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MATAVAA O TE HENUA ENANA WITH MÉLISSA KODITUWAKKU




Lilou Hardonnière -

 

We had the opportunity to interview Mrs. Mélissa Kodituwakku (also known under her native name Henua Enana), a French anthropologist working on the Marquisean islands Currently working on her doctoral thesis, she took for subject the annual artistic festival of the islands: Matavaa O Te Henua Enana. In our discussion, Mrs Kodituwakku highlighted the cultural, colonial and especially identity challenges and issues that the festival shines a light upon and seeks to resolve. 

She stresses the heavy political role of the French government, as well as that of the Tahitian one . A theme that came up a lot was that of assimilation. How the French perspective imposed the teaching of Tahitian in Henua Enana’s schools. We then discussed the term “art” to describe the festival itself, is it appropriate? Is that how Marquesians describe it themselves? 

She explains how the festival, Matavaa O Te Henua Enana, was born out of the protection and defense of singularity of Marquesian identities. However, we also touched on the inter-generational problem that has recently arisen: between tradition and modernity, between conservation and contemporary.

We’ve transcribed the whole interview, so we invite you to go read our website to understand these themes in depth.


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