{"id":81016,"date":"2021-03-17T05:53:04","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T05:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=55979"},"modified":"2021-03-17T05:53:04","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T05:53:04","slug":"scott-waide-grand-chief-somare-and-the-wisdom-he-left-for-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/03\/17\/scott-waide-grand-chief-somare-and-the-wisdom-he-left-for-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Scott Waide: Grand Chief Somare and the wisdom he left for everyone"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>COMMENT:<\/strong> <em>By Scott Waide in Wewak<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"meta-data\">\n<div class=\"reader-estimated-time\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>I have not written anything on my blog <a href=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.com\/\"><em>My Land, My Country<\/em><\/a> since our arrival in Wewak the Sunday before last. \u00a0In fact, it has been overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>The demonstration of sorrow and the pride is something to behold here in Wewak and all over Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"moz-reader-content reader-show-element\">\n<div id=\"readability-page-1\" class=\"page\">\n<div id=\"entry-content\">\n<div>\n<p>I \u00a0stayed away from the livestream that we in EMTV produced out of Port Moresby. I did watch parts of it. But it has been hard to watch a full session without becoming emotional and emotion is \u00a0something that has been in abundance over the last 16 days.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=508579380520630\"><strong>WATCH:<\/strong> EMTV\u2019s livestream tribute and coverage of the Wewak funeral and burial<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2021\/03\/17\/a-moment-with-grand-chief-somare-on-his-last-journey-home\/\">A moment with Grand Chief Somare on his last journey home<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?s=Sir+Michael+Somare\">Other Sir Michael Somare reports<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are a thousand and one narratives embedded in the life of\u00a0 the man we call Michael Somare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>How could I do justice to all of it?<\/p>\n<p>Do I write about the history? Do I write about the stories people are telling about him? Do I write about his band of brothers who helped him in the early years?<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210316_152836.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Narratives embedded\" width=\"1024\" height=\"473\" data-attachment-id=\"5554\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.com\/20210316_152836\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210316_152836.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1184\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-A115F&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20210316_152836\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210316_152836.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210316_152836.jpg?w=950\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">There are a thousand and one narratives embedded in the life of\u00a0the man we call Michael Somare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sir Michael was, himself, \u00a0a storyteller.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Narratives woven into relationships<\/strong><br \/>\nHe didn\u2019t just tell stories with words.\u00a0 The narratives were woven into his existence and in the relationships he built throughout his life.\u00a0 From them, came\u00a0 the stories that have been given new life with his passing.<\/p>\n<p>I went to speak to Sir Pita Lus, his closest friend and the man who, in Papua New Guinean terms, carried the spear ahead of the Chief. \u00a0He encouraged Michael Somare to run for office.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210311_144407.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Sir Pita Lus\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-attachment-id=\"5557\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.com\/20210311_144407\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210311_144407.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2576,1932\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-A115F&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;1.98&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3088&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.1&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20210311_144407\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210311_144407.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/03\/20210311_144407.jpg?w=950\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Speaking to Sir Pita Lus, Somare&#8217;s closest friend and the man who, in Papua New Guinean terms, carried the spear ahead of the Chief. Image: Scott Waide<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He told me about the old days about how he had told his very reluctant friend that he would be Prime Minister. \u00a0In Drekikir,\u00a0 Sir Pita Lus told his constituents that his friend Michael Somare would run for East Sepik Regional.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sir Pita Lus and his relationship with Sir Michael is a chapter that hasn\u2019t yet been written.\u00a0 It needs to be written.\u00a0 It is up to some young proud Papua New Guinean to write about this colorful old fella.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_55986\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-55986\" style=\"width: 680px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-55986 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sir-Michael-Somare-A-tribute-EMTV-680wide.png\" alt=\"Sir Michael Somare\" width=\"680\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sir-Michael-Somare-A-tribute-EMTV-680wide.png 680w, https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sir-Michael-Somare-A-tribute-EMTV-680wide-300x236.png 300w, https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sir-Michael-Somare-A-tribute-EMTV-680wide-533x420.png 533w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-55986\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sir Michael Somare (1936-2021) farewells a nation &#8230; a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/live\/?v=508579380520630&amp;ref=watch_permalink\">livestreamed tribute by EMTV News<\/a>. Image: EMTV News screenshot APR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A chief builds alliances. But what are alliances? They are relationships. How are they transmitted? Through stories.\u00a0 Sir Michael built alliances from which stories were told.<\/p>\n<p>When I went to the \u00a0provincial haus krai in Wewak, there were \u00a0huge piles of food. I have never seen so much food in my life. \u00a0Island communities of Mushu, Kadowar and Wewak brought bananas, saksak and pigs in honor of the grand chief.\u00a0 They also have their stories to tell about Sir Michael.<\/p>\n<p>The Mapriks came. Ambunti-Drekikir brought huge yams, pigs and two large crocodiles.\u00a0 The Morobeans, the Manus, the Tolais, West Sepik, the Centrals.<\/p>\n<p>In Port Moresby, people came from the 22 provinces \u2026\u00a0 From \u00a0Bougainville, the Highlands, West Sepik and West Papua.<\/p>\n<p>In Fiji, Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama sent his condolences as he read a eulogy. In Vanuatu, Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) members held a special service in honour of Sir Michael. \u00a0In Australia, parliamentarians stood in honour of Sir Michael Somare.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Followed to his resting place<\/strong><br \/>\nOur people followed the Grand Chief to his resting place. The Madangs came on a boat. Others walked for days just to get to Wewak in time for the burial.<\/p>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p>How did one man do that?\u00a0 How did he unite 800 nations?\u00a0 Because that is what we are. Each with our own language and our own system of government that existed for 60,000 years.<\/p>\n<p>Here was a man who said, &#8220;this is how we should go now and we need to unite and move forward&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>In generations past, what have our people looked for? How is one deemed worthy of a chieftaincy?<\/p>\n<p>I said to someone today that the value of a chief lies in his ability to fight for his people, to maintain peace and to unite everyone. In many of our cultures, a chief has to demonstrate a set of skills above and beyond the rest.<\/p>\n<p>He must be willing to sacrifice his life and dedicate himself to that\u00a0 calling of leadership. He must have patience and the ability to forgive.<\/p>\n<p>The value of the chief is seen both during his life and upon his passing when people come from all over to pay tribute.<\/p>\n<p>For me, Sir Michael Somare, leaves wisdom and guidance \u2013 A part of it written into the Constitution and the National Goals and Directive Principles. For the other part, he showed us where to look.\u00a0 It is found in our languages and in the wisdom of our ancestors held by our elders.<\/p>\n<p><em>Asia Pacific Report republishes articles from Lae-based Papua New Guinean television journalist Scott Waide\u2019s blog, <a href=\"https:\/\/mylandmycountry.com\/\">My Land, My Country<\/a>, with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>.pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; }<\/style>\n<p class=\"syndicated-attribution\">This post was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/2021\/03\/17\/scott-waide-grand-chief-somare-and-the-wisdom-he-left-for-everyone\/\">Asia Pacific Report<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COMMENT: By Scott Waide in Wewak I have not written anything on my blog My Land, My Country since our arrival in Wewak the Sunday before last. \u00a0In fact, it has been overwhelming. The demonstration of sorrow and the pride is something to behold here in Wewak and all over Papua New Guinea. I \u00a0stayed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":390,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[349,250,432,363,433,5,365,442,7,33,12,431,366,13782,9412,3991,1743,12810,13019,10131],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81016"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/390"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81016"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81017,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81016\/revisions\/81017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}