First Contact In The Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea
After dinner, Ambua Lodge screened a documentary, First Contact, relating the story of the first contacts between Highlanders and Europeans. In brief: In 1933, Michael Leahy (an Australian) led a series of gold prospecting expeditions into the Highlands and initiated the first contact between the Huli and Europeans. You can just imagine the shock of both during this encounter. In one scene, Mick and his gold miners played a gramophone for the Huli, just one of the many concepts and devices that were never seen nor imagined by the people. An interesting fact - Leahy didn't find gold on this expedition but one of the world's biggest gold mines was discovered later on, only about 500 yards from where he was...so close but yet so far... This province was also the last of the Highland provinces to be explored and no one ever knew that these people existed. If there is any way to get hold of this extremely old documentary, watch it...very, very interesting.
Papua New Guines is very rich in natural resources of which gold and copper are just two. We were now prepared for the first village.
Each village had huge interconnecting trenches (dug by hand) which are used to delineate clan boundaries, act as secret passageways for warriors during clan fights and keep those all-important pigs from straying. These steep "fighting trenches" are shaped of red clay, can reach a height of 8-10 feet and are topped with broken glass or pointed spikes. You do not enter through the gate unless welcomed first or even think of trespassing -- unless you fancy a bow and arrow reception from these aggressive, hostile people. (Testoserone overload?)
Allowed into the village, the first thing we saw was this Huli warrior coming to greet us...and a family just standing there...staring. Believe me...this was an extremely scary moment...and it was difficult to believe that they were friendly!
The Tari basin is one of the few places left where men and women wear traditional dress as part of daily living. (Quite obvious.) This is also a male-dominated society where undue contact with women is considered dangerous. This meant separate households for men and women since undue contact might undermine the man's strength and status. Men never enter the women's houses and marital relations usually takes place in the garden! And, the men prepare and cook their own food to make sure it is not woman-contaminated... (Now, that part is fine with me...) And, a man's wealth is counted by the number of pigs and wives they have (in that order).
The Huli weren't dressed up for us but they did re-enact a ritual dance for us. The men paint their faces in red and yellow patterns or smear with some brown mixture...View image....apply a glistening oil all over their bodies, add shell and metal bracelets, insert bones through their noses, etc., and the final touch is an elaborate wig made from human hair. Then, they dance while the women stand around and watch.
One village per day is about the most even the strongest-nerved person could take. The Huli were friendly, but reserved and all those arrows and macho men were making me nervous. Back to Ambua Lodge for a chance to go birding. There are over 13 species of the Birds of Paradise. The flamboyant (or flaming) Huli Wigmen go crazy decorating their human hair wigs with the bird's feathers. Neither of us went on the jungle birding hike...all that mattered to me at that moment was a stiff drink in preparation for one last village tomorrow...
