Pohnpeian Ceremonial Yam Feast

Yam is the most important agricultural plant in Pohnpei where life is conditioned by two seasons. During the rainy season (April-August) or the season of plenty (rahk), people enjoy abundant breadfruits, which require less labor input. In contrast, yam is the staple food during the dry season (September-March), which is considered to be the season of scarcity (isol) when people need to rely on various crops such as banana, taro, and fermented breadfruit.

The yam is a material symbol of men's diligence. For several months of the year, the bulk of agricultural labor is devoted to the cultivation of yams. The yam is perceived as selin mwahnakapw (‘young man’s vines’) and menginpehn ohl (‘result of man’s work’), indicating the intensive manual labor required to grow it as opposed to breadfruit, which is known as menginpehn eni (‘result of spirit’s work’). Highly regarded in Pohnpei, knowledge of yam cultivation is maintained esoteric. Men don't reveal the number of yams they plant. In the olden days, competitive feasts of yams were held between rivaling individuals or communities to contest their resourcefulness.

This photo shows Sadokawai Obispo (born in 2006) planting his first yam.

In the old days, community members offered the first fruits of various crops to high chiefs through the year to ritually honor them and, through them, to indigenous gods to ensure divine blessing for the well-being of the community.
The yam is associated with a series of "first fruits" ceremonies (nohpwei), in which different forms of yams are offered to high chiefs. After this, ordinary people are able to consume them and use them as tributes.

This photo shows Sadokawai Obispo's first yam harvested.

Among those yam tributes, important ceremonial feasts known as kamadipw en wahu ('feast of honor') and kamwadipw en kousapw ('feast of section') are annually held to pay respect to the Nahnmwarki (paramount chief) and section chief respectively at the height of the yam season around September to November, in which kehi (uncooked clusters of yam tubers) are used as tribute. The German colonial regime authorized the Nahnmwarki to have these feasts in 1912, when the Germans privatized land previously owned by the Nahnmwarki and curtailed the feasts for economic development.

Kehi are displayed beside and inside the community house during the feast. Men often talk about individual tributes, especially who contribute the largest yam, sakau (kava) and pig to the feast.

High ranking chiefs and distinguished guests are adorned with head garlands (mwaramwar) woven with fragrant flowers and leaves.

In the morning, men prepare sakau (kava) beverage to serve only to the high chiefs prior to a formal meal around noon. This sakau drink called ahmwadang is the royal prerogatives. They pound sakau roots with stones on a large stone slab. Sakau is a traditional drink with sedating effects consumed at ceremonial occasions in Pohnpei. Kava is also served in different forms on many islands in the Pacific. 

Sakau beverage is sqeezed into coconut cup with hibiscus bast strainer. During the feast, sakau is mainly consumed by high chiefs following rigorous procedure. The first cups of sakau (the number of cups depend on chiefdoms) are served to only the high-ranking chiefs.

At certain times during the feast, especially when people bring in their tributes in a procession to the community assembly house, mainly women dance in the ground-level area (nanpahpei) to express their joy and pride in their contributions to the chiefs.

Slaughtered pigs are brought to display in front of the community assembly house, where pigs are prepared for cooking by shaving their hairs and removing their internal organs.

Young people performing dances for entertainment in front of the community assembly house.

Pigs are baked in a stone oven. Pigs roasted and placed in coconut leaf baskets are brought to the community assembly house.

Large yams displayed near and inside the community house are redistributed. High chiefs decide whether they redistribute or retain them. Those yam tubers will be replanted for next year.

The largest sakau bush is designated as sakau en enihlap ('kava of the supreme god'). After cutting its branches, a part of it is tied to the rear-most central post called salidi en enihlap ('the supreme god's post to sit facing downward') of the community assembly house. This act is to honor the supreme god as the post is the representation of the supreme god. After a man delivers a speech in front of accumulated sakau bushes, the bushes are redistributed among high ranking chiefs in a pwekipwek procedure.

All participants are allowed to join sakau drinking, which often continues until midnight in the community assembly house.

In spite of the decline of traditional culture in post-war Pohnpei society, the ceremonial yam feast has been steadily succeeded by the young generation. This tradition will continue to change in the future, but its spirit will be maintained, constituting their pride as Pohnpeians in many generations to come.