Welcome to the official web site for the Virtual Museum belonging to the Marshall Islands' Jaki-Ed Revival Program. To the right is a slideshow of images relating to the program and these will be changed on a regular basis. Below, you can read about the wonderful support from the program's patron, Iroij Mike Kabua. Stop by soon to see new photos and stories. Komol (thank you).
The Oakland Museum of California is focusing on the Pacific! Check out the link at http://museumca.org/exhibit/pacific-worlds
February, 2014: Four historic Marshallese jaki-ed have been discovered in the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Three date from a century ago, while the fourth was made by weaver Matlina Swain of Namdrik in 1977.
The discoveries were made by long-time friend of the Marshalls Caroline Yacoe, who often travels from her home in Hawaii to attend the annual exhibition and auction of jaki-ed at the Marshall Islands Resort. She was recently in San Francisco and heard from a colleague that the Academy had some Marshallese mats. She subsequently met with the Academy’s Senior Collections Manager Russell Hartman and was shown the mats, which she identified as being jaki-ed.
More jaki-ed have also recently been discovered in museum collections in Geneva, Switzerland, and Oakland, California, with the University of the South Pacific’s Majuro campus team working on accessing photographs of these clothing mats. USP’s Director, Dr. Irene Taafaki, along with Maria Fowler, have been key to reviving knowledge about jaki-ed and the revival of the skill of weaving jaki-ed.
Taafaki was also the mastermind behind the creation of a virtual museum for jaki-ed, which can be found at www.clothingmatsofthemarshalls.com, and was sponsored by the Australian Government...[read more]
October, 2013: Marshallese weavers of jaki-ed (clothing mats) earned $11,000 in sales and awards at Friday evening's Seventh Annual Jaki-ed Exhibit and Silent Auction at the Marshall Islands Resort. Sixty jaki-ed — 45 by experts weavers and 15 by apprentices — were squeezed onto the walls of the Melele Room, making a fabulous display of art that had a level of quality never seen before. They were all well-appreciated by the large crowd, which included Minister Dennis Momotaro and his wife Internal Affairs Secretary Daisy, Speaker Donald and Rosita Capelle, and Senator Kessai Note and his wife Mary. According to co-organizer Dr. Irene Taafaki of the University of the South Pacific, people placed generous bids on the mats....[read more]
September, 2013: Five Marshallese women joined three French Polynesians and three Hawaiians to weave their magic at Hawaii's Bishop Museum at the end of September. The Weaving Symposium coincided with the opening of the Bishop's new Pacific Hall and was organized by the University of the South Pacific through a grant from the French government. The goal was to be inspired by, share and communicate ideas among different cultures through the circle and process of weaving. Jaki-ed (clothing mat) weavers Moji Kelen, Bonitha Jesse, Betty Lobwij, Susan Jieta, and Patsy Jibas represented the Marshalls at the week-long event, which was held in the museum's Hale Ikehu Building. "The weaving space was very breezy and perfect for the symposium," said Tamara Greenstone Alefaio, the coordinator of Continuing and Community Education at the University of the South Pacific, which helped organize the symposium...[read more]
They're creating them on Mejit. Namdrik too. Also Arno. And, starting on Monday, January 7, they began to make them on Kwajalein. That's four atolls that simultaneously have small groups of young women being taught how to make the traditional Marshallese jaki-ed (finely woven clothing mats).
The program, which is implemented by University of the South Pacific and sponsored by the National Training Council, had its humble beginnings at the National Vocational Training Institute in 2007. That's when expert weavers Patsy Harmon and Susan Jieta taught a pilot program at NVTI, giving students and insight the ancient skill they learnt as children.
Patsy is today the lead instructor for a weaving apprenticeship program on her home island of Namdrik. Meanwhile, in busy little Ebeye on Kwajalein Atoll, expert weaver Tobep Bokin from Ujae Atoll has taken on the same role and is passing on her skills to 10 women aged between 18 and 22 in what will be a four-month program...[read more]
Over 60 young women from around the Marshall Islands have now completed the Jaki-ed Revival Program's apprenticeship workshops, with the latest group of 10 weavers graduating from the Ebeye program late last month. "The Ebeye apprentices'joy and sense of fulfillment was clearly the same as all the other graduations we have attended," said Dr. Irene Taafaki, Director of the University of the South Pacific's Majuro campus, which coordinates the jaki-ed program. "It was very confirming to see the strong community support for the girls. Plus you could see that a community of weavers had begun to form, which is really a key to the making of jaki-ed." Iroij Imata Kabua and Ebeye Council members were amongst the VIPs who attended the graduation, which was held at the weavers' workspace, Iroij Mike Kabua's 'Mon La-Mike.' Drile Kili Kabua spoke on behalf of the Iroij, expressing their happiness at the workshop having been held on Ebeye. Photo: Tamara Greenstone Alefaio.