Traditional purse – wristbands and headbands with ‘Morning Star’ patterns enlivened the Sentani Lake Festival at Khalkote – Jubi/Benny Mawel
Sentani, Jubi – Trinkets such as “noken” – a traditional purse – wristbands and headbands with ‘Morning Star’ patterns enlivened the Sentani Lake Festival at Khalkote, Sentani Timur Sub-district, Jayapura Regency.
The souvenirs were easily found in both sides of the street towards the venue of festival.
“No, no one restricted us. Because we are in Papua, so we sell ‘noken’,” said a noken seller Yosephine to Jubi at the venue on Wednesday (22/6/2016).
While wiping her sweat, this smiling lady said mama-mama (indigenous women sellers) put their noken on the ground and the board because they didn’t have stalls or tent for selling their products.
“We did not get a space. We even got expelled from the venue,” she said.
But she said she didn’t know the reason why she and other sellers got expelled from there. However some sellers remained still and sell their knitting at the venue of festival, in particular at the dock of Khalkote Beach.
Eti Anou who sells noken at the left side of the entry venue of festival said she didn’t know about the exclusion. She displayed her knitting noken since the previous day.
“I only heard from other about the exclusion,” she said.
According to her no one questioned about the morning star pattern noken. Even the visitors were passing by. She admitted several years ago she was selling the morning star pattern noken in Jayapura City but being restricted by the Police. But it’s not happening in the festival this year.
“The Police also look fine,” she said.
The unique nokens are selling well.
“How could we do for living? We only can do knitting and selling pictures. That’s all,” she said. (Benny Mawel/rom)
