Oceania Final Project

1. Oceania Final Project Vaka Ama or Traditional Fale

2. Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia are the three areas of focus

3. “The vakais the main hull of a multi-hull vessel. The term vaka is also used in the Polynesian and Micronesian languages for a “canoe”, “ship” or “boat”. Other parts of a traditional vaka can include the ama(outrigger). Wikipedia

4. Vaka Ama Traditional sailing team ready for competition

5. A Fijian Kava ceremony is performed before the ceremonial departure of the vaka ama

7. Vaka Ama Three-step Project This slide shows the three steps of a Vaka ama completed project. 1. Artist renderingon the wall in color behind the model 2. Blue printon the wall in black and white directly behind and on the left side of the model 3. Model

8. An Artist’s rendering of a vaka ama

9. This is one artist’s blue print of a vaka ama. Please notice the different views. You can also just barely see the key down at the bottom of the blue print . The key explains the different views and the scale.

10. Two Student Models

11. For more information and vaka plans please click on the rendering below

12. The hakatu (outrigger struts) and lashing. Notice the diamond pattern in the middle of the lashings. This pattern is also used in fales and in Polynesian art.

13. According to sail technologists the elegant crab pincher shape makes this sail a highly efficient airfoil.

14. This authentic, carved wood model is complete with lauahala woven sail and miniature foe paddle.

16. Fale is the Samoan word for all types of houses, from small to large. Traditional Samoan architecture is characterized by an oval or circular shape with wooden posts holding up a domed roof. There are no walls. Before European arrival and the availability of Western materials, a Samoan fale did not use one piece of metal in its construction.

17. Family Fale

18. Guest Fale

19. Notice that the houses don't really have walls—just blinds woven of coconut leaves. A series of eight or 10 panels are fastened together on a string of sennit, and at night or in rainy weather these are let down to keep out cold air or rain. Sometimes they're let down, too, to block the sunlight.

21. Fale Three-step Project The following slides show the three steps of a Fale completed project. 1. Artist rendering a colored picture of the fale including backround 2. Blue print showing different angles 3. Model(we do not have a slide, please view the classroom models

22. Artist Renderings of Fale Huts

23. Blue prints of a fale

24. Notice the detailed lashing, the same type of lashing used in Vaka amas

25. Carvings inside a Fale

26. Please take note of : carved beams and totems on walls woven mat on the floors costumes painting on the walls

27. Typical Fales

28. Guest Fales in the lagoon Interior of a chief’s fale Beautiful flora and water features Fale and meeting house

29. For more designs, please click on the picture to the left. Many posts which encircle the interior of this building have much greater significance than holding up the roof Family members always sit with their backs to a post, the exact one being rigidly determined by the persons' rank. Visitors sit on mats spread around the outside rim.

30. Traditional Village Life Fales have distinctive carved beams and coconut-sennit lashings. Families do their cooking outside in the Tunoaor kitchen.

31. Details for the Guest Fales • Built on a raised rock platform • Supported inside by four large ironwood posts • Cowry shells hanging throughout the interior • Carvings or painted support poles and walls • Roof is thatched with sugar cane leaves. • Both the interior and exterior of the building are decorated with braided coconut fiber • Dried coconut leaves be placed on the floors • Leaves are then covered with finely woven mats which add extra softness and comfort.

32. Guest houses are constructed with a domed roof, and evenly-spaced posts supporting beams in the Center. Traditionally, no nails or screws were used anywhere in such a building. Instead, coconut fibers are braided into 'afa or sennit rope to lash the beams and joints together. The rock foundations of guest houses are usually elevated, sometimes as high as 5-8 feet.This is to honor the visitor. In general, the higher the foundation, the more important  the chiefly title and rank of the family in the village.

34. Haka Dance