Life in PNG

(Halle) Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. PNG has over 800 different languages. The main language spoken is Pidgin, which is similar to broken English. The country is one of the worlds least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered flora and fauna are thought to exist in the interior. PNG was the last place on earth to have western influence. Many different traditions and lifestyles still exist today.

In the highlands it is very mountainous, with lush greenery and cool temperatures. Sweet potatoes are grown and harvested two times a year and is the staple food source. Women take care of the garden, feed the pigs and children, unlike men who only feed themselves. According to Huli tradition (natives in the Tari Valley, Southern Highlands) men and women are not allowed to live in the same huts. Men are not permitted to go inside a women’s hut and vise versa. If men and women live together it could place a spell on them, bringing bad luck. Since the women and children live in the same hut, boys are only allowed to stay inside the women’s hut for 7-8 years then are transferred to the care of the men.

Typical dress for the Huli tribe

The men wore pig’s-tail skirts with a moss wig and a headdress decorated with feathers from birds of paradise, and colorful paint on their faces. They had cassowary bones tucked underneath their belt which are used as a secret wallet, cigarette holder, or a dagger. Both men and women make fires in their huts for warmth and cooking. No matches are needed when starting a fire. First, they get a thin strip of dried rainforest bamboo, a piece of wood, and a cluster of straw. Next they rub the strip of bamboo against the wood and smoke begins to rise. Then they blow on the kindling which starts the flame. Locals let the fire burn all night long and sleep in the smoky air. Since there is no chimney in the hut, smoke escapes out the door and seeps through the roof.

The women’s hut

Next we visited the women’s hut. We all immediately noticed how much cleaner and more decorative the women’s hut was compared to the men’s. There were five women with grass skirts sitting in a line to greet us. One woman was making a bilum bag out of string. Anything from babies to food can be placed in this bag and the women let the strap rest on their forehead.

The five women

Another woman was making an umbrella out of palm leaves. The next one was braiding a rope to tie a pig to a stick so it wouldn’t run away. An old woman painted her whole body in white clay because her husband recently died and she was in mourning. She had beads around her neck and once the beads broke then she doesn’t have to paint herself anymore. To celebrate, they will slaughter a pig and she can remarry if she wants to.

The lifestyle in Papua New Guinea is utterly different than the way of life in America. We were the first western kids to visit some of these remote villages. Locals were amazed that in the U.S. we don’t have tribes, chiefs and cultural dances. It left me wondering how we define our American culture and what we might share with others visiting us for the first time.