Braving heavy rain and long hours of travel by motor-canoe and truck, Maria Hansman was one of many determined women who made the journey to Wewak for the 2nd Bilum and Basket Show which kicked off yesterday (Monday 13/10/2025) in East Sepik Province.

Despite the weather, the women came with pride, ready to display and sell their intricate bilums, baskets, and traditional crafts.

Maria, from the remote Manjamai village in the Amboin-Kerowari Local Level Government (LLG) of Angoram District, brought more than just her own handiwork.

She was accompanied by fellow women from her community, each a skilled artisan, keen to showcase the unique craftsmanship passed down through generations.

“For us, this show is more than just selling bilums.”

“It is a chance to tell our story to the world, as master weavers of the Sepik.”

Many of the designs woven into the bilums carry deep ancestral meaning.

Maria shared that one such motif, “Kabandabak,” represents a good-luck spirit from their tumbuna (ancestral) traditions.

“Our ancestors used Kabandabak during times of drought to help them find food.”

“This was before the time of Christ; it is an old story that we now carry in our bilums.”

“By weaving these stories into our bilums, we are ensuring that our culture does not just stay in the village.”

“When people buy them, they are taking our tumbuna story with them and keeping it alive.”

Woven from the tough fibers of the pandanus plant, each bilum carries the identity, resilience, and artistic spirit of the Sepik women.

For Maria, events like the Bilum and Basket Show offer more than economic opportunity; they are a cultural platform, a bridge between past and future.

She hopes the younger generation will embrace the craft, preserve the traditions, and continue to weave their history into each creation.