SC/SS 115 Ethnobotany Review of Learning
During a traditional sakau ceremony in Pohnpei...
- Do you enter the front or back of a nahs when you walk in?
- The first cups contain more of a compound that is pschoactive and numbs the lips, what is that compound? (Dihydrokavain (DHK)| Dihydromethysticin |(DHM) Kavain)
- Can you "hang" your legs over the edge of the nahs during a formal sakau ceremony?
- Who sits down by the peitehl (sakau stone)?
- When not in use, can objects be placed on the peitehl or can people sit on the peitehl?
- For whom is the left front peitehl reserved (left as you enter the nahs)?
- What shape are the platforms?
- Who sits up on the platforms?
- What is the arrangement of people on the platforms?
- When sakau (Piper methysticum) is brought into the nahs are only the roots brought in or is the whole plant brought in?
- When men sit in the middle of the nahs, what items of clothing are they to remove?
- How is the root prepared for squeezing?
- What is keidihd?
- Are women allowed to pound sakau?
- Are women allowed to squeeze (wungwung) sakau?
- What is sokama or tehmpehl?
- Once the sakau is pounded (mut), the preparers play a "tune" on the sakau stone. Why?
- The squeezing is done using which part of the hibiscus tree bark?
- Sakau is used the following ceremonies: Apology, asking a father for his daughter, christening party, festival (komadipw), presentation of first fruits to the king (nahnmwarki), first year birthday party for a baby, funeral, welcoming a special guest, alu mwur
- The nahnmwarki is the king and the nahnken is the second highest title in a kingdom. Can a nahnken rise to the rank of nahnmwarki?
- Who has the higher title at the front of the nahs, the man on the left or the man on the right?
- The people in front of nahnmwarki and nahnken serve the nahnmwarki and nahnken. Under what conditions would these servers drink the sakau?
- At what point can the reason for the gathering be announced?
- In Sokehs, how many cups must be served before anyone can speak?
- Who gets the first cup?
- Who gets the second cup?
- Who gets the third cup in Sokeh's?
- To whom did the third cup go in our ceremony and why?
- Who gets the fourth cup?
- Do all of the municipalities use the same number of special "cups"?
- What happens after the "special" cups?
- When can everyone relax, move around?
- After the special cups, does the cup come to you or do you go to the cup to drink?
- How would you categorize Piper methysticum as a plant on Pohnpei?
Titles:
Nahnmwarki: King or paramount chief
Nahnken: Second highest title, highest title in Nahnken line
Nahnalik: Wife of Nahnmwarki in Sokehs, Kitti, Uh
Likun: Wife of Nahnmwarki in Madolehnihmw, U
Wasai: Second title in Nahnmarki line
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- What was your reaction to the sakau ceremony?
- Should ethnobotany classes in future terms attend a sakau ceremony?
- Why?