From Roots to Recreation: Unveiling Sakau Perceptions

Abstract

Sakau en Pohnpei or sakau, the name for kava in Pohnpei and other parts of Micronesia, is an integral and a ubiquitous part of Pohnpeian culture or tiahk en Pohnpei. This ethnographic study considered the ways that modern influences, especially the marketing of the sakau plant, have affected the Pohnpeian identity. Despite the ongoing effects of modernity and marketing, the traditional preparation and consumption of sakau is still a communal activity, with people coming together to share the drink and socialize. The primary objective of this ethnographic study is to assess how sakau en Pohnpei is an important part of Pohnpeians’ cultural identity and why it survived generations of colonial rule. To validate this perception, 31 individuals were interviewed. Eleven recorded interviews with male participants were transcribed and coded for themes. The analysis was guided by both the Cultural Resilience Theory and Greenfield’s Social Theory of Change and Human Development. With these lenses, the researcher analyzed each transcript and field notes to determine the resilience of cultural practices of sakau to help maintain the Pohnpeian identity. Notes from 11 interviews with women (not recorded) were analyzed as a comparison on the themes. Although existing literature suggests that traditional practices and customs related to sakau have significantly shaped Pohnpeian cultural identity, the results from local interviews painted a more complex picture. The interviews included in this study revealed a diverse range of perceptions regarding sakau traditions and rituals among Pohnpeians. As a result, these shifts in sakau traditions and rituals have contributed to a transformation in Pohnpeian identity itself, highlighting the dynamic nature of culture and the influence of contemporary factors on traditional practices.