Tribewanted: Vorovoro

A few weeks ago, near the full moon when the tides were super extra high, a sea snake washed up dead on the beach. It was as long as my sister is tall. Ever since we first came here and Pupu Epeli told me about his sea snake skin belt, I’ve wanted to make one, and here was my chance.

The head was crushed and bloody, so I cut off the front part of the snake. I did this not only to get rid of the head, but to avoid rupturing the venom gland in the back of the neck behind the skull. Sea snake venom is extremely poisonous and can kill you within minutes if you are bitten.

In order to make a belt out of it, I needed to skin it, and then cure the skin. I took it down to the beach and used my knife to cut the stomach open down to the tail. Then, with my dad’s help, I went to the sea and washed out all the guts and bones until all I had was the skin.

Next, I got some salt and we worked together to rub it all over the snakeskin on both sides, being careful not to get it under the scales. When that was done, I gathered a board and some nails and we stretched and tacked it to the board.

Over the next two weeks, I kept it in the sun as much as possible behind my house until the salt had soaked in and dried up any remaining fat or guts. When it was finally ready, my dad and I took out the nails. When taken off the board, it was extremely stiff. When I held it, it stuck straight out like a sword! I decided to use coconut oil to loosen it up. After I rubbed on the coconut oil, it still felt stiff. I let it soak in over the course of the rest of the day, and by that night, it was as loose as a wet noodle, but still oily.

It is still in my house letting the oil finish soaking in, but when it is done, I will take it to Pupu Epeli and ask him what to do next to make my snakeskin belt.

It is probably the grossest but coolest project I’ll ever do on Vorovoro, unless I decide to help out with a lovo!

Moce mada!

Lucas