The Lost Menehune of Matagorda Island

Polynesian legend has it that a race of men once inhabited the islands of Hawaii.  This was long before the second migration that brought the Polynesians to the islands.  These people were known as the Menehune.  It is said that they were a diminutive race.  However, no one living today can be sure if that term was an indication of physical stature or of social status.  All that can be said for sure is the Hawiian legends say the Menehune disappeared from the islands shortly after the Polynesians arrived.  None of the tales mention where the Menehune may have gone to make their new home.

In the Gulf of Mexico, along the coastal bend of Texas, lies the isolated island of Matagorda.  There is no public means of accessing the island other than by private boat.  It is this remoteness that provides the protection of the island’s natural beauty and resources.   Perhaps these characteristics would make Matagorda Island an ideal candidate for colonization by a diminutive race of men.

Folk art wood carvings by Amate.

Allure of the Coast

“The Texas coast, that precise point at which sand, sky and water converge, nourishes the soul like no other physical place on earth.”  -    Joe Nick Patoski

Idols, Fetishes and Ancestor Figures

“…a piece of white pumice stone formed into the rude resemblance of a human figure…”


Wm. Monkhouse, Ships Surgeon, HMS Endeavour - October 1769

Forests, Fields and Streams

" River does no harm to you; forest does no harm to you; wild flowers do no harm to you! When you are in nature, you are amongst the friends!
– Mehmet Murat ildan

“The rain follows after the forest.”  - Hawaiian proverb

The Tropical Rain Forest on Galveston Isle at Moody Gardens

“The mountains, the forest, and the sea, render men savage; they develop the fierce, but yet do not destroy the human” -Victor Hugo

Ancestor Figure Carvings

"These monumental ancestor figures are creative, mythological, origin myth divinities or they can also be individual cultural heroes, and sometimes they are wrapped into both."  - Marian Pfiefer on the ancestral figures of the Sepik River region

Here are two of my carvings inspired by the art of the Sepik River region.

Ancestor figure: Inspired by the style of the Sawos people of New Guinea

The Sawos people of New Guinea made large ancestor figures of particularly important warriors who would guard over their villages. The family of the departed would commission the carving which was inhabited by the soul of the deceased warrior. If the villagers treated the carving with respect, the warrior’s spirit would guard over the village. Ancestor figures who were mistreated could wreak havoc. The carvings were usually kept in the "Spirit House" where the men conducted their rites and kept their relics.


There are accounts of these figures coming back to life and going into battle to protect the village. One such figure was of a powerful ancestor named Minjemtimi. The people of his clan claim that during an attack by another village, Minjemtimi came to life and entered the battle. His arm was cut off during the fray and he turned back into wood. Holes were drilled into the carving to reattach his arm to his body with cord.

As a wood carver interested in both primitive art and ancient cultures, I thought I should have an ancestor figure to protect my dwelling. Mine is a six foot tall heavyweight. If you are going to make your own guardian, you might as well make him a strapping badass.

Old Guys Rule at Surfside Beach

Surfside tribal elders demonstrate they can still get the job done even after all these years.  Keep it goin' guys.

Photos courtesy of Ellis Pickett.   http://txuppercoast.surfrider.org/

Padre Island National Seashore - North Padre Island

“Come sleep on the beach
Keep within my reach"
- P. Townshend
   
Last night, I camped south of Malaquite Beach on remote North Padre Island. This is the same beach where I witnessed A Bioluminescent Sea, or Red Tide, some 40 years ago. How can one experience such a surreal night and not be affected by it forever?    Magic!

Even though the beach has become more littered by the debris of modern life washed in from the gulf over the years; the magic of the beach and the island is still there. To a certain degree, I have learned to look beyond the litter. Some things are beyond our ability to control. One must seek beauty where you find it.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
– R. Niebuhr

Malaquite Beach

Laguna Madre Sunset

Evening sky over Laguna Madre



 

White Tail doe






Sunrise over the gulf





Pelicans fishing over the gulf





Storm over the bay



Laguna Madre Rainbow

"Oh God, I need a drink

of cool, cool rain. . . . . . .

Love, reign o'er me.  Rain on me"  P. Townshend

I must try to remember. . . seek beauty where you find it.

Bio luminescent Sea -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HcQlQlKt2w

Padre Island National Seashore -  http://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm



Photograghs of Texas Tiki Roundup 2012 by Dennis Haberkern

I would like to thank Dennis for providing me with these  photos of some of my carvings and other artistic images of the event. 
You can visit his website here:  http://www.haberkernphoto.com/

A more complete gallery of my carving can be seen at http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=43484&forum=21&11