BUN̄TŌN JUON Kāālōt unmaan̄ eo em̗m̗an im wāmourur. Būlki juon l̗o̗k n̄an jilu dāpdep ilo unmaan̄ eo. Jekjek jān iol̗apān dāpdep eo em̗ōj kāāōte ke rōm̗m̗an. Būki maan̄ ko itulōn̄ wōt. Juuri dāpdep eo em̗ōj būlki bwe en bar jul̗.

STEP ONE Choose the best and greenest sets of pandanus leaves. Use the leaves that are at the top of the tree. Grab one to three stems of the leaves at a time. Cut them from the middle. Use your feet to push down on the stumps of the leaves so they can sprout.


 

BUN̄TŌN RUO Karōki maan̄ ko ippān doon. Lukwōji bōraer im l̗okaer kōn maan̄ m̗or bwe ren jab m̗akūtkūt. Iiaaki kōn bweo̗ in waini m̗akur/m̗ake ko itōrerein maan̄ eo lal̗l̗o̗k. Pukōr ej bar jerbal āinwōt bweo̗ kōn an ikkurbalōklōk.

STEP TWO Sort the leaves together. Tie each end with brown leaves so that they do  not become loose. Remove thorns from edges of the leaves by wrapping coconut fibers around your fingers and using them to slice the spines off of the pandanus. The pukor (coral rock found on beach) can also be used to scrape the thorns because it has a rough surface.


BUN̄TŌN JILU Bōk kwōd eo epen jān bweo̗ in waini ko. Lukwōje ilo addi ko ruo ipeūm̗ (tuanbwijmaron̄ ak tuanmiin̄). Toore lal̗l̗o̗k itōrerein maan̄ eo, im barāinwōt dilep in maan̄ eo.

STEP THREE Take the sturdiest set of coconut fiber strings from the coconut husk. Tie them around your pointy and middle fingers (of your dominant hand). Remove the thorns on the edges, including the middle spine. In this illustration, a knife is being used for this process.


BUN̄TŌN EMĀN Kōjo̗ kijeek eo kōn bweo̗, pej ak kane ko jet. Kōm̗m̗an bwe kijeek eo en jab lukkuun in kajoor. Jek tok ruo pāp in ni im likūti ion kijeek eo. Bōke jiljino l̗o̗k n̄an rualitōk maan̄ im ran̄i. Jino jān m̗aan l̗o̗k n̄an l̗o̗kan tata. Jooni maan̄ ko kōn al̗al̗ ilo iien errar.

STEP FOUR Start your fire with coconut husks or firewood. Be sure the fire is not too hot. Get two coconut frond midribs and place them parallel on top of the fire pit. Take six to eight pandanus leaves, placing them across the midribs, and warm them on the fire. Start from the end near to you and push the leaves away until you get to the end close to you. Press lightly on the leaves with a stick as you dry them over the fire.


BUN̄TŌN L̗ALEM Kāālōt det eo ekajoor im likūti maan̄ ko em̗ōj errari. Kōjeeki juon wiik im kōttar an oktak kōl̗arier jān maroro n̄an mouj.

STEP FIVE Put the leaves out under the sun to dry. Let them dry under the sun for a week and wait for them to turn from green to tan.


BUN̄TŌN JILJINO Likūti maan̄ eo ilo addiin peim̗ anmiin̄ im kōro̗o̗le kōn pā eo juon. Jino jān maan̄ eo lal̗l̗o̗k n̄an jem̗l̗o̗kin. Lale bwe en erl̗o̗k arin maan̄ ko bwe ren jab el̗l̗oktōktōk. Kobaiki maan̄ ko em̗ōj jāli ippān doon ilo juon jedan̄ bwe ren kon̗ im jab ejjeplōklōk.

STEP SIX Grab the leaves with one hand and coil them around with your other hand. Start with the wide end of the leaves and wind until you reach the tip. At that point insert another wide end under the tip and keep on coiling. Be sure that the leaves are flattened so that they do not wrinkle. Coil all the leaves together in one tight pack.


BUN̄TŌN JILJILIMJUON Bōk jet iden nono jān jedan̄ eo. Jiljino l̗o̗k n̄an jon̄oul-ruo bwe ren m̗ōkaj aer mālij. Lukwōji bōran maan̄ ko ippān doon im kadoululi bwe ren pojak n̄an noi. Kōjerbal dekā-in-nin im ejjen n̄an innin.

STEP SEVEN Grab a set of leaves from the coil–six to twelve leaves so that they are softened evenly. To do this, tie the wide ends of the leaves and bend them so they are oval-shaped and ready to be pounded. Use the rock to pound pandanus.


BUN̄TŌN RUALITŌK Wekare maan̄ eo kōn jōbōd im kanōke lal̗tak n̄an jem̗l̗o̗kin maan̄ eo. Jōbōd wōt iturājet im jab dilep eo. Kōjerbale jōbōd ko ekkar n̄an māj ko ilo juon jaki emaron̄ kilep ak dik.

STEP EIGHT Poke the leaves with a pandanus leaf cutter on the closest end to you and pull both the leaves away from you. You will do this twice, once for each side of the middle spine. Do not use the leaves of the middle spine. Use only the leaf strips on each side of the middle spine. Use the pandanus cutter to match the desired width of the pandanus strips.


BUN̄TŌN RUATIMJUON Būki maan̄ ko dettāer wōt juon jān maan̄ ko em̗ōj jōbōdi. Kōjenolo̗k jān maan̄ ko rejjab dettāer wōt juon. Kōjerbale akkiin peim̗ ak diin ek ko n̄an am̗ iiaaki maan̄ ko em̗ōj jōbōdi.

STEP NINE Take the cut leaves and separate them from the uncut leaves. Use your finger nail or a fish bone so you can further soften the cut leaves.


BUN̄TŌN JON̄OUL Bōk ruo maan̄ jān maan̄ ko em̗ōj iiaaki. Kobaiki ippān doon im ukōti jān doon. Kōm̗m̗an bwe maan̄ ko ruo ren oktak jān doon ilo iien am̗ āj. Jino am̗ āj ioon rā. Jinoe jaki eo kōn dekā ilo iien am̗ āje m̗aanl̗o̗k. Lale aitokan jaki eo ekkar n̄an aitokan maan̄ ko kwōj āj kaki.

STEP TEN Take two leaves from the set of cut and softened leaves. Plait them together. Be sure that the leaves are perpendicular to one another as you weave along. Start weaving on top of a flat platform. Start plaiting your mat after weighing it down. Check the length according to the length of the pandanus leaves you will be using as you weave along.


TŌPRAK EO Jaki ej jerbal n̄an kiki, jijet im babu bajjōk. Jaki ekōn jerbal n̄an wōjl̗ā in kōrkōr ko, kūtim armej im kallib kab ej bar jerbal n̄an dāpin em̗. Jaki ej juon menin lel̗o̗k eo el̗ap an aorōk n̄an jabdewōt armej.

PRODUCT Mats are used for sleeping, sitting and lying down on. Mats are usually used for sails, clothing and burial, including for wall decorations. Mats are also used for a culture of gifting for anyone special.


Modified from RMI PSS Value Project