Wala Cultural Heritage Festival

The Heritage Festival is a combine cultural event jointly organised by Nawersa Cultural Group from Wala main land and Wala Island community.

The purpose of this organisation is to showcase our pure kastom and the traditional way of living transfers from generation to generation.

The event will be divided into 2 parts (2 days):

1. Nawersa Cultural Group: Showcasing our deep traditional dances and culture on the 2^th of September. Lunch provided
2. Wala Island Community will show case our daily doings in our remote island on the 3^th of September.
3. Wala island yacht Club will be organising its famous Melanesian Island Night on the night of 3^th of September 20026

Day 1: Nawersa Cultural Group Event Schedule

    A day with deep custom experience

• Children’s Custom Dance: A showcase of the next generation performing traditional movements to ensure the preservation of cultural knowledge.
• Men and Women Custom Dance (Billtetuge): A collaborative performance involving both genders, often used to tell stories of community and strength.
• Chicken Colour Custom Explanation: An educational segment explaining the significance of different chicken feather colours in local rituals and chief grading ceremonies.
• Moon Custom Dance: A specific dance performed to honour the lunar cycles and their influence on island life.
• Women's Kastom Dance: A dedicated performance by local women, often featuring unique regalia and rhythmic movements.
• Yam Custom Story: A storytelling session focusing on the yam, a sacred crop in Vanuatu. This includes explanations of the planting and harvesting periods, which are central to the island's traditional calendar.
• Durenabe (Public Dance): The final performance of the day, where the public is invited to join in, symbolising unity and shared celebration. 

Day 2: Wala community slow food and cultural day

The following activities are typically featured during the day of the festival to introduce visitors to the core of indigenous custom or traditional ways of living.

• Welcome Ceremonies: The day usually begins with a traditional welcome, such as the blowing of the pupu conch shell.
• Sand Drawing: Demonstrations of the art of sand drawing expression, used to pass down traditional knowledge and stories through intricate patterns in the sand.
• Fire-Making: Showing the ancient technique of rubbing wood together to create fire without modern tools.
• Culinary Traditions (Slow Food Focus): The "slow food" highlight focuses on preserving biodiversity and passing down healthy, ancestral cooking methods.
• Laplap Sosour: Wala Island is the home of this famous savoury, traditional dish recipe. Watching mamas preparing laplap sosour, a staple dish made from grated root vegetables and coconut cream baked in an underground earth oven.
• Bamboo Tube Cooking: Stuffing bamboo tubes with food like simboro (leaf-wrapped rolls) or meat and greens, then roasting them over an open fire.
• Building and Weaving: In addition to outrigger canoes, communities often demonstrate bamboo wall weaving, Natangura weaving for durable roof thatching, Custom mats and basket weaving using pandanus leaves and coconut leaves weaving.
• Food Preservation: Demonstrations of ancient techniques used to keep food fresh in tropical environments.
• Local Markets: Displays of local crops, prize vegetables, and traditional crafts where visitors can support the community

Melanesian Island Night: From 5 to 8 pm

The popular Wala Island Melanesian Island Night will be held at the white sandy beaches of Wala Island.

Event Highlights.

• Eat-All-You-Can Buffet: Guests enjoy a "Melanesian Feast" featuring a wide variety of traditional dishes like LapLap, island salads, grilled meats, and local root vegetables.
• Traditional Kava Ceremony: Many Melanesian nights include a guided Kava tasting, allowing visitors to experience the "custom" drink of Vanuatu in a communal setting.
• Fire Sparking "Worm" Dance: The night often concludes with a spectacular fire show. The majestic "worm dance" to create dazzling "sparks" against the night sky the 2 days Walla Cultural Experience.