Initiation and Rank

On Satawal and other Carolinian islands, boys used to go through a pwo, an initiation ceremony for wayfinders to become palu (initiated wayfinders). The Catholic Church stopped the pwo ceremony 50 years ago. This is now changing and some parts of the ceremony are being performed again.

The pwo lasts about four days, but training goes on for many months afterwards. During the pwo, the boys stay in the vaka house and have no contact with women. They are taught secret knowledge about wayfinding and learn their role as wayfinders. Then, there islanders organizr a big ceremony with dancing and singing. The women prepare the food for the men separately. They oil the palu and paint him with yellow turmeric, which has spiritual properties. The palu’s families give tur (valuable weavings) to the teacher. The teacher then takes a student on his first voyage to a distant island. If the student succeeds, he can do longer voyages. He is no longer mesag (afraid).

Palu are the lowest rank GLOSSARY rank - grade . Reb (master wayfinders) are the most wise, skilled, and respected wayfinders. Only one man on an island is given this rank. He has a special hand tattoo, sometimes showing star paths GLOSSARY star paths - the sequence of star to follow from one island to another .

You will not be afraid

Satawalese wayfinder Jerome Rakilur

“The first time I sailed, I travelled to Pik on the canoe named White Horse that belonged to Weneito. Five men were on my canoe. When I was learning navigation, I still remember that they told me, "If you go on a canoe, you will not be afraid. You have to be strong, not afraid. If you are sailing for the first time, you will not be scared any more once you see the island." So the first time we went to Pik, I was very mesag (afraid) because I might die in the ocean. I was also afraid for my crew of five - that they will get angry with me. That was my first time sailing. After that I was not scared any more. I travelled many times... going to Pikelot, going to Lamotrek. My uncles had told me that if I reached the nearest island, my fear would be gone. After that I wanted to sail to distant islands, because I felt that I could do it. I felt that I could sail to Woleai and Pulowat and could not be scared.”

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