Two Titan female elders give Peter O'Neill a cultural rinse. According to Wep Kanawi (left), this is cultural fortification of a leader. Picture by GORETHY KENNETH

IT IS ALL ABOUT FORTIFYING CULTURAL LEADERSHIP THE TITAN WAY

By GORETHY KENNETH of Post-Courier

NOTABLE Manusian and local Titan tribesman Wep Kanawi has refuted claims that the traditional ceremony bestowed on former prime minister, Peter O’Neill , was a cult practice.

He said in an interview with the Post-Courier yesterday said it was a leadership fortification, foresight and good management equally the wealth of the nation as a leader.

He said it is a ritual from the original Manus tribe, the Titan, who were happy that O’Neill and PNC had taken on board one of their senior tribesman to contest the Manus seats under his party.

Wep Kanawi (left) and a traditional Manus Group leads the Big Red One, PO into the new Momote International Airport on Los Negros Island in Manus.

“It is not a cult, it is a leadership fortification, foresight and its good management, it’s about chairing, it’s about all of those things,” Kanawi said.

“It was about planning, sharing, steering a nation and giving a senior tribesman to help him steer this country, in other words they urging him as a leader to lead this nation with strength and dignity.

“And people who did this for the party leader, they are from the original Manus tribe, the Titan tribe, and were the ones described by Margaret Mead and Pat Scwartz, in the book Growing Up in New Guinea Pere people. They are seafarers – titan tribe and scattered all around the south coast of Manus.

“What they did to the party leader was this – in our customary rituals, we bestow leadership qualities on people, leadership, planning quality, management quality and qualities that really make them as true leaders of people.

“And we did that for O’Neill for three reasons – they want him to be the leader of this country, they have given one of their sons and tribesman to help him, and that is me, because it is the first time the PNC Party has looked at the Titan Tribes seeking support on a candidate in this election.”

The Titan, who are great seafarers of Manus, gave O'Neill a paddle to guide PNC through the 2022 NGE.

Kanawi said the significance of the paddle given to him was to steer PNG as a nation properly because we go through rough times and good times and because the people of the ocean steer their canoes through rough and calm seas.

Two women washing him also gave him a basket with a few betel nuts in there and that is for him to actually share the wealth of this nation evenly, equally and equitably, he said.

“Titan people are good planners. They gave me to him as their senior Titan tribesman and said to me that I have to help him through bad times and good times for me not to abandon him halfway through or whatever, if things get bad come what may,” Kanawi said.

“Titan people have sailed the seas to Port Moresby, Palau and other parts and have good seaman skills, judgment and that was what it was about.”