Pohnpei is one of the states in the Federated States of Micronesia or in the FSM. It is the garden island of Micronesia. Some of the Ponapeians believed that Pohnpei is the garden island of Micronesia because the land is so green. Once looking at Pohnpei you will be amazed and intrigued by its beauty. The mountains of Pohnpei are high, welcoming visitors and promising them the beauty and peace of Pohnpei. There are also cool rivers in Pohnpei that you can swim in and forget about all your worries. The Cultural and Traditional ways of Pohnpei is very different from the other states in the Micronesia and it is also respectable. The most exciting of all the traditions is kamadipw.
Kamadipw is sacrificing of what you have that is needed for the ceremony. It is also the gathering of the royalties and the people with low title. At the time of kamadipw, people or one family provide or sacrifice the things they had to prepared for the kamadipw. Women prepared food and gift for the royalties. The food is for all the people at the kamadipw but the gifts(skirts, dishes, and etc.) are for the wives of the royalties. Men prepared sakau (kava), pig, yams and breadfruit for the kamadipw. The yams breadfruit and the pigs are to be uhmw (local way of steaming food). These things that are prepared by men are both for the royalties and the people at the kamadipw. Kamadipw brings family, relatives and friends together. It also make others to meet other people from other places. There are also important events that happen before kamadipw.
First, Kehmei takes place(breadfruit season). Kehmei happens on the month of march or april. This happens on these month because the breadfruits are ripe enough to be eaten on these months. Here on Pohnpei if you have breadfruit and it is ready to be eaten, you cannot eat it before the nahnmwarki. First you have to take the breadfruit(uhmw breadfruit) to the nahnmwarki inorder for him to give the the cooked breadfruit his blessings. In Pohnpei it is true that you must take it to the nahnmwarki, if not, your breadfruit tree will no longer bear it's fruits. The breadfruits are brought in with fish and also sakau.People always brought sakau with the ceremonies because sakau is very improtant and it is very respectable.The breadfruits are placed in a local basket made by the men of Pohnpei. This local basket is called kiam. The breadfruit that are to be placed in the local basket cannot be even. It should be odd, like there should be only five breadfruits inside. There are many kinds of breadfruit, but the only breadfruit that counts is Mei-uhpw. Only mehi-uhpw is used in the ceremony of kehmei. After you have brought the breadfruits to the nahnmwarki, the next thing you do is for your soumas en kosapw (leader of your community). The people of the village or community prepared bredafruit for the soumas en kousapw. The people of the village will have to bring mei-uhpw and also sakau. After that, each brother and sisters, their husbands and wives brings breadfruit to their mothers and fathers for their blessing. After these are done, first with the nahnmwarki, soumas en kousapw, and your parents, then you can start eating jyour breadfruit. These are done to show respect and love for each other. People of the community or village work together inorder for their community to be well organized. This event is generally called Rekinleng. After this event, the yam season starts.
Secondly, the yam season starts. Yam season happens on June or July. Ponapeian called the yam season Kotokehp. Rekinpwel is also another word that Ponapeian called the Yam season. The yams are first brought to the nahnmwarki, soumas en kousapw, then your father and mother.This is done to show respect for the royalties and your mother and father. Many Ponapeians believe that this should be done in order for you to still have yam and other kinds of foods you own or plant. The yams that are being used in a Kotokehp are cooked and placed in a local basket. The cooked yams are brought to the roaylties with sakau.Sakau is very important in all traditional ceremonies.The breadfruit season is different from the yam season, because there are many kinds of breadfruit, but there is only one fruit that is and should be brought to the ceremony of the yam season and it is called Meiuhpw . Unlike yams, There are many kinds of yam and it is your choice to choose what kind of yam you are bringing to the Kotokehp.