Gods, heroes, ritual artwork, ceremonies, spirits’ houses, taboos, local pride and, recently, demands for governmental funding are revolving around the yam, the staple food of the Abelams, and their trade-good over fish with the river people.
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Mamas’ Life skills training in Tongujamb (Sepik River, PNG)
Responding to the requests of the women from the Blek Wara (a wetland area) close to Washkuk Hill, on the Middle Sepik course, the heads of the communities organized a workshop – Women life skills training, in Tongujamb, 2015.The Catholic Church from Wewak sent two sisters to teach them how to bake and sew using a machine. Up to 150 […]
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Pukpuk – crocodile hunters on Sepik River (West Sepik, PNG)
Manu, a young guy from the family I lived with, and his father were hunting and trading crocodile skins. The money, sometimes the only income in the community, was used for buying small things for the house and most of it was saved to buy an engine for their dug-out canoe and to pay the boarding school fees for Manu.
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Fish basket (Sepik River, PNG)
In 2015, the dry season came earlier on the Middle Sepik. The drought shrank the wide, dark water lakes to small ponds, and narrowed the channels that connect the inland villages with the Sepik River.One day, I saw women gathering with enthusiasm at the almost dry creek with their fishnet baskets. I took my camera and join the party. After […]
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In the swamp (West Sepik, PNG)
During the weeks I spent with the people from West Sepik villages, I joined them in the swamps, to catch fish.Armed with baskets made of bush-ropes, cane spears, fishing nets, machetes, and smoking logs – for chasing away mosquitoes, drying tobacco and light cigarettes, we hopped on canoes and paddled along the Sepik. When the canoes were pulled aside, we […]
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West Sepik to Vanimo (PNG)
On the Sepik bank, the Abau people, from Baio, were watching the boats passing by, trying to seize their cargo and guess where they were coming from. This bustling activity didn’t seem to have much impact on their lifestyle yet.
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To the Ama Mountain people (May River, PNG)
If you want to find remote communities you must go upstream, to Ama Mountain or to Iteli.
Where is that?
Somewhere between May and Sepik Rivers, in the upper Sepik basin.
Singsing in Purkunawi, with Kwoma people and Michael Somare (Sepik River)
Most of the singsing groups were from the Kwoma communities, where the tambaran (spirits or cult house) and singsing are still alive.
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Spirits’ houses and Kwoma people, (Sepik River)
The Kowmas are among the very few ethnic groups along the Middle Sepik course, that continues the tradition of tambaran and singsing (ceremony) after the missionaries’ assault. The tambaran is a powerful place, the gathering of the male ancestors’ spirits. Pillars, crossbars, roof and walls are carved and painted with motifs from their mythology.
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Vanimo to Sepik River (Papua New Guinea)
In Ambunti I was introduced to community elders from the Kwoma clans, who took me into the fantastic world of Sepik mythology. I met indigenous artists, saw churches featuring tribal-cult-houses designs, and listen to folk tales from the local mythology
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