SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Springdale-based canoe maker who received the state's highest craftsman award says he is dedicated to carrying on his heritage, culture, and history through master craftsmanship.
Liton Beasa, a traditional canoe maker living in Springdale, was chosen as the 2024 Arkansas Living Treasure during the James Black Bowie Heritage Festival in Washington, Arkansas.
Beasa was born and raised on Namdrik Atoll in the Marshall Islands, where he was first taught the craft by his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father. The type of canoe specific to Marshallese culture is called a kōrkōr, similar to an outrigger.
According to the Arkansas Arts Council, Beasa moved to Springdale in 2013 and began carrying on his kōrkōr craftsmanship through a canoe-building project called "Canoe of One Community" led by the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History.
The art of canoe-building also serves as a metaphor for Marshallese culture—When a canoe is carved, the whole community participates, and the raft serves the entire village. However, carving the canoes is a special skill granted to a family that maintains the tradition.
In 2022, Beasa led a team to construct a kōrkōr on-site at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville over the span of a month.
To read more about Beasa's work and other ways the Marshallese community in Arkansas contributes to their traditional culture, you can visit the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese website.
The Arkansas Arts Council gives the award to recipients in artistic fields including bladesmithing, pottery, chairmaking, fiddle making, and even egg art. To learn more about the Arkansas Living Treasure program, click here.
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