MWARMWAR MAKING Sharing the local tradition

Posted on Aug 09 1999

Seventy-three-year-old Basilia Kaipat began making mwarmwar and native baskets at the age of 10, a skill which her mother has taught her.

Kaipat has now handed down the tradition of mwarmwar making to her daughters and granddaughters. “The technique in making a nice mwarmwar is a family secret,” she says.

During her time, the native baskets were made for their own use and not for commercial consumption.

As visitor arrivals increased in the Commonwealth, Kaipat started making more mwarmwar to be sold to visitors. Each mwarmwar costs $6 or $7 each depending on the design.

Visitors who want to learn the art of mwarmwar and basket making can catch Kaipat and Kati Nikisap, 67, at Nikko Hotel Saipan three times a week.

The Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture and Nikko Hotel Saipan have sponsored this project to show the island’s culture.

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