3. Tyman Journal

JOHN TYMAN JOURNAL 3
CULTURES IN CONTEXT: SAWOS

81. NATIONAL EMBLEM

The bird of paradise is the national emblem of Papua New Guinea. It is shown perched on a traditional kundu drum and a spear, each having strong symbolic associations to different parts of the country.
(Related entries: BIRDS OF PARADISE, NATIONAL FLAG)

82. NATIONAL FLAG

The Papua New Guinea flag is based on a design done originally by a school girl. It shows a bird of paradise flying above the Southern Cross. This symbolises both PNG’s status as a young, developing country and its long association with Australia, whose flag also features the Southern Cross.
(Related entries: BIRDS OF PARADISE, NATIONAL EMBLEM)

83. PALM OIL

Because of its high rainfall, Papua New Guinea has excellent growing conditions for the cultivation of oil palms and hence for the production of the important commercial agricultural product palm oil. Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm and is used in the production of cooking oils, margarines, confectionery fats, shortening and other related food products. It is also used in the production of soaps. The commercial production of palm oil has shown consistent growth in Papua New Guinea’s agricultural sector as an important export item. It is the only agricultural export product which is processed locally, and represents around 10% of PNG’s agricultural exports.
(Related entries: AGRICULTURE, CACAO, COCONUTS AND COPRA, COFFEE, DEVELOPMENT)

84. PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Papua New Guinea’s Parliament House in Port Moresby is an impressive building. It is an excellent example of the use of contemporary art on public buildings and many contemporary artists and craftspeople were involved in its design and construction.
Materials which last longer than the bark, fibres and wood used traditionally were used, but traditional styles and decorative motifs were incorporated into the design.
Both the building itself and its decorative facade were designed to reflect the cultural diversity and rich artistic heritage of the hundreds of tribal and language groups in PNG.
The two central figures used on the facade are a man and a woman in ceremonial bilas or body decoration. The figures symbolise the fact that equal rights have been written into the constitution.
The shape of Parliament House echoes that of a haus tambaran, where the men of the village meet to make decisions and hold debates. So the traditional use of a haus tambaran is similar to the use of the new Parliament House, which is the national house of debate and decision making. To further the analogy, the Speaker’s chair in the new Parliament is shaped like a debating stool from a haus tambaran.
Since foreigners also immediately associate the distinctive shape of the haus tambaran with Papua New Guinea, it has become an important national symbol.
(Related entries: ART: contemporary, DEBATING STOOL, GOVERNMENT: National, HAUS TAMBARAN)

85. PAYBACK

In Papua New Guinea traditional village laws required payback: in essence, revenge for insults or attacks. There are now laws forbidding this, but the tradition is still alive.
Within the payback tradition, following an offence against someone, their relatives demand retribution or payment of money or pigs. The tradition can sometimes override loyalty or responsibility to the wider community and any sense of national identity. Payback is one of two traditions which can sometimes conflict with the ways of behaving encouraged by contemporary governments.
(Related entry: WANTOK)

86. PIDGIN: Tok Pisin

Melanesian Pidgin developed in the late nineteenth century. It was originally a language derived from English, French, German, and some local languages which could be used in trade, in what was then known as New Guinea. Over time, however, it has expanded and become a valuable lingua franca in the modern nation of Papua New Guinea. Lingua franca means a language which can be spoken and understood by people who speak a variety of different languages: a language which provides mutual understanding. As PNG is a nation renowned for its extraordinary linguistic diversity, the use of a lingua franca is especially important. Melanesian Pidgin is sometimes called Tok Pisin. English, which is PNG’s official national language, is also widely used in business, government and education.
(Related entries: CULTURE: diversity, LANGUAGE, WANTOK)

87. PIGS

Pigs play an important role in village economies in Papua New Guinea. They are valued as a sign of wealth and as a prized possession. The number of pigs owned by a man is an indicator of his power and influence. Pigs can be used as gifts or items of exchange, especially in negotiations such as for bride price or payback. They are also a source of food, though usually at special celebrations rather than as part of the daily diet. At the celebration of a wedding feast, portions of the specially slaughtered and cooked pig are carefully distributed in proportion to the various contributions made to the raising of the bride price.
Pigs are not native to Papua New Guinea. They, along with dogs and chickens, were introduced into the country.
(Related entries: FLORA AND FAUNA, MONEY, PAYBACK, WEDDINGS)

88. POLITICAL SYSTEM

Papua New Guinea is a parliamentary democracy. The Head of State is the British monarch who is represented by a Governor-General. The national Parliament is headed by a National Executive Council chaired by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is elected by Parliament. All members of the Parliament are elected by the people of Papua New Guinea. Citizens are eligible to vote at the age of 18, and there are numerous political parties, including the People’s Progress Party, Pangu Pati (Papua New Guinea United Party), People’s Democratic Movement and many others.
(Related entries: GOVERNMENT: local and provincial, GOVERNMENT: national, LEGAL SYSTEM)

89. POPULATION

In 1998, the population of Papua New Guinea was estimated to be about four million people. Around 40% of the population is aged 14 years or younger, as compared to 21% for the same age group in Australia. The birth rate is considerably higher than for Australia, but infant mortality rates are high too. The rate of population growth in 1998 was about 2.25% per annum; in Australia in the same period population growth was only 0.93%.
The population is widely distributed, with around 40% living in the highlands and the remaining 60% in relatively flatter regions, including coastal, coral reef and river delta areas. The majority of the population lives in villages in rural areas, supporting themselves by agriculture.
Collection of census data is difficult in Papua New Guinea because of the mountainous terrain, scattered population and myriad languages.
(Related entries: CULTURE: Diversity, LANGUAGE)

90. PORT MORESBY

Port Moresby is the national capital of Papua New Guinea. It is situated on the southern coast in the rain shadow of the Owen Stanley Ranges. Port Moresby receives little rain and is very dry mid-year, but green and lush during the monsoon season. The annual rainfall is 1 195 mm and the average daily maximum temperature is 32 degrees Celsius.
Port Moresby was named by Captain John Moresby, the first foreigner to sail into the harbour around which the city is now built, in 1873. When he arrived, Motu and Koita people lived in the area, fishing, hunting and trading. Today, Port Moresby is the centre for the national Parliament.
(Related entries: NATIONAL CAPITAL, PARLIAMENT HOUSE)

91. PROVINCES

There are nineteen provinces in Papua New Guinea, as well as the National Capital District. Each province has its own provincial government which is funded by the national government. Provincial administrations are responsible for functions including health, education, town planning, capital works and maintenance and business development. The Sawos village of Torembi is in the East Sepik province. The provinces are East Sepik, West Sepik (Sanduan), Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands, North Solomons (Bougainville), Central, Simbu, East New Britain, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Milne Bay, New Ireland, Northern (Oro), Western (Fly), West New Britain, Manus and Morobe.
(Related entries: EASTERN HIGHLANDS, GOVERNMENT: Local and Provincial, SEPIK REGION)

92. RAINFALL

Most of Papua New Guinea receives heavy rainfall. The wettest areas are the south coast of New Britain, Bougainville Island and the area around the city of Lae. Here, up to 9 000 millimetres of rain can fall in a year. Port Moresby, the capital, is much drier, receiving only around 1 000 millimetres per annum.
The Sawos village of Torembi lies on the plains between two mountain ranges, so it is not continually wet like the provincial capital, Wewak. Torembi receives a lot of rain between December and April, but is drier in the middle of the year.
(Related entries: CLIMATE, HUMIDITY, TEMPERATURE)

93. RELIGION

The people of Papua New Guinea have a diverse cultural heritage and a similarly rich and complex spiritual heritage. The honouring of ancestors, the significance of the haus tambaran or spirit house and the secret knowledge available to initiated men, the strength of clan and moiety connections with their totem representations and associated responsibilities are all integral and essential parts of clan and community life. These beliefs are expressed through art, design, ceremony and architecture and are all integral parts of village life.
During the late nineteenth century, and throughout the twentieth century, Christian missionaries were very active throughout the country. Today, the majority of Papua New Guinea’s citizens are officially Christian. There are representative groups of most Christian religious communities, from Catholic to Lutheran, Anglican to Seventh Day Adventist, and many others. However, many aspects of traditional spiritual beliefs remain strong in contemporary life, manifesting themselves in daily life — in village decision making, in ceremonies and rituals, and in expressive arts.
(Related entries: CHRISTIANITY, MISSIONS: Papua New Guinea, MISSION: Torembi)

94. RESOURCES

Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources. There are extensive mineral deposits, including gold and copper. There are large reserves of oil and natural gas and vast, rich supplies of marine life. Extensive forests contain valuable timber. Environmental concerns about commercial exploitation of all these resources are significant, as using any of these natural resources on a large scale can cause significant negative impacts on the environment and on local people.
(Related entries: DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMY, FISHING INDUSTRY, FORESTRY, MINING)

95. RIVERS

The main island of Papua New Guinea is traversed by four major rivers. The best known is probably the mighty Sepik which flows north from the Central Highlands. The Fly, which also carries vast amounts of water, flows south from the same Highlands, and the Ramu and Markham are to the north-east and east respectively. Both the Sepik and Fly rivers are navigable for great distances, making them significant traditional trade and communication links. There are numerous lakes in the delta areas which have formed where the rivers have deposited silt carried down by the waters from the Highlands. Mangrove swamps have formed in tidal areas. Sago swamps are common in the territory of the Sawos.
(Related entries: GEOGRAPHY, SEPIK RIVER)

96. SAGO: Sawos

Sago is the staple food in the Sawos diet. It is harvested from the sago palm, or sak sak, which flourishes in swampy woodlands near the Sepik River and its tributaries. Women harvest and process the sago, which is cooked into pancakes. These are produced largely for human consumption, but also provide additional food for domestic pigs.
(Related entries: FOOD: Torembi, SAGO PALM, SAGO SCRAPING, SAGO SONGS)

97. SAGO PALM: Sawos

The sago palm, or sak sak as it is known locally, flourishes in low-lying swampy woodlands not far from the Sepik River and its tributaries. The sago palm has a trunk covered in protective sharp spines. The fibres within its trunk contain sago starch, the basic foodstuff used by the Sawos people. The stalks of the sago palm fronds, known as pangal, are used in building the walls of houses and in the production of stringed musical instruments and the leaves for roof thatching and ‘grass skirts’.
(Related entries: CLOTHING, HOUSING, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: Sawos – Stringed, SAGO, SAGO SCRAPING, SAGO SONGS, VEGETATION: Torembi)

98. SAGO SCRAPING: Sawos

Sago scraping is part of the harvesting and processing of sago. In the Sepik lowlands, sago scraping is the work of women and involves scraping the inside of the trunk of a sago palm to loosen and break up the fibres. These fibres are then washed to extract the actual sago, using a series of sediment traps made from palm leaves and a strainer of coconut matting. Sago scraping is laborious and time-consuming work. Using bamboo scrapers and machetes, women sometimes work in groups. Some women who are especially proficient prefer to work alone. Typically, Sawos women must scrape sago three times a week to harvest enough for their family’s needs, as well as providing extra to be used in exchange for other goods at local markets. Women often sing sago songs as they work to maintain the necessary rhythm.
(Related entries: BILUM, SAGO, SAGO PALM, SAGO SONGS)

99. SAGO SONGS: Sawos

The main foodstuff of the Sawos is sago, which is harvested and prepared by the village women. As part of the harvesting process, the fibres inside the trunk of the sago palm must be broken up with bamboo scrapers and machetes. During this arduous work the women sing improvised songs, sago songs, accompanying themselves with the percussive sound of their beaters.
(Related entries: MUSIC, SAGO, SAGO PALM, SAGO SCRAPING)

100. SAWOS

The people of Papua New Guinea belong to many diverse groups, each with its own territory, languages and forms of cultural expression. One of the largest groups in the Sepik area is the Sawos, their land covering a great part of the middle Sepik lowlands. The Sawos are Melanesian people who have lived in this area for thousands of years.
Their lives have always centred on the village and on connections within the village community, based on the membership of clans. Being a member of a clan gives a person an identity and a sense of belonging.
(Related entries: SEPIK REGION, TOREMBI, VILLAGE RELATIONSHIPS, VILLAGE LIFE,WANTOK)

101. SCHOOL: Torembi

There is a primary school at the Torembi mission. The great majority of parents encourage their children to attend. Children come to the school from surrounding villages, some walking for up to an hour to get there. They usually start school at the age of 8 and can move through primary classes at the local level. There is also another school, in Torembi3, which provides only the first two years of elementary school (E1 and E2). The young students go from there to the Torembi mission community school in Grade 3.
The principal and teachers at the local schools are Papua New Guinean. Students sit for an examination in Grade 6 for entry to secondary school, though the number who actually go on is small. Secondary schooling involves the payment of fees, as well as the students leaving their village homes and moving to larger towns, both of which present problems to families in Torembi.
(Related entry: EDUCATION)

102. SEPIK REGION

The catchment area of the massive Sepik River covers 78 000 square kilometres. This region is Papua New Guinea’s most diverse area culturally and linguistically. Almost two hundred languages are spoken there. As well as the Sawos people, there are other large tribal groups in the region, including the Iatmul, Abelam and Murik.
(Related entries: ART: Sepik, SEPIK RIVER)

103. SEPIK RIVER

The Sepik River is one of the two largest rivers in Papua New Guinea and, in terms of volume of water, one of the largest in the world. Its uppermost reaches flow through some of the most isolated areas in the country. Starting in the central mountain range, the Sepik crosses the Irian Jaya border, turns back into PNG, and runs through East Sepik province, where the Sawos people live and the village of Torembi is located.
The Sepik is around 1 100 kilometres long and navigable for almost the entire distance. It provides a valuable channel of communication, allowing different groups of people to share aspects of their cultural and artistic traditions.
It is also a natural trade route. Markets held along its banks have traditionally been a way of exchanging or selling excess produce - sago, yams, fish, prawns, vegetables and betel nut. Artworks, some of which are now made especially for tourists, are also sold here.
However, proximity to the Sepik also brings its problems. Swamps encourage the breeding of millions of mosquitoes which transmit malaria, a serious health problem for the lowland communities. Crocodiles also inhabit the Sepik and often appear as a cultural symbol in artworks and body decoration.
An introduced weed called Salvinia Molesta which can double its size in a couple of days has threatened the river with ecological disaster. Although it is now relatively under control, weeds along the river continue to be a problem and make travelling by canoe difficult in some areas.
(Related entries: CROCODILE, ENVIRONMENT, RIVERS, SEPIK REGION, TOURISM)

104. SHIFTING CULTIVATION

Shifting cultivation is a traditional mode of agriculture used in many parts of the world. It has been especially common in areas where the soil is typically low in fertility and hence low in potential crop growth. The land is first cleared to allow for planting. In some parts, bush is actually burnt to clear the land. The cleared patch is planted and harvested, for one or perhaps two years, until its fertility declines. It is then left to lie fallow and regains its limited fertility over time.
The soil in many parts of Papua New Guinea, including the Sepik region, has limited fertility because of the constant rain which leaches soil nutrients. As inorganic fertilisers are unavailable to people living in villages, new gardens need to be established here each year, while old ones are allowed to recover. When gardens are abandoned the native vegetation flourishes once more, quickly obliterating any trace of cultivation.
(Related entries: GARDENS, LAND OWNERSHIP, SUBSISTENCE FARMING)

105.  SINGSING

A singsing is a ceremony which generally involves both significant dancing and the playing of musical instruments. They were traditionally an important part of all family and community celebrations and in times past would have included praise songs for victories in battle. Today, they remain an important element of weddings, communal celebrations and cultural festivals. They are also occasions when traditional forms of bilas, special clothing and body decoration, are worn.
(Related entries: BILAS, CLOTHING, MUSIC: Sawos, WEDDINGS)

106. STAPLE FOODS

The most important food used in any daily diet is called the staple food. In the case of the Sawos people living in Torembi and neighbouring areas, the staple food is sago.
Staple foods vary around the world. They include wheat, corn, sorghum, potatoes, yams, taro and animal products such as meat, milk and eggs. Rice is the staple of the Chinese diet, while cereals are the staple in most African countries.
(Related entries: FOOD: in Torembi, FOOD PRODUCTION, GARDENS, MARKETS, SAGO)

107. SUBSISTENCE FARMING

All rural families in Papua New Guinea engage in subsistence farming to some degree. This is essentially the growing of crops for family use and a variety of crops are grown to ensure a more varied diet. Most families will combine growing crops for the family with some cash crop production to generate income. The choice of cash crops depends on the local environment and climatic conditions. For example, coffee dominates in the Highlands and copra and cacao near the coast.
(Related entry: AGRICULTURE, GARDENS, SHIFTING CULTIVATION)

108. TELECOMMUNICATIONS

A government body called Telikom PNG operates the telecommunications system of Papua New Guinea. With the use of solar-powered microwave transmitters, direct dialling is available to major centres around the country. There are also high-frequency radio services linking remote areas.
Businesses in PNG are generally equipped with facsimile connections and some also have email access. Telecommunication connections are rarely available at the village level. It is difficult to expand the services because of the difficult terrain and also because Telikom would not be able to get sufficient return on their investment, even if they were able to set up telecommunications. International funding is being sought to finance more telecommunication connections in rural and remote areas so that they are not so disadvantaged compared to the cities.
Messages between many villages today are still communicated in the traditional way — using the large garamut drums.
(Related entries: COMMUNICATIONS, DRUMS: Garamut, GEOGRAPHY)

109. TEMPERATURE

Papua New Guinea lies close to the Equator. In the coastal regions and lowlands, temperatures are high all year round. For example, the hottest month in Wewak, the provincial capital of the East Sepik province, averages 27 degrees Celsius and, in the coldest month, 26 degrees Celsius. In the Highlands, though, there is sometimes frost and even snow caps on the mountain peaks. Because of the shelter provided by mountains, there may be marked differences in microclimate from one valley to the next. As is characteristic of equatorial areas, the difference between day and night temperatures is typically much greater than the difference between the hottest and coldest months.
During the wet season in the Sawos village of Torembi, temperatures during the day climb to around 31 degrees Celsius in the afternoon and drop to 24 degrees at night. In the drier season when there is less cloud, the difference is greater still.
(Related entries: CLIMATE, HUMIDITY, RAINFALL)

110. TOREMBI

The village of Torembi lies in the wide flood plain of the Sepik River. Torembi is close to sea level, just 80 kilometres from the coast. It is built alongside the banks of a tributary of the Sepik, known locally as the Kwatit.
The village lies mostly within forest. Lines of houses are built on either side of a walking track which winds through forest and out into grassland. Torembi actually consists of a number of separate villages which are all interrelated. The oldest settlement is Torembi1. It is the largest village, with around one thousand people. As the population grew, groups of families moved further afield to establish new settlements. Torembi 2 has a population of several hundred and Torembi 3 a similar number. There is also Torembi mission, which was built in 1950 in a grassy, level location suitable for the establishment of an airstrip.
(Related entries: MISSION: Torembi, SAWOS, TRANSPORT: Torembi, VEGETATION: Torembi, VILLAGE RELATIONSHIPS, VILLAGE LIFE)

111. TOURISM

Papua New Guinea offers many natural attractions for tourists. These include the diverse and beautiful scenery, variety of culture, opportunities for diving and trekking, river cruises and fascinating flora and fauna in an often pristine natural environment. However, the number of tourists visiting the country is still relatively very low, partly because PNG has a reputation for being a high-risk destination. Those tourists who do travel to PNG typically come from the United States, Japan and Europe. The percentage of tourists from Australia is very small. Most of the tourism so far has been small-scale, specialty tourism.
The industry is small but has the potential to attract visitors to a country which is vibrant with culture and a myriad attractions. Tourism also offers potential as an excellent source of employment opportunities, as people could find work at the local level. In recent times, the Government has invested in wider promotion of the country’s attractions.
(Related entries: CULTURE: Diversity, DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMY)

112. TRANSPORT: Air

The most important mode of transport, for both passengers and freight, within Papua New Guinea is air travel. This is because the country is so mountainous that it is difficult to use road transport. There is an extensive domestic air transport system. The main carrier is the national airline Air Niugini, which also provides international services, but there are numerous other carriers which also provide regular flights to all parts of the country.
Flying light aircraft in PNG presents its own challenges in travelling to remote, often mountainous locations over one of the cloudiest countries in the world.
(Related entries: GEOGRAPHY, TRANSPORT: Road, TRANSPORT: Shipping, TRANSPORT: Torembi)

113. TRANSPORT: Road

There are around 24 000 kilometres of roads in Papua New Guinea, a relatively low road development given the country’s size. The rugged mountain ranges which are so much a part of the country’s landscape have hindered the development of an extensive road network. There are few road connections between regions and provinces.
A highway connects the industrial centre of Lae with Goroka and Mt Hagen in the Highlands. However, there is no major road leading from the capital, Port Moresby, to other parts of the country.
Roads are maintained by local authorities and, away from town centres or relatively developed areas, are often difficult to traverse. These roads usually have a gravel surface, making them difficult or, at times, impossible to use in wet weather. Some taxi services and buses are available, but these are largely restricted to urban areas. Typically, road traffic is moderate and used over short distances.
There is no rail transport system in Papua New Guinea.
(Related entries: GEOGRAPHY, TRANSPORT: Air, TRANSPORT:Shipping, TRANSPORT: Torembi)

114. TRANSPORT: Shipping

Shipping is an important mode of transport in Papua New Guinea. Ships use the seventeen or so general ports which have developed along the coastline of the mainland and surrounding islands, as well as up to 400 private ports and boat landing points. The seventeen major ports are managed by the Papua New Guinea Harbours Board. Shipping is generally confined to the carriage of cargo rather than the provision of passenger services.
PNG’s extensive river system is also widely used for water transport. For instance, the Sepik River is navigable for most of its length, with village people using traditional canoes or, in a few cases, boats with outboard motors as their local form of transport.
(Related entries: GEOGRAPHY, SEPIK RIVER, TRANSPORT: Air, TRANSPORT: Road, TRANSPORT: Torembi)

115. TRANSPORT: Torembi

The village of Torembi is accessible by aeroplane, via an airstrip near the Torembi mission. Locally, people travel on foot using the many well-worn forest paths joining the numerous villages in the area, or use dug-out canoes to travel along the Sepik River and its tributaries. In recent times, outboard motors have been used to speed water travel and carry heavier loads. Large metal barges are also used on the Sepik to move goods around the region.
There are no local government-made roads, only a makeshift road joining the church at Torembi mission with the mission headquarters, further north. This is used by four wheel drive vehicles, but is often impassable in the wet season. The priest from Torembi mission uses a tractor to make this journey.
There are footbridges across the local Kwatit river, a tributary of the Sepik, made of logs floating on the surface of the water which are anchored to trees on the riverbanks by ropes of cane.
(Related entries: SEPIK REGION, SEPIK RIVER, TOREMBI, TRANSPORT: Air, TRANSPORT: Road, TRANSPORT: Shipping, VEGETATION: Torembi)

116. VEGETATION: Torembi

Torembi lies in the wide flood plain of the Sepik, close to sea level, so much of the land is poorly drained. Closest to the river are grassy swamps, while a little further away is swampy woodland where the sago palm flourishes. It’s always hot, often wet and plants grow all the year round. Insects thrive in this environment, especially mosquitoes.
In higher, less waterlogged areas, tropical rainforest grows. Trees grow close together, their crowns touching and forming a dense green canopy. Some of the forest around Torembi has been cleared to build houses and establish vegetable gardens.
Finally, in the highest and driest area away from the river are grasslands, where many flowering plants flourish in the bright sunlight.
(Related entries: FLORA AND FAUNA, SEPIK REGION, SEPIK RIVER)

117. VILLAGE RELATIONSHIPS: Sawos

The lives of people in Papua New Guinea have always centred on the village and on connections within the village community, based on the membership of clans. Being a member of a clan gives a person an identity and a sense of belonging.
In the Sawos village of Torembi, there are thirteen clans, or family groups, each with its own set of totems. Each clan belongs to one of two larger groups called moieties which are made up of clans sharing a common spiritual heritage. The two moieties in Torembi are the Nieme and the Niaui. One is connected to the spirits of the earth, the other to the spirits of the sky. Marriages are possible within moieties but not within clans.
This means that every person from the village of Torembi belongs to a family, which is part of a clan. This clan belongs to one of the two moieties within the larger Sawos tribal group. So, while the Sawos relationships may initially appear quite complex, they are well defined.
These connections have always played and continue to play an important role in everyday life, influencing decision making, land ownership, choice of marriage partners and individual and family obligations to the community.
(Related entries: LANGUAGE, PAYBACK, TOREMBI, VILLAGE LIFE, WANTOK)

118. VILLAGE LIFE: Sawos

For the majority of people in Papua New Guinea the village is the focus of life, with its well-defined social relationships and strong traditions. Connections forged through the village are still strong — even when individuals move to larger towns and cities, family, clan and wantok obligations still apply.
In Sawos society, within the village, leadership is taken by a 'big man', someone of influence and power who has gained his position through effective public speaking and positive actions. In days gone by, he would also have been a skilful warrior. Decision making, however, is not just an individual responsibility. Decisions are reached through debate. This debate is restricted to the initiated men and takes place in the haus tambaran. Important life decisions such as arranging to marry are made within the framework of traditional relationships.
(Related entries: BRIDE PRICE, CEREMONIES AND CELEBRATIONS, HAUS TAMBARAN, VILLAGE RELATIONSHIPS, WANTOK, WOMEN)

119. VOLCANOES

There are many volcanoes and hot springs on the island of New Guinea. The area around the city of Rabaul suffers most from volcanic activity. There was a major and devastating eruption there as recently as 1994. There is a vulcanological observatory in Rabaul constantly observing volcanic activity and ready to alert citizens to any impending eruption.
PNG’s volcanoes are part of the ‘ring of fire’ which forms a circle around the edge of the Pacific Ocean, including New Zealand and Japan. In this region the earth’s crust is weak and land masses are in a state of constant movement. The two ‘continental plates’ which are moving against each other, causing earth tremors and volcanic eruptions, are the continent of Australia and the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes sometimes damage houses even in the Sepik lowlands.
(Related entries: GEOGRAPHY, MELANESIA)

120. WANTOK

There are literally hundreds of different languages spoken in Papua New Guinea and, until recently, even neighbouring tribal groups could not communicate with each other. Partly because there is such variety, those who speak the same local language enjoy a special relationship called wantok, literally “one talk”. However, wantok is much more than a language group. It is part of the foundation of Melanesian culture.
People refer to their wantoks in the same way that people in other countries refer to relatives or ‘in-laws’. Everything must be shared with your wantoks and your wantok obligations extend far beyond your responsibilities to husband, wife or children.
The wantok relationship means that you can rely on your wantoks for help and support, but it also demands intense loyalty from you to your language group members above all others. Even in cities and towns away from the village, newcomers or visitors rely on the support of their wantoks.
Traditionally, village politics were based on wantok associations. Wantok is a positive and practical way of organising relationships and sharing wealth, but in PNG today it can also create complications when it comes into conflict with politics and power, or individuals who want to strike out on their own.
(Related entries: LANGUAGE, PAYBACK, VILLAGE RELATIONSHIPS)

121. WEDDINGS: Torembi

The formal wedding ceremony is held only after the complex, often time-consuming negotiations and payments have been settled between the clans of both bride and groom. The ceremony is actually made up of a number of celebrations. The families of the bride and the groom celebrate with feasts. The groom must provide a pig for the bride’s family to cook for their feast and, by tradition, the bride’s parents provide in return a beast identical in size, so the groom can also celebrate with his friends and family.
On the day of the wedding, the bride’s personal drumming signal is sounded on the garamut drum, to call her home for the very last time. Her hair is trimmed, symbolically severing her links with home. Dressed in bridal finery, the bride is joined by her relatives. As she leaves her father’s house, she walks over her relatives, in another symbolic act separating herself from them. She will no longer be considered part of her own family, but will become part of her husband’s family.
The bridal procession walks from the bride’s former house and village to that of the groom. At various points along the way the procession stops and women dance around the bride singing songs which tell of the trials and tribulations she will face as a married woman. As each round of dancing is complete, the bride walks once more over her relatives, and the procession moves on.
When at last she reaches her new home, after more dancing and singing, the bride is either lifted up on a chair and carried bodily into her new home, or climbs the steps herself to live with the man to whom she is now formally married.
Inside the house after the wedding, the guests are seated with the wedding presents spread out on the floor. The bride’s material possessions are displayed for all to see. Gifts to the bride from her family belong to her, not to her husband. In Torembi, many weddings take place over the Christmas holidays, when many people who have left the village for work come back to visit.
(Related entries: BRIDE PRICE, CELEBRATIONS AND CEREMONIES, FUNERALS, MARRIAGE)

122. WOMEN: Papua New Guinea and Sawos

While equal rights for men and women are written into the Papua New Guinea constitution and feature prominently in the symbolism of the decorative facade of the new Parliament House, there are still few women in positions of power and influence. In terms of promoting positive change, a focus on the role of women within village communities is especially important.
Women in Sawos society play a central role in the functioning of community life. They grow or harvest most food requirements — an ongoing and labour-intensive responsibility. They care for children, manage domestic animals, barter goods to supplement the range of available foods and often produce extra foodstuffs or items such as bilums for sale to supplement family income.
However, despite being major contributors to food production, women get less than their fair share of returns from their labour.
(Related entries: ART: Agatha Waramin, BRIDE PRICE, HAUS MARIT, MARRIAGE, SAGO SCRAPING, VILLAGE LIFE)

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