Cultures of Southeast Asia Oceania

1. November 14, 2011 Cultures of Southeast Asia & Oceania

2. Tonga The Tonga archipelago Geography 2,000 kilometres northeast of New Zealand Political Economy Constitutional monarchy

3. Tonga Cultural Heritage Lakalaka Tonga’s national dance Lakalaka means “to step briskly or carefully” A blend of dances, recitations, songs and music, the Lakalaka involves up to several hundred people aligned in rows dancing in rapid and energetic movements. Practiced by communities throughout the islands, it features themes related to Tongan history, legends, values and social structures.

4. Tonga Cultural Heritage – Lakalaka Performances 30 minutes Large groups of up to several hundred people Dancers are in rows Men are on the right and women are on the left Men dance in rapid and energetic movements Women use graceful dance steps co-ordinated with hand gestures Men and women clap and sing as they move A chorus often provides vocal accompaniment

5. Tongan Cultural Heritage – Lakalaka Punake Poet, composer, choreographer and performance director Write performances about Tongan history, legends, values and social structure

6. Tongan Cultural Heritage – Lakalaka Practiced by communities throughout the islands Featured at important celebrations Coronation of the monarch Anniversaries of the constitution Developed in the nineteenth century Continuously transmitted Royal family sponsored performances Revived in the twentieth century Over the past few decades Number of performances has diminished Composers reuse the existing repertory rather than create new compositions

7. Tongan Cultural Heritage – Lakalaka Photos Videos

8. Tonga Cultural Heritage Objectives of Lakalaka Safeguarding Project Document and record information and knowledge about Lakalaka and its practitioners Enhance knowledge, skills and appreciation of Lakalaka traditions, especially among younger generations Raise awareness among the Tongan population and internationally about the importance of safeguarding Lakalaka

9. Tonga Cultural Heritage Methods to Preserve Lakalaka Undertake nation-wide field research to record Lakalaka and its practitioners Establish and update a database on Lakalaka and its recognized practitioners Publish a book of Lakalaka texts as an outcome of oral history and archival research Organize capacity building activities such as youth competitions and festivals Promote and safeguard Lakalaka traditions to culminate during the Coronation of George Tupou Von on 1st August 2008

10. Vanuatu Cultural Heritage – Sand Drawings A unique and complex tradition An indigenous artistic expression Multifunctional “writing” Occurs in a wide range of ritual, contemplative and communicative contexts Drawings are produced directly on the ground, in sand, volcanic ash or clay Graphic means of communication among the members of 80 different language groups in the central and northern islands of Vanuatu

11. Vanuatu Cultural Heritage – Sand Drawings Drawings function as mnemonic devices Record and transmit Rituals Mythological lore Oral information about Local histories Cosmologies Kinship systems Song cycles Farming techniques Architectural and craft design Choreographic patterns

12. Vanuatu Cultural Heritage – Sand Drawings Multiple functions and layers of meaning They can be “read” as Artistic works Repositories of information Illustration for stories Signatures Messages Objects of contemplation

13. Vanuatu Cultural Heritage – Sand Drawings More than “pictures” Refer to Knowledge Songs Stories with sacred or profane meanings

14. Vanuatu Cultural Heritage – Sand Drawings Drawers Have strong knowledge of graphic patterns & deep understanding of their significance Interpret the drawings for spectators Using one finger, the drawer traces a line on an imagined grid Produces a symmetrical composition of geometric patterns

15. Vanuatu Cultural Heritage – Sand Drawings Symbols of Vanuatu identity Decorative folklore Marketed to tourists and for other commercial purposes Commercialization threatens deeper symbolic significance and original social function

16. Vanuatu Cultural Heritage – Sand Drawings Photos Video

17. Intangible Cultural Heritage UNESCO’s Definition of Intangible Cultural Heritage “traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions performing arts social practices rituals festive events knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts”

18. Intangible Cultural Heritage “We share cultural expressions that have been passed from one generation to another, have evolved in response to their environments and contribute to giving us a sense of identity and continuity...” (UNESCO)

19. Intangible Cultural Heritage Important for “maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization.” “An understanding of the intangible cultural heritage of different communities helps with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life” “wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through [intangible cultural heritage] from one generation to the next” (UNESCO)

20. Intangible Cultural Heritage “Traditional, contemporary and living at the same time intangible cultural heritage does not only represent inherited traditions from the past but also contemporary rural and urban practices in which diverse cultural groups take part Inclusive It contributes to social cohesion, encouraging a sense of identity and responsibility which helps individuals to feel part of one or different communities and to feel part of society at large. Representative It thrives on its basis in communities and depends on those whose knowledge of traditions, skills and customs are passed on to the rest of the community, from generation to generation, or to other communities Community-based can only be heritage when it is recognized as such by the communities, groups or individuals that create, maintain and transmit it – without their recognition, nobody else can decide for them that a given expression or practice is their heritage.” (UNESCO)

21. Intangible Cultural Heritage “Just like culture in general, intangible heritage is constantly changing and evolving, and being enriched by each new generation. Many expressions and manifestations of intangible cultural heritage are under threat, endangered by globalization and cultural homogenisation, and also by a lack of support, appreciation and understanding.” (UNESCO)

22. Intangible Cultural Heritage “For intangible cultural heritage to be kept alive, it must remain relevant to a culture and be regularly practiced and learned within communities and between generations.” If intangible cultural heritage is not nurtured, it risks becoming lost forever, or frozen as a practice belonging to the past. Preserving this heritage and passing it on to future generations strengthens it, and keeps it alive while allowing for it to change and adapt.” (UNESCO)

23. Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding “transferring of knowledge, skills and meaning” focuses on the processes involved in transmitting, or communicating intangible cultural heritage from generation to generation, rather than on the production of its concrete manifestations, such as a dance performance, a song, a music instrument or a craft. making sure that intangible cultural heritage remains an active part of life for today’s generations that they can hand on to tomorrow’s. ensuring its viability, its continuous recreation and its transmission identifying and documenting such heritage, research, preservation, promotion, enhancement or transmission of it – particularly through formal and non-formal education – revitalizing various aspects of it.” (UNESCO)

24. Intangible Cultural Heritage Vietnam Gióng festival of Phù Ðông and Sóc temples Ca Tru Singing Quan H? B?c Ninh folk songs Nha Nhac, Vietnamese Court Music The Space of Gong Culture Indonesia Angklung Indonesian Batik Education and training in Indonesian Batik intangible cultural heritage for elementary, junior, senior, vocational school and polytechnic students, in collaboration with the Batik Museum in Pekalongan The Indonesian Kris The Wayang Puppet Theatre Philippines The Darangen Epic of the Maranao People of Lake Lanao The Hudhud Chants of the Ifugao Malaysia Mak Yong Theatre Cambodia The Royal Ballet of Cambodia Tonga The Lakalaka, Dances and Sung Speeches of Tonga Vanuatu Vanuatu Sand Drawings