Moro Movement - Social and Cultural Activities

Social and Cultural Activities

The movements supporters gathered in large numbers at Makaruka for meetings of the entire group or for feasts. During these feasts, most but not all would wear traditional dress: fibre skirt for women and tree bark or ‘Kabilato’ for men.

Other activities include the collection of traditional artefacts and ‘sacred stones’ to be kept at the House of Antiquities. Traditional artefacts include carvings, traditional tools such as stone axes and weapons. The collection of ‘sacred stones’ was very frenetic during the 1970s. The stones were brought from the Offering Alters of ‘Peo of the different clans of the movement. The Peo signify the ownership of the land by the clan who owns a peo in the area. They were collected in the HoA. These activities were opposed by the Roman Catholic Church in the area who said that the stones were associated with spirits of ancestors and were being worshipped. While Sio Bubuli claimed that the stones were kept as souvenirs or mementoes just like the Church keeps objects such as the Eucharist. Ben Magore who looked after the House in the 1980s 90s stated that the stones are being kept until Moro releases the stones’ stories and histories. This future time will depend upon Moro and the members of the movement.

The movement, like Maasina Ruru also had factions of cargo cult behaviour. In 1965, Diki Valerago and Pada Valebaibai in the Suta area went to Koleula and told people to await cargo from America. Sio Bubuli, Moro and others were against this activity.