Our elders are the keepers of our cultural keys. But what happens when they don't share it?

Rotuma, an island of Fiji, is home to an ancient traditional headdress called the Suru. But the knowledge of this artefact only lies with a select few elders. They'd never been asked to share their wisdom so this special headdress hadn't been woven or worn for 1000 years.

You'll hear from Letila Mitchel, a Rotuman artist, who led a team to seek out one of the few elders who held knowledge of the Suru. Iane Atalifo was part of the group from, Rako Pasefika, and shares his experiences helping to re-create the head dress and bring it to life, by wearing it while performing the dance of the warrior.

Culture Compass was produced by Deadset Studios for ABC Radio Australia.