#ancestralskills

The Coconut Series ~ Shedding the Whitewash

⋆ ༅˚🥥.࿓• ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𐙚 🥥˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

Kubin Chronicles - Part 3 - Basket Weavers

In this video, my aunt is weaving baskets using coconut fronds. These handmade baskets are used to store and carry food, and also hold other day-to-day items. I tried testing my hands at it again, but alas, you can’t master generations of skill in an hour.

The Coconut Series ~ Shedding the Whitewash

⋆ ༅˚🥥.࿓• ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𐙚 🥥˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

Kubin Chronicles

In the beautiful islands of my home, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, the Kubin mats (pronounced KU-BEEN) made from coconut fronds are more than just practical items—they are a tradition deeply woven into family and community life.

Behind this picture, many hands pitched in. My cousins climbed tall coconut trees to cut the fronds and carefully dragged them back to the village center. This collective effort symbolizes the strong bonds within families and communities.

Once harvested, the fronds are cleaned and woven by hand typically by women skilled in the craft. In this photo, my grandma sits weaving her tenth Kubin mat in the span of 20 minutes. She weaves the main body of the mat, which is then passed down an assembly line of hands tasked with closing the edges so it doesn’t unravel.

Kubin mats serve many roles:

Floor mats in homes and community spaces

Ceremonial use in weddings, funerals, and cultural gatherings

Gifts presented to guests or family

These particular Kubin mats were used at my cousin’s funeral as mats for guests and family.

Kubin mats symbolize the connection between the people, their land, and their ancestors. Weaving isn’t just a craft it’s a way to maintain tradition, pass down knowledge, and express cultural pride.

Unfortunately, that talent strand of creative gene skipped me. After an hour of my aunty patiently teaching me, I gave up. But I’ll be back to reattempt once I’m home on the island.