented by *e present generation of weavers—without much knowl- sional funding assistance for projects, technical or capacity or technical skills and knowledge for archaeological surveys the United Nations Development Programme for conserving edge of reeds or the strength and durability of strings that building, and training and workshops from esteemed regional or ethnographic information collection. Certain projects the Fiyoaree marshland and environmentally reviving by hold them together—have started to bring innovations to the and international organizations—such as UNESCO, ICHCAP, funded by the NPS, DOI require professional services meeting motivating and involving more women from the community. time-tested traditional and indigenous way of mat weaving, and CRIHAP—and various national governments, includ- the DOI’s Secretary’s standards for archaeology and historic MACCS was able to get four Fiyoaree land plots to cultivate thus producing lower quality mats. *e use of imported ing those of Australia, France, United States, and the FSM. preservation. reeds. Seventeen Fiyoaree women were involved in growing thread or low-quality reeds from an island other than Fiyoaree YSHPO also collaborates and networks with other regional *e types of restoration and rehabilitation projects nor- and harvesting the reeds. MACCS also created awareness is the main cause. Moreover, the use of imported thread is organizations, universities, and other bodies. To name a mally conducted in Yap are of traditional stone platforms or e!orts so community members could better appreciate the negatively a!ecting the natural string makers. *is is a tre- few, they include the University of Oregon, the University of foundations, men’s and community meeting houses, stone uniqueness of the reeds that grew locally and the importance mendous loss and cannot be revoked easily. Quality downplay Guam, Queens College, La Trobe, and others by conducting paths, stone money banks, stone "sh weirs, traditional for reviving and conserving it. School children were taken may not be noticeable in the short term but will likely have "eld schools in Yap during academic breaks. trails and historic sites, and properties such as WWII relics. on "eld trips and learned about mats and the reeds. *ese detrimental e!ects in a year or two. YSHPO has "ve main functions: #) collecting Yapese writ- Recently, one of the major restoration and rehabilitation proj- children were also educated on the role of migratory birds that Most present-day weavers are over forty years of age, and ten and oral history, $) registering and surveying cultural and ects implemented by YSHPO and the village of Makiy in Gagil frequent the marshlands. there are very few newcomers to this cra2 on both the islands. historical properties, %) inventorying and mapping cultural municipality was to restore and rehabilitate the community *e seventeen participating women were given knowledge Many skilled artisans have migrated to the capital city for per- and historical sites and properties, &) restoring and rehabil- meeting house, a traditional trail, and three stone platforms in traditional reed growing. Trade and transport links were sonal reasons. Forced to live in cramped rented quarters, they itating cultural and historic properties, and ') performing at the Mangyol Stone Money Cultural site, which is pending also established. As enthusiasm picked up, a second project are unable to continue their art even if they wanted to. *ere general YSHPO administration, including NPS/DOI Historic nomination with UNESCO and the World Heritage Center was procured and launched to revive mat weaving. *e simply is no space for their looms. Preservation Fund (HPF). *e organization also occasionally (WHC), which, at this stage, the dossier is under review for reed-growing and mat-weaving projects culminated with the To date, MACCS, to revive the dying art, has conducted assists and supports the operation of the Yap State Living revision per the WHC’s recommendations a2er its initial introduction of mat waving to Fiyoaree a2er thirty years. *is three mat weaving trainer courses. Two courses were History Museum. Of some related projects, ICHCAP has review of the original dossier. Funding for the restoration was a proud achievement. conducted in Fiyoaree while the other was conducted in funded three in Yap: #) Youth Meets ICH with OurYAP, an and rehabilitation of the Mangyol community meeting house Gaddhoo mat weavers are careful in preserving their tra- Fuvahmulah City, which had also stopped weaving some- umbrella youth organization for all the youth clubs, including came from a US3$&,+++ grant from the US Ambassadors ditional art and take pride in their work. *us, each "nished where around #40+. Twelve trainees completed the courses. high school children in Yap State, $) the Preliminary Survey Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) for which YSHPO product is still a masterpiece by itself. *eir high-quality MACCS has also introduced products made from mats to on Dormant ICH Data in the Paci"c with a mixture of project applied and was recommended by the US Embassy to the FSM products fetch good prices in the market. the general public, so that less costly smaller genuine items workers from the Waab Cultural Heritage Society (elders) and to the U.S Department of State from which the project was Rathafandhoo island is "ve minutes from Fiyoaree by may indirectly help the mat weavers. In this respect, market some young people along with YSHPO sta!, and %) the $+#0 funded. UNESCO, NPS, and the Yap State local government small speed boats. *us, sourcing reeds from Fiyoaree is analysis was done to see if the products were marketable. ICHCAP-YSHPO Joint Cooperation Project for Safeguarding also collaboratively funded the remaining features, consisting easy. Dyeing and other processes are also not as tedious and Based on this research, "ve master trainers were trained to Intangible Heritage by Digitizing ICH-Related Analogue Data of the traditional trail and the stone platforms. systematic as it is with the Gaddhoo weavers. make bags and key chains using traditional mats. *e idea of the FSM, which is still ongoing. *rough the generous funding from various organizations, Much of the mat weaving industry has changed with the was to establish a continuously linked marketable chain from YSHPO’s restoration/rehabilitation and registration dedicated community members, and the YSHPO sta!, we changing times. Unlike before, the mat weaving industry reeds grown in Fiyoaree to mats woven in Gaddhoo and functions involve coordinating with various communities have been able to work toward the important task of safe- has also adapted by dividing labor to save time and costs. Rathafandhoo. MACCS hope and aim is to revive and expand on the many islands of Yap State to identify eligible cultural guarding Yap ICH. As we move forward, we hope to continue Historically, a single weaver carried out every aspect of weav- traditional mat weaving home industry along with empower- and historic sites, properties, and objects for restoration enhancing traditional culture and raise awareness about the ing a2er procuring dried reeds. Today, however, a weaver may ment and self-suciency for the home-based workers. „ and rehabilitation. Surveys of these resources are then unique ICH of Yap State. „

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