Gogodala Canoe Festival on again

The popular Gogodala Canoe Festival will be held from April 23-24 in remote Balimo town of Western province.

It will be a celebration of the spectacular canoes, arts and crafts and traditions of the Gogodala people.

The festival was incepted as the Balimo District Agricultural and Cultural Show five years ago and has grown to be bigger and better each year.

Picture caption: One of the spectacular war canoes of the Gogodala people. Picture courtesy of National Cultural Commission.

The Middle Fly district administration, on behalf of the Western province administration, organises the event every year with financial support from the National Cultural Commission and Rimbunan Hijau.

“In Middle Fly district, and particularly in the Gogodala area, canoes are part of the people’s lives,” said NCC senior festival officer David Taim.

“Their culture is associated with the canoe and many depend entirely on canoes for their daily survival.

“Apart from that, the Gogodala are most-prolific artists.

“Many of their creative imagination art works surround animal figures associated with clans.
“And each clan has its own war canoes which are a massive 40 metres or more in length.

“These were the war canoes used in the olden days for warfare between tribes.

Now, the Gogodala Canoe Festival strives for continual maintenance of this important culture.”

Further information on the Gogodala Canoe Festival can be obtained from Mr Taim on telephone (675) 3235120, facsimile 3259119 or email ncc@culturetok.org.pg