Where Are We Came From? - Papua New Guinea -

‘Stone Age’ Tribes

The British, Germans, Dutch and Japanese had, for varying times colonized the land of New Guinea, but the tribes, some inhabiting the region for more than 40.000 years were either ignored of looked down upon as mere curiosities! Even before the arrival of the European, the tribe of this island had limited exposure to the outside world, in fact as late as 1998 two new tribes (Aukedate and Vahudate) were ‘discovered’ they were cannibals.
Hundreds of tribes have their own quaint customs with distinct languages, all part of unique Melanesian culture. The Amungme, Bauzi, Dani, Kamoro, Kombai, Korowai, Mee, Sentani and Yali are some of the well known tribes that make up the diverse riot of living history in these rainforests.

The real fascination with Guinea tribes for the outside world began with the discovery of the Korowai and Kombai, two Stone Age tribes. With their stone axes, bone knifes and wooden hammers to extract Sago – their staple diet taken from the Sago tree – Their immediately became object of scrutiny. These people were closest modern man had come to with his stone ages ancestors. Bones and wings of flying foxes, dog and pig tooth necklaces decorating their body and animal bones pierced through their noses, made them more than curiosities. The near naked people drew in a large tourist interest as well. But what got them notoriety was the fact that they practiced cannibalism. It is estimated that the Kombai number around 5.000, The Korowai about 2.500.
Tourist deluge: Pictures of Korowai and Kombai hunters armed with the bows and arrows became a prized possession for adventure tourist. The houses of these people, some times built as high as 150 feet above the ground, for protection against mosquitoes and warring tribes, were soon not too far or high enough. These indigenous people who knew nothing of the outside world became celebrities overnight. Thrill seekers, photo-journalisms, anthropologists, missionaries and anyone with a few thousand dollars to spare made ‘first contact’ with them.
On the other side of the Island (West Papua or Irian Jaya) controlled by Indonesia, rapid change is having a devastating effect on the fragile forest and people. Indonesia’s migration program has seen the over populated nation inducing its citizens to settle in the sparsely populated island with promise of land. Millions have taken up the offer.
Almost all immigrants readily find work in the timber logging. Annually, Indonesia cuts down three million acres of rainforest eating rapidly into the traditional homeland of primitive tribes. During the 1980s the Government tried its best to move the Korowai and Kombai clans into newly opened villages. The villages still remain, but the absenteeism rate is high, because of vast distance between the traditional food sources and the villages. The extreme primitive social and traditional system of the tribes makes it almost impossible for them to come to terms with modern reality in such a short time. Development projects like the construction of the world’s largest copper and gold mine has also dealt a death blow to the order of life that had survived for hundreds of generations.
The land of the ancient people has been opened up for development. This has meant little for the indigenous people. Who have viewed it as an invasion of their land, exploitation of their forests and loss of their pristine cultures.

Sunday, Vijay Times – Bangalore. 02 July 2006