We stopped by the Waan Aelon in Majel (Canoes of the Marshall Islands) program in Delap the other day to find master canoe builder and trainer Binton Daniel making “ekwal,” the rope made from coconut fiber that traditionally was used for the lashings of outrigger canoes.
We got into a brief discussion and we asked him how many people he thought still know how or make ekwal: He raised one hand of fingers to indicate his answer, which makes the point that these skills are dying out as the people with skills pass on.
The ambience of his work, the quality of the ekwal coming from his hands and the ability to have a casual but focused conversation while he worked was a stark contrast to the device-driven world that surrounds us today.