Test Your Knowledge of Marshall Islands' Culture and Storytelling Traditions

Study Notes

Collecting Stories in the Marshall Islands

Jia and Iban are alab, or elders, who tell bwebwenato, or stories.
The Marshall Islands are made up of over 1,000 separate islands and are spread over almost 800,000 square miles of water.
Around 3,000 years ago, people sailed to the islands, and a distinct culture developed with its own stories, songs, and dances.
The author works for a theater company in Hawai'i that creates plays using stories, songs, and dances from the Pacific Ocean cultures.
Namdrik is a small island in the Marshall Islands with no electricity, plumbing, or cars.
Jia and Iban were initially hesitant to share their stories with the author, but everything changed when he gave them gifts.
Jia and Iban would bring the author fish, fried breadfruit, and snails while telling stories using gestures and character voices.
The author had to rely on a friend to translate the stories since he didn't speak the language.
Storytelling was best at night when Jia and Iban would bring a lantern and tell stories while their shadows danced on the walls.
Jia and Iban were afraid that the island's young people wouldn't be interested in the stories anymore.
The author created a play using the Namdrik stories, and Jia and Iban hoped it would help keep the stories alive.
Jia and Iban called out "Yokwe, Letao!" whenever they saw the author, comparing him to a funny trickster in their stories.

Description

Are you curious about the unique culture and storytelling traditions of the Marshall Islands? Test your knowledge with this quiz about the author's experience collecting stories from Jia and Iban, two elders who share their bwebwenato, or stories. Learn about the distinct culture that developed over 3,000 years ago on over 1,000 islands spread across 800,000 square miles of water. Discover how the author used these stories to create a play and keep the tradition alive. Take the quiz