Votua: Kuta Weaving and Pine Needle Crafts

Votua in Bua brings together stories of cultural crafts with landscape and conservation themes. A village in the Lekutu District, Votua is located along a road. Local themes include Kuta weaving, items made from pine needles, a coastal mangrove area and forest-protected land. This raises a question as you plan your trip: would you like to learn about Votua mainly through its craft stories, or are you especially interested in its landscape? This distinction can also help you when looking for a holiday rental in Votua, as it determines the focus of your stay.

Mangroves and a historic conservation rule

A 0.5 km² coastal mangrove area stretches near Votua Village, between the Lekutu River and Nukudamu. From 26 August 2016 to 2019, it was protected as a tabu area. Under that rule at the time, it was open only when a chief died, a traditional district meeting was held, or a religious ceremony took place within the Tabacakacaka. Its location and size give the mangrove area a specific place in the landscape; the time-limited tabu rule also links it to local occasions. Votua’s natural environment is therefore made tangible not only through the coastal landscape, but also through a precisely identified area and its former protection rule.

Kuta weaving and passing on a technique

Another facet is Kuta weaving. After Kuta began growing again in 2012, women in Votua resumed weaving mats, wedding attire and other items. Kuta mats are associated with Bua. A report from 2015 recounts how a woman taught young people in the village the technique of Kuta weaving. The sequence of events goes from the resumption of weaving to passing the technique on to younger people. Mats, wedding attire and other items show different forms of this handcraft; teaching the technique adds to the finished pieces the story of how the skill was passed on.

Pine needles as a material for crafts

In 2008, Karalaini Sali was 67 years old and worked with pine needles in Votua. She collected fallen pine needles in Bua’s pine forests and wove the brown needles into flower vases and other made-to-order items in Votua. She also made tea and dining trays, hats, placemats and other pieces. She varnished the finished products before shipping them to her customers. This shows a clear sequence of work: collecting raw materials, making items, varnishing them and shipping them. While Kuta is associated with mats and wedding attire, Sali’s profile shows the work of an individual craftswoman and production made to order for customers.

Forest conservation themes in Votua

The forest-related landscape themes are also described in specific terms. In Votua, Bua, a catchment area is protected with an existing firebreak and a 10 m buffer as preventive measures. The area of Koro-ni-Valu Delai_Drana in Votua, Bua, is described as well protected and undisturbed because of its elevation and terrain. A 10 m buffer is planned there for a second reforestation rotation. The two references to 10 m buffers relate to different types of protection: the existing buffer is part of protecting the catchment area; the other buffer is planned for the second reforestation rotation in the Koro-ni-Valu Delai_Drana area.

For the main travel overview: Leketu.