This men’s standing dance during the Homecoming Festival in Yap delights both locals and the few tourists who see it, leading some to ask if tourism should be expanded.
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Yawur Village, YapOn a hot summer’s day in Yap, a crowd gathers in the island’s capital for the annual Homecoming Summer Festival. First a handful of curious tourists arrive, at the printed starting time, followed by a slow trickle of locals, who adhere to the more lax code of “island time.” Finally, as the long shadows of late afternoon sun fade into the evening darkness, the show begins.
One by one, the men of Yawur Village—from children to chiefs—make their way across the lawn in stoic fashion. They are all dressed in traditional attire of coconut leaves, flowers, woven loincloth (or "thu") and lathered in turmeric and coconut oil. Standing with their woven baskets before an eager audience, the long line of men
