The 14th Matavaa Festival Is Celebrated In “The Land of Men”

The rugged, mountainous islands of the Marquesas are referred to as Te Henua ‘Enata  which translates into “the land of men.” When we heard that the Matavaa Festival would take place on Nuku Hiva, in The Land of Men, we marked our calendar and planned to attend.

Just as the expression “when in Rome” reminds us, we try to learn about the customs and traditions of the people whose country we are visiting and this festival was the perfect opportunity to better understand the Marquesan Heritage.  We probably would not adopt or emulate the traditions of these people but we certainly want to respect their customs.

Like many other sailors in French Polynesia, we found a passage window and sailed north to the Marquesas Islands so we were in position to witness the five day event scheduled to begin on December 16th.

We departed from Amanu, Tuamotus and sailed 500 nm to Tahuatu, Marquesas. The majority of this upwind passage was sailed at a true wind angle of 55° or less with winds around 20 knots.  

The moon was full and we had three days to get to port before the winds were expected to build. Thankfully we managed to complete the trip pretty quickly and relatively comfortably.

We spent a couple of weeks hanging out on Tahuata, revisiting some of the places we had seen on our first visit. 

Although more boats were in the anchorages of Tahuata than the first year we were here, we knew that the anchorage on Nuku Hiva would be much more crowded due to the festival. So we hung out and enjoyed the water, the daily dolphin visits and the extra space before leaving for Nuku Hiva.

 Matavaa Festival is a gathering of Marquesans from all of the islands to celebrate, sustain and revive traditions from their ancestors. Sharing occurs in the form of chants, singing, crafts, storytelling through dance, interaction between different islanders and exchange of traditional foods. 

Visitors are welcome, but the event is clearly about maintaining the culture that was in jeopardy of being lost. In fact, during our first visit to Nuku Hiva there was a traveling group of Marquesan men who visited the islands with educational presentations and films to make certain the traditions are not lost. They stated that their mission was to bring the Marquesan Culture to the whole world.

The Matavaa Festival is held every two years, though I am not sure the event occurred during COVID.  The festival on Nuku Hiva was the 14th meeting and felt like a very important event for these islanders. The majority of the events occurred near the shores of Taiohae Bay, which is the first place we dropped TTR’s anchor in French Polynesia in May 2022.

As you can see from the schedule above, each day was filled with a variety of events. The events were held in different locations, three of which were sacred valleys; a nice way to incorporate the physical history with the less tangible traditions.

The first time we visited Taiohae Bay, the sidewalk along the bay was devoid of structures. However, for Matavaa, several temporary shelters were built to house eateries.  Made mostly of woven materials, the structures were minimal, but sufficient to offer a protected place for locals to set up kitchens and sell traditional food.  The cafes were usually crowded from opening until close and the food always smelled delicious. We did manage to eat there once, but usually it was just too crowded to find a table.

One day at the Taipivai site, dances were performed, then lunch was served followed by additional performances.  The lunch consisted of foods prepared by each island using the traditional, in-ground cooking method and there was no fee for the food.

Anyone who wanted to eat was required to bring his own plate and cutlery but these had to be made of natural materials; coconut, wood, woven leaves, etc.  We used cleaned out coconut shells and wooden chop sticks.  

It was interesting to see the in-ground ovens and especially to see the ceremonial removal of the food which was then placed on a litter or palanquin, and carried to the tent where each island had a distribution area.

When food was served, there was a crush of people jostling for food. I managed to get to the front of two tables just in time to be told they had run out. I wasn’t overly interested in actually eating the food when competing with so many people to get it, so I retired to a shady spot and ate the PBJ I had packed in anticipation of my finicky self.

Over the course of the five days, Frank and I attended several dances, which were my favorite part of the event. There were speeches involved and plenty of singing, but all of it was in the Marquesan dialect or in French.  The combination was beyond my understanding, so watching the dance stories was sort of like an American going to an Italian ballet where he doesn’t speak the language or know the story.

The dancing was beautiful even if the words of the story were not understood. The variety, yet similar overtones to the clothing was interesting too.

I have to admit there was one nighttime dance that depicted conflict to the death of one group, and the overtaking of those who survived. Between the setting, the intuited violence, the costumes and the tribal drums, I could easily imagine a time when conflict was prevalent. I could imagine how threatened I would have felt if I had encountered a man in native dress and tattooing, carrying a weapon. I was happy to be traveling in the current age and not when landing on unsettled islands was a possibility.

In addition to the dancing, the drums were amazing! First of all the tribal rhythym of the drums set the atmosphere, especially at night. I was surprised and pleased to see women and children were involved in playing the drums alongside the men.

There were times, sitting on Ticket to Ride when I could hear the drums on shore and imagine so many scenarios as I looked at the green, lush, rugged and sometimes threatening mountains of Nuku Hiva.

When we were at the performances, the drum section was often 15+ people strong. The drums were so large that a step stool was required for some of them and I could feel the percussion reverberating in my chest.

Perhaps the most recognizable dance throughout the performances was the Hakamanu or “Bird Dance.” Research shows that the Bird Dance originated on the Marquesas Islands and that it was originally only performed by women and young girls of the royal class. The costumes and movements of the dancers caused me to think of birds even before I learned the meaning and significance of the dance.

These costumes were my favorite because I could so easily imagine a bird in the motion of the feathers on the wrists and ankles of the dancers.

About 30 years ago, a former mayor of Nuku Hiva wrote a book about the Bird Dance which caused a revival of this unique dance. The Hakamanu is no longer restricted to royalty or women and at this Matavaa Festival, nearly every group performed the Bird Dance.

For additional information about the Bird Dance, follow this link to Jacaranda Journey and read the legend of the Hakamanu. It is quite interesting.

One thing that melted my heart at the Festival was the inclusion of the children in the programs. Sometimes the kids were absorbed in the dance. Other times they only wanted to be close to their mom or dad. Regardless, the children were welcomed warmly by the parent and the other performers. It was so sweet to see the acceptance and inclusion of the children, even when their presence was not really part of the program.

I remember one little girl, dressed in everyday street clothes, followed her mom, who was a lead performer, all around the arena. No one cared or tried to stop the child and I found the juxtaposition of the child’s modern clothing with her mom’s traditional garb quite endearing.

Other fun things caught my eye during the Festival. Like the little girl who represented ancient Royalty in one program, but she bandied about a plastic Barbie wearing a fuchsia dress. Or the two men pictured below who looked like serious warriors; until they laughed.

One day while riding in a taxi for 45 minute drive to a remote festival location, the taxi driver shared his views on being part of France and how that effects the islands. I was pleased to learn the poitical perspective of a local person.

We relished being back in the lush land of the Marquesas where fresh fruit and vegetables are easily bought and locals are extremely friendly and willing to share their life and sell their harvest.

Clearly this post only touches the surface of our experiences at Matavaa. It is impossible to capture the sense of community created among the various Marquesan Islanders or the joy emanating from them. While it was extremely apparent that much labor and practice was required for the performances, the laughter, the reconnecting of family, and the general feeling of celebration was delightful to experience. As was a glimpse into the traditions of this culture.

In addition to the Matavaa events, we enjoyed seeing many sailor friends who had also made the trip back to Nuku Hiva for the week of festivities. Sailing is a small community and it is fun to happen upon people we hadn’t see for weeks or months.

So much happened in one short week that I cannot relate all of it. I can say that after spending most of our time in remote anchorages, it was a little overwhelming to be surrounded by so many boats and people. We actually anchored Ticket to Ride in a remote little corner of the bay to avoid swing problems at anchor and give us a little breathing room. Frank and I definitely enjoyed reconnecting and sharing time with others, but we also liked having a little extra space around the boat.

Thank you for stopping by to read our blog. I would love to hear your thoughts about Matavaa, at least what I have managed to share. We wish you good health and happy adventures. If you would like to hear from us more often, please see our Facebook or Instagram pages.