People
pp. 39-45 · Read in the full issue
At 86. Rechucher Charlie Gib bons is widely regarded as Micronesia’s foremost artist. . Gibbons’ works depict life in his native Palau in the Western Caroline Islands. In his work, he is literally preserving a picture of his cultural history.
Even if one knows little or nothing about Palauan culture, much can be learned from Gibbons’ graphic illustrations.
The highly-decorated bai, or men’s council hall, which was once a major focus in the social life of every Palauan village, makes its appearance in detail in many of Gibbons’ works.
Fruit bats, considered a deli-
cacy in Palau, are painted flying among the trees in numerous works. Clouds always appear in the sky of Gibbons’ paintings, just as they regularly do in the Palauan heavens. In the past, Palau was a food-gathering so ciety, and most of Gibbons’ illustrations of various foods are drawn much larger than life size. Gibbons’ human figures are animated, and the zigzag line often drawn from their mouths indicates speech in the style of the master storyboard carvers of Palau.
Other scenes he depicts are typical in Palauan cultural his tory spear-fishing from a canoe, preparing for a feast, women collecting clams, night fishing, hunting fruit bats, and so on. He has also drawn illustrations of some old Palauan legends, including one showing Palauans on the moon in ancient times. ’Rechucher’ is a chiefly title bestowed upon Gibbons in 1943. It actually means ‘mess enger , and Gibbons now is playing that role as his paint ings carry the message of his traditional culture both within and far beyond the borders of his home islands.
Gibbons’ works have been shown in numerous exhibitions since 1970, including the Third South Pacific Festival of Arts in Papua New Guinea in 1980.
The most recent showing was a retrospective exhibition of more than 40 works in the Common wealth Arts Council Gallery of
Saipan and at the Insular Arts Council Gallery in Guam in November-December 1980.
Jane L. Dickhudt.
Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto’a recently visited Israel as a guest of that country’s foreign ministry. The crown prince serves as Tonga’s minister for defence and foreign affairs. He visited Christian holy sites, a kibbutz and solar energy facilities. He was re ceived by Israel’s President Vitzhak Navon in the course of the visit.
Noting that Tongans are keen Bible readers, an Israeli press report said they therefore Teel connected to Israel’.
The report said of the prince; With his smiles and under stated compliments, he gave the impression to his Israeli hosts that there is a basis for Tonga's other name, the Friendly Islands.’
Western Samoa’s Attorney- General Neroni Slade an nounced in January that he had withdrawn the resignation he handed to Prime Minister Tupuola Efi last November.
The prime minister told the press that it was unfortunate that Mr Slade’s notice of his intention to leave government service received so much pub licity as it was his hope from the start to persuade the attorney general to stay on.
Niue’s Public Service Com mission in January approved the appointment of Toke Talagi to the new position of Niue Government Representative in Auckland.
According to a report in the local newspaper. To hi Tala Niue, the main functions of the office will be: To promote Niue from both an investment and tourist viewpoint, to keep Niueans in New Zealand in formed of developments here in an effort to encourage their resettlement in Niue, assist with the marketing of exports from
Niue which will include the development of additional out lets for our export items, to provide counselling for Niuean students and generally to assist the (Public Service) Com mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with certain matters of interest to Niue.’
Little wonder that Toke Talagi greeted his appointment with the words: ‘I like chal lenges . .
Fie will be accompanied to Auckland by his wife Fifita, his son Nicholas and daughters Brenda and Sonya.
Lianter Albert, after April 1981, will become the first Microncsian from the Feder ated Stales of Micronesia to become a medical doctor.
A 34-year-old Pingelapese, Lianter Albert is a senior at John Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii.
Last year he was in Ponape to do general practice work at Ponape's hospital as part of the final stage of his medical train ing. He returned to Hawaii in December, and will graduate in April.
Mr Albert said of his work at the hospital in Ponape: k l some times put in almost 24 hours a day there. When you do things and they work out, you feel good. You know you’re doing something good for the people.' Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan has been made a Privy Councillor by Queen Elizabeth II The only other Papua New Guinean to be appointed to this office is the former PM and present Opposition Leader Michael Somare.
Sir Julius may now use the title ‘the Right Honourable’. He will take the oath of office before the Queen when it can be arranged.
The new director of the Forum Fisheries Agency, Philip Muller, arrived in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in January to lake up his post. He is on a two year contract.
Mr Muller, 42, comes from Western Samoa. He had pre viously worked as a senior hydrologist with the United
Gibbons the artist, and an example of his work. His im aginative painting at left (photo graphed by Jane L. Dickhudt) is titled Palauans on the Moon in Ancient Times.
Nations in Western Samoa. He is also a former chairman of Western Samoa’s Public Ser vice Commission.
Mr Muller holds a science degree from Auckland Univer sity.
Bill Sharpe-Dunn left Australia intending to spend two years in Western Samoa to ‘repay a debt’. But that was in 1965, and when he returned to Sydney a few weeks ago the two years had turned to 15 and he left behind him in Samoa a long and valued association as a teacher, broad caster and writer. Mr Sharpe- Dunn was born in Broken Hill in the far west of New South Wales and the ‘debt’ he decided to repay was for his own education which he received from Catholic Church schools in Australia. He went to West ern Samoa as a volunteer teacher for the Catholic Mission, and remained teaching as a volunteer throughout his 15 years there. He taught at Chanel College and Moama Theological Seminary.
He became well known on Radio 2AP where he presented classical music programmes for nine years. He learnt the language, wrote for a news paper in Western Samoa, and has two books on the way. One is a history of the Catholic Church in Samoa which will be completed by research which he is now carrying out in Sydney.
The Very Reverend Father Etuale Lealofi, 39, has taken up the reins of office as fourth rector of the Pacific Regional Seminary, Suva. He succeeds the Very Rev Fr Soane Foliaki, who has returned to Tonga.
Fr Etuale was educated by the Marist Brothers in Samoa, in San Rafael (USA), and at Christchurch and Mosgiel Seminaries, New Zealand. He was ordained to the priesthood in Apia on December 8, 1969.
In numbers, the Suva semin ary is now the largest in the South Pacific, including Aust ralia and New Zealand. It opened its doors in 1970.
The first rector was the Very
Rev Fr Laurence Ross SM, an American-born Samoan citizen.
Bob Rankin, the New Zealander who went to Western Samoa more than 30 years ago as a young school teacher and stayed to become a successful businessman, has diversified his activities; as well as running his established textile printing and garment business, he last year branched out into wine-making.
The first bottles went on sale in May 1980.
Bob wrote to a friend in September: The winery is now in full production and we have a
sweet passionfruit/papaya/
banana wine, a semi-dry orange/banana wine, and creme de cacao and passionfruit liqueurs. I expect to be bottling about 1600 bottles every three weeks, and so far the products are meeting with very good public acceptance. The first two brews are all sold out. It should prove to be quite a profitable undertaking and just ideal for the country as it uses about 70% local input, and we hope to be
able to export about 80% of production . .
The wine sells under the brand name Talofa.
But if he is proud of the success of his new enterprise.
Bob and his Samoan-born wife Sophia are probably prouder still of the achievements of their children.
One of them Leone, last year finished her medical course in New Zealand and is now a doctor. She is believed to be the first Samoan scholarship student who has never had to resit any of her exams.
Another, son Danny, has completed his training course on flying jets and is now First Officer on the Boeing 737 leased by Polynesian Airlines from Air New Zealand. He flies twice a week to New Zealand and back.
Daughters Pele and Tuila last November completed their three-year courses in fashion design at Australia’s East Syd ney Technical College, and it was hoped they would return to Western Samoa to join the business.
Son Johnny recently returned
Tom the United States to do ust that, and Robbie, the youngest son, did his School Certificate at Samoa College ast year. It is his father’s hope hat he will do a course in food echnology. Bob Rankin says: This must be the coming thing or most tropical countries, and specially Samoa. It ties in well vith the winery too . . .’
Nauru’s President Hammer Jeßoburt celebrated an import nt anniversary in December 980 25 years as Head Chief if Nauru. He was elected head hief on December 21, 1955, fter being elected to the Nauru -ocal Government Council for he district of Boe.
The occasion was marked by arge-scale festivities on )ecember 26-27. former secretary to the Cook lands Premier, Tamarii ierre, is now Director of Ad inistration for the South acific Commission. He re aces Don Stewart. Mr Pierre’s rm of office is three years. His )pointment took effect on muary 1, 1981. nother two Papua New uineans have received schol ships from the European :onomic Communities to udy in Europe.
Tom Manjin, of Wewak, a
anpower planning officer with
e Department of the Prime inister is attending a Training r Trainers course at anchester University, United
Kingdom, which began on January 12, for three months.
Arnold Dougl Kamayagl of Kundiawa, Assistant Secretary for Information of the Public Services Commission, is attend ing a course in public relations at the Central Office of Infor mation in London, for three months.
Ever considered turning your house into a museum? Steve Aiken of Saipan has done just that. Now retired from the US Navy and a Trust Territory Government job, Aiken has been bringing stuff home including a Japanese Zero fighter plane since he arrived in Micronesia with the US Navy Bomb and Mine Disposal Team in 1955. Aiken recently put the collection on display for the public by opening his House of Artifacts in San Vicente village, Saipan, Northern
Mariana Islands.
Jane L.
Dickhudt.
Colin Messervy has joined the Australian Trade Commission in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, as one of its two Assistant Trade Com missioners. He replaces Geoff Gray who has returned to Aust ralia.
A former Auckland toy retailer and Harbour Board member, Alister Martin, is now chief executive of the Rewa Co-op Dairy Company, Fiji. Mr Mar tin, 54, sees his job as helping the company boost its image, and to produce a marketing
strategy that will ‘enable the company to keep its place in the sun’.
Ruby Vaa is the new principal of Western Samoa’s Samoa College, the premier govern ment high school. She succeeds Mr Esekia Solofa who is now chairman of the Public Service Commission.
Suva lawyer F.M.K. Sherani has been appointed Fiji High Commissioner in Canberra, Australia, in succession to Major J. Takala who becomes Secretary for Fijian Affairs and Rural Development in Fiji.
Dr Te’o lan Fairbairn, senior United Nations adviser to Western Samoa’s Economic Development Department, completed his term in February, and was expected to return to Australia. lan was raised in Samoa, but educated in New Zealand, Australia and the USA. His mother, from Tanugamanoro, is the sister of the recently de ceased Chief Interpreter Atoa Te’o Tuvale. Dr Fairbairn has written extensively on the econ omics of several South Pacific countries. At one time he was economist with the South Pacific Commission.
In the recent Western Samoan University Exam Results (UE) conducted by the New Zealand educational authorities the top mark was gained by Samoan born Deborah Ryan of St Mary’s College, Vaimoso, Western Samoa. She gained 307, followed by Keneti Faulolo (303) and Ben Matalaveu (282) of Samoa and Avele Colleges respectively.
Sister Mary Emanuela Betham, SMSM, made history two years ago when she became the first Samoan head of any Catholic college in the country St Mary’s College, Vaimoso.
Now she makes history again by being selected for the Rome headquarters of her congre
gation, Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary, as Bursar.
She’ll take up her post in the Eternal City in 1982, and is spending this year at study in New Zealand brushing up her French, Italian and account ancy.
Sister Emanuela, a well known personality in Western Samoa, is the daughter of Gus and Sesilia Betham of Aleipata and Faatoia, Apia.
In Rome, she will succeed as Bursar-General Sister Frances- Miriam, an American who also formerly served in Samoa.
Papua New Guinea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Presi dent and Executive Officer, John Cruikshank, returned re cently from Germany where he attended a three-week training course for chamber officials from developing countries. Or ganised by International Trade Centre, a division of UNCTAD-GATT, and the As sociation of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the sessions focused on trade pro motion services that chambers can provide to member firms.
This training event was financed by the Government of the Federal Republic of
Germany.
Officials from national chambers of commerce and
industry in 15 developing
countries were selected from 60 applicants to attend the course.
PNG was the only South Pacific country to be represented.
The New Caledonia Govern ment Tourist Office’s new re gional manager in Australia is Jacques Saint.
Mr Saint, 31, has joint Aust ralian and French citizenship, and has seven years of experi ence in Australia working with a major travel agency, American Express.
This experience, together with his personal knowledge of New Caledonia, places Mr Saint very favourably for his job as a co-ordinator of efforts on both sides of the water to develop New Caledonia’s tour
ist industry.
He operates out of Sydney, and is married, with one son.
Talofa liqueur label