Papua New Guinea

Whats New

24th August 2009

PNG: Hiri Moale Festival 2009 Launched

Port Moresby City’s premier cultural event, the 2009 Hiri Moale Festival, has been formally launched with the symbolic release of a small replica double hull canoe "Lakatoi" at the Holiday Inn swimming pool in the nations’ capital.

The traditional Lakatoi symbolizes the centrepiece of the great sea voyages undertaken some 100 years ago by the Motuans when they exchanged sago and clay pots with the people of neighbouring Gulf Province. A re-enactment of this voyage will be performed on a four hulled and a three hulled lagatoi currently being constructed by the Porebada and Gorohu villages.

The Hiri Moale Festival has become the city’s premier cultural show with activities including canoe racing, marching, floating, peroveta, choir, traditional singsing and new for 2009 the inclusion of outrigger paddling.

Port Moresby’s Ela Beach will play host to the Hiri Moale Festival on Independence weekend from 14 to 16th September.

Highlights of the festival include the Hiri Hanenamo Quest (Queen, chosen from village representatives) and the Lagatois (double hulled canoe).

Background

The Hiri Moale Festival celebrates the epic journeys of the Motuans re-enacting the craft and lore of days gone by for current generations.

The journeys taught people to endure hardships in life, taught the young a lot of life skills including seamanship and to get up and go and not rely on handouts.

It was the annual Hiri voyages that the Motuan people of the now Central Province undertook to the Gulf of Papua to trade with the Erema. They would set sail with the onset of the south easterly winds (Laurabada) and return when the northwest winds (Lahara) started blowing.

In fact, it was more than a trading voyage. It forged friendships that lasted for generations, in some cases the ties forged then are still intact today.

From the day Edai Siabo of Boera village built the first lagatoi after befriending a sea god, the Motuans from Gaba Gaba to the east of Port Moresby to Manumanu in the west journeyed every year to the Gulf.

The Motuans took with them clay pots, arm shells (toea) and yams among other goods to exchange for sago, logs for new lagatois and dogs teeth.

Those voyages also created a national language, Hiri Motu, a vernacular understood by the Motuans and their Erema trading partners.

It was an event that was looked forward to by the trading partners annually.

(Background information credit to Peter Sea, Post Courier, Port Moresby).

20 July 2009

PNG environmental and social responsible

The growing popularity of PNG as a destination has renewed government and operator interest in the need to protect the environment from exploitation and provide benefits to traditional land owners.

Organisations such as the recently re-vamped Kokoda Track Authority are seeking to manage the growing popularity of the track (over 6,000 visitors p.a.) by formalising the processes of collecting trekking and access fees from all trekkers, repatriating monies to local villages and communities and maintaining track integrity.

The progressive PNG Surf Association has introduced an industry-leading Code of Practice aimed at limiting visitor numbers to ensure an environmentally manageable number of surfers at any one time. An important aspect of the Code sees traditional land owners benefiting from visitation through better controls and distribution of monies received from operators. The benefit for surfers is a pristine environment and uncrowded surf breaks.

The dive industry manages the reefs and waterways to ensure longevity of their industry. World recognised reef eco-systems that surround PNG are irreplaceable and responsibly protected, befitting scuba divers, snorkelers and fishermen alike. Likewise those involved in wildlife photography or bird watching, the long term viability of which requiring minimal impact to the environment - so there is a high level of awareness of their surroundings.

Much of PNG’s population’s very existence is based on sustenance caught or harvested on a daily basis - subsistence living - and they have a natural predilection to maintaining resources.

15 July 2009

New cultural groups at 15th Mask Festival

One of Papua New Guinea’s biggest annual events is the Mask Festival in Kokopo in the East Britain taking place in July each year. The festival attracts many cultural groups from all over the country displaying their masks through performances and this year there were 2 new groups participating in the 3 day festival, the Mandara and Walogai. The last group has never left their home ground before, but this year for the first time the exception was made however the group had to obtain clearance from the custodian of rite.

Tourist from all over the world attended this colourful event and got a real feel for the Papuan culture.