"She's the same woman who made my aunties and sisters to be queens, and so I'm in this journey to be one of the queens again. So the old lady gives a wry smile while continuing with her work. The group all laugh at the reference to this stately woman "rocking it like a young girl". And having her still rocking it like a young girl - I am very thankful for her." Andrea's great-grandmother is helping her prepare for the competition. "She is not just an ordinary lady, she's my great-grandmother," Ms Taraka explains. Ms Taraka is sitting on the ground of her suite with her legs outstretched while an old lady draws tattoos on her body. On the morning of the final day of judging, the contestants and their supporters are set up in rooms of a local hotel to prepare.
#Hiri queen professional
"We need them to learn and appreciate the culture because culture is who we are, but there has to be a way that you can also be a professional person having that cultural knowledge in you." Tattoos and family
We don't want to just allow them to focus on the culture and neglect the professional aspect of life," this year's pageant organiser Molly O'Rourke said. In the weeks leading up to the final judging, the young women must not only learn and practise cultural knowledge but also attend meet-and-greets with sponsors as well as side events, including at Government House. While the arrival of the lakatoi is impressive, the crowning of the Hiri Queen is the highlight of the festival. The lakatoi is welcomed ashore by singing and dancing. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting)įor weeks, villagers have been building one of the traditional boats to sail into the harbour, a reminder of the months-long trading voyages that their ancestors would make. Lakatois are a traditional sailing ship of the Motuan people. The next day, the evening dresses are replaced with grass skirts and bare feet as the contestants gather on the beach to help re-enact the arrival of a lakatoi. "It is very important to keep our culture because it is worth keeping. "This is my rightful cultural inheritance, passed down from my ancestors," Miss Taraka says. The contestants and organisers say the pageant is a modern way to keep culture alive. "So, I'm proud to be in this quest." Evening gowns replaced by grass skirtsĮach of the young women represents a traditional village, and they're competing to be named queen as part of the annual Hiri Moale Festival, a celebration of the history and culture of the Motu Koitabu people. "This quest, Hiri Hanenamo, is something that I wake up to every day, because I come from the tribe that my family, my mothers, my aunties were once queen. "I come from a clan of Hiri Queens," Ms Taraka explains. Its houses spill out into the ocean, perched on stilts, a traditional style that survives as skyscrapers go up around it. Hanuabada is perched on the shore, and over the water, of the capital's main harbour. The 21-year-old is representing the biggest and best-known of the local villages. Andrea Nikki Taraka is representing the biggest local village, Hanuabada.
The contender they are cheering is Miss Hanuabada, Andrea Nikki Taraka. Thank you," a contestant confidently answers to applause from the crowd. "The three most popular names for the lakatois are Boge Bada, Kevau Bada and Oala Bada. They're being judged on cultural knowledge and presentation, not on their looks. While these young women may look like beauty queens, this is no ordinary pageant. Lakatois are a traditional sailing ship of the Motuan people, some of the original owners of the land on which Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby is built.
"What are the three most popular names for Motuan lakatois?" comes the first question. However, there will be no mention of "world peace" in their responses. The 10 competitors then line up, ready to answer questions for the audience. With one hand on a hip, an evening dress swishing over their legs, and a sash across their chests declaring the village they represent, 10 women parade across a stage in Port Moresby in front of four judges and a clapping crowd.
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