Island traditions, phosphate scars, and eco-creativity in the Pacific
Nauru, the world’s third-smallest country, is a coral island in the Pacific with a complex ecological history. Once rich in phosphate deposits, its land has been heavily mined, leaving deep environmental scars. Yet Nauru’s cultural traditions — from chanting, weaving, and dance to oral storytelling — remain deeply connected to the sea, community, and resilience. Today, as the island faces climate change, sea-level rise, and post-mining land rehabilitation, Nauruan artists and cultural leaders are increasingly turning to sustainability in the arts to preserve heritage and reimagine futures.
Nauruan traditions highlight ecological knowledge and creativity:
Weaving & crafts: Mats, fans, and baskets woven from pandanus and coconut leaves.
Music & chant (imene): Songs and harmonies tied to communal life and ocean identity.
Dance & performance: Traditional dances accompanied by drums and clapping, reflecting themes of fishing and harvest.
Oral storytelling: Legends and myths that explain natural cycles and emphasize respect for land and sea.
Canoe making & fishing crafts: Once central to subsistence life, crafted with local woods and coconut fibers.
These practices embody sustainable living with limited island resources.
Artists and youth groups use discarded metal, plastics, and mining remnants to create sculptures, murals, and installations, reflecting on waste, land degradation, and climate stress.
Weaving traditions are being reimagined in eco-fashion and design projects, highlighting pandanus and coconut fiber as sustainable materials.
Musicians incorporate themes of rising seas, migration, and resilience into contemporary songs, blending Pacific harmonies with global genres.
Community theatre and spoken word performances explore post-mining landscapes, food security, and climate migration, helping communities reflect and adapt.
Events such as Independence Day celebrations and participation in the Festival of Pacific Arts provide opportunities for showcasing eco-crafts and sustainability arts.
Weaving cooperatives – reviving pandanus craft traditions for modern use.
Youth eco-art collectives – creating murals and recycled art installations.
Musicians & poets – amplifying climate struggles through songs and spoken word.
Community theatre groups – dramatizing the impacts of mining and climate change.
Regional collaborations – connecting with other Pacific island eco-arts initiatives.
Phosphate mining legacies, leaving much of the land uninhabitable.
Rising seas & coastal erosion, threatening limited settlements.
Waste management & plastic pollution on a small island.
Economic dependence on imports, reducing access to sustainable materials.
Migration pressures, risking cultural continuity.
Eco-arts for land rehabilitation: Using art to reimagine mined landscapes and foster healing.
Cultural diplomacy: Positioning Nauru’s artists as voices of climate resilience at international forums.
Diaspora engagement: Strengthening artistic links with Nauruans abroad.
Pacific eco-arts alliances: Joining forces with Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Marshall Islands to amplify climate creativity.
In Nauru, sustainability in the arts is inseparable from survival and resilience. From pandanus weaving and chants to recycled mining art, eco-fashion, and climate storytelling, Nauruan artists are transforming heritage and hardship into creativity and advocacy. As the island faces ecological scars and rising seas, the arts serve as both a guardian of cultural identity and a tool for reimagining sustainable futures in the Pacific.