Explore Our Culture, Explore Our World
While change is inevitable and often wished upon, you’d be surprised that in our island home, ‘timelessness’ is considered a gift from above. How we live today is not very different than how our forefathers lived for untold generations before us… and we treasure this.
The Dugout
When visiting our beautiful home, you will surely notice that we are people of the ocean and we love to travel in our precious dugout canoes.
Today, our daily economics continue to rely on fishing as well as local barter and trade. While small, single engine boats have slowly started to replace the ever dependable dugout canoe, it still remains that for so many, our dugouts faithfully carry the load. For most of us, this is how we put food on our tables.
Yes, we surely prefer to maintain our traditions and ways of life and it is our dugouts that reliably serve as both a vibrant symbol of our strength and a poignant tool for forward progress.
The Panpipe
They say that music is a window to the soul and when resplendent panpipe music is played at local traditional gatherings and entertainment events around our nation and the world, it offers us all a glimpse of Solomon bliss.
Our unique music is at times captivating and at times a vibrant, ‘hapi’ lilt of willowy pipes that resound throughout the Islands. It provides an exceptional experience for visitors who become entranced by the enlightening sounds.
Panpipe music has gradually evolved to include a blend of traditional and modern pipe melodies that irresistibly results in hand clapping and feet tapping. Watching a live performance will quickly have you feeling ‘piped in’.
The Sharing
Undoubtedly the most important part of our culture is our inherent need to share. Despite being blessed with the bountifulness of Mother Earth, the wealth of both the land and sea is for all people. It’s this belief that makes us who we are.
We have always had a propensity to broaden our community and share our resources… it is in our blood. Our natural friendliness, hospitality and smiles are literally world renown.
They say that smiles are an act of charity and we Solomon Islanders ‘always’ feel charitable… and when you smile back, we brighten the world together.
The Many Cultures
While Solomon Islanders are predominantly Melanesian, there is a wide range of cultural influences that make our islands a pure South Pacific melting pot.
Our people of Rennell and Bellona are from Polynesian ancestry and visitors will almost immediately notice the dance and art influences of these people all around.
Additionally, Micronesian, European and Chinese populations make up the remainder of the cultural facets of Solomon Islands history and influence. Travellers to our home will quickly learn about these embellishing elements that make us uniquely special.
This includes the Salt Water people of Malaita who live on man-made artificial islands built tirelessly by human hands with skills that have been handed down from centuries past.
Also, the concept of shell money still exists to this very day. While primarily used for trading and barter, it is also vital for its symbolic and traditional value for settling disputes and for both bridal and land payments.
Delve into our dark and gripping head hunting and warrior activities from days of old. Heads kept for memorializing or as trophies still remain as vivid reminders of prehistoric times. Often misunderstood and misinterpreted, their significance remains highly revered and honoured.