[Mihalic] Making roofing

[Bryant Allen]

wokim marita, soim (sewing) marita, soimapim marita (sewing up marita).

Marita is the term for roofing material or thatching made from pandanus 
leaves. This is the most common roofing in the lowlands. Note, sago leaf is 
never used for roofing.

In the Torricellis at least, this way of bending single pandanus leaves 
over a batten and stitching them on was introduced from the coast in the 
1900s, together with a new house style (one with low walls in contrast to 
the no walled house that is traditional to the mountains - roof all the way 
to the ground). So it may be an Austronesian introduction. The previous way 
was to plait the whole pandanus  leave back on itself. But this method is 
much more effective, requires less pandanus leaves and lasts longer.

Bryant

At 09:38 AM 17-07-03 +1000, you wrote:
>What describes this activity? (See photograph.)

Dr Bryant Allen
Senior Fellow
Land Management Group
Department of Human Geography
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
The Australian National University
ACT 0200 Australia

ANU CRICOS Provider Number is 00120C