How the Mokens manage to live as nomads | SLICE

[Music] this way of life is really important to us it enables us to provide for our family but the sea can also be dangerous so we have to be very careful too in 2004 the tsunami killed thousands of people fortunately we mokkens were able to survive because we knew that the tsunami was coming there's an old legend that our ancestors tell it says that when the sea recedes for no reason it's because the spirit of la boon the huge wave is unhappy and it decides to come and purify the earth where were you and your family when it happened i was in the village but i was on my way to the beach to get in my boat and set out to see but as i got closer to the boat i could see the water receding almost beneath my feet i looked around and i saw manio running in the opposite direction with the other women towards the high ground when the rest of us men saw the sea receding we decided to turn round two and join the women we waited up in the mountains until the wave had passed when we came back down to the village the houses had all gone but at least we were all safe and sound that's because our ancestors had given us good warning [Music] but [Music] thanks that's really strong it's not good unless it's spicy when you eat something spicy it warms up everything inside you it wakes you up well that's up our journey continues and we sail past dense lush forests on the boat daily life is full of its little rituals after several hours at sea we arrive at kona one of the rare islands of the archipelago where we're sure to find fresh water noe decides that we should disembark to replenish supplies water is a constant preoccupation for the mokens [Music] so how did you know that there would be water here my family has always come here they showed me this place when i was a boy every time we passed the island they never failed to remind me remember this place well it could save you and now i'm showing it to my own children it's very important to have supply points they help us to stay autonomous when we're at sea [Music] before we go back to the boat noe takes me around the interior of the island [Music] it's here in the heart of the lush vegetation that the mogans can shelter during storms and hurricanes this is the cooler plant if ever you get an injury you rub it on the wound and it will stop the bleeding it's a granular that's great come on you like it it's lovely how come you know as much about the forest as the sea whether it's the sea or the forest it's still nature which is feeding you you must get to know them both if you want to survive when bad weather forces you off the sea you have to know where to find food and where to find materials to repair the boat i observed others and i learned which plant could feed you or heal you and if you know how to go about it nature gives you everything you need [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] there's another boat there let's go and see where are you from from a small village on the coast what are you doing here we're fishing trying to catch shellfish meeting other people is rare and unexpected it's a moment for exchanging news and breaking the monotony of solitude that can exist on the boat this is mark he's our guest and he's staying with us on the kebang don't say hello it's not that we're impolite it's just the way we are there's no need to say anything today you're here with us on the boat and that's all [Music] so how do you like life on the kabang it's full of surprises it really feels like there's a house on the boat and that's what i find very original and also i like the fact that everything is made of natural materials bamboo wood wicker work that's really nice i haven't seen a kabang for ages it looks in good shape is it yours yes it's mine i try to take good care of it because we sail in it all the time and we need it to survive how are things in your village how many of you live there they're about 30 or so families but there's no work we do what we can we get by all we're able to find is seashells and sea cucumbers but that's not enough especially when you have a family to feed molly at me you see mark if you don't move around from place to place food is difficult to come by [Music] if you always fish in the same spot and one day there'll be no more fish or shellfish [Music] that's why we keep moving around all the time [Music] so that when we come back to a place there'll be food there again [Music] help yourselves there's enough for everybody [Music] um more the r is difficult to pronounce that behind you is the sun solely thirdly slowly [Laughter] a man of many talents not bad [Music] are they chilis tonight you're going to have a spicy meal just how you like it oh yes thank you very much come here after spending several days with noy and his family i have a better understanding of their need to move around living by the rhythms of the sea is a choice of freedom even if it means living apart from the rest of the world now how do you see the future for the mokens they stopped using kebangs they almost all live in houses they don't want to live on the sea anymore as far as i'm concerned even if you gave me a huge piece of land with the lovely house i'd still prefer to live on my boat i'll teach my children how to build a bang because if we stop living in the way that we've always lived how could we still call ourselves and i hope to end my days just as my mocking ancestors have always done before me [Music] our journey goes on i don't know where we're going nor when we'll arrive the seas rhythms are ingrained on this family's way of life and i was fortunate to share their taste for freedom and their powerful desire to be guided by the wind and the stars you

Channel: SLICE

Views: 1,051,222

Keywords: documentary, documentaries, shortdoc, shortdocs, slice, slicedocs, mokens, nomadic, people, sea, ocean, nomads, kabank, boat, home, culture, tradition

Id: a-Rk9R_rLvY

Length: 13min 55sec (835 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 16 2021