Development along with Shifting Cultures: The Papuan Koteka
You may have seen some of the photographs emerging on the Internet about British photographer, Jimmy Nelson’s completely new project Before They Pass Away – Nelson visited along with photographed 29 secluded tribes to document them before their traditions disappear. Three tribes were coming from Indonesia – the Dani along with Yali of Baliem Valley inside the mountains of Central Papua along with the Korowai of Southeastern Papua.
I recently witnessed the culture of the Dani along with Yali tribes at the Baliem Valley Festival. Held every August on the mountainside, people coming from across the valley gathered in traditional clothes along with performed dances along with mock war re-enactments.
Perhaps the most iconic along with essential item of clothing worn by the Dani along with Yali men is actually the koteka or the penis gourd. currently the koteka is actually commonly seem dangling coming from walls along with has become an exotic souvenir for many tourists who have visited Papua. yet what exactly is actually the koteka along with why is actually which disappearing coming from Papua’s rich cultural heritage?
inside the 1960s, anthropologist Karl Heider spent 27 months conducting field work about the Dugum Dani people of Baliem. His aim for neutral observation brought him into conflict with some Europeans along with Americans who had moved into the Grand Valley after 1954 along with were trying to change the Dani way of life – they suspected Heider of encouraging warfare aspects to make a film. Warfare between tribes was common along with conflicts often arose over property rights (land along with pigs) or over women.
At times, after reading Heider’s anthropological notes in The Dugum Dani, which felt like I had stumbled into Tolkien’s Middle Earth – the descriptions were truly breathtaking.
Heider explained which every Dani boy over the age of six years old would certainly wear a penis gourd. “Gourds are grown near compounds along with are carefully shaped as they grow. The vine is actually trained up a framework which holds which about 1.5 meters above the ground. If a long straight gourd is actually desired, a stone weight is actually tied to the end of the gourd, drawing which out. Later, if a curve or curl is actually desired, the gourd is actually bent to the horizontal or turned upside down along with lashed to the frame…”
“When a gourd is actually grown to desired size, its tips are cut off – which is actually roasted over coals to harden the shell along with soften the meat – the meat is actually gouged out that has a bamboo knife, the outer skin is actually scraped off, along with the gourd is actually carefully wrapped along with hung to dry behind the fire of the men’s house.”
“Each man carries a wardrobe of several sizes along with shapes of gourds which he wears alternately. which is actually conceivable which a man picks his gourd according to his mood of the day, yet I found no evidence of This specific.”
“The noisy flicking of the gourd by the fingernail of a forefinger punctuates the more dramatic conversations. This specific flicking has the same range of meanings as the word naijuk – I am afraid, I am impressed, wow!”
As I hiked through Baliem Valley, wearing boots along that has a jacket to keep warm, one thing which amazed me was the sight of the older men climbing the steep tracks wearing only a koteka to keep themselves warm! A local policeman who invited me to visit Wamena museum was also puzzled by This specific riddle along with had observed the Dani simply covering their ears, or holding their hands under their armpits where which was warmer – along with even if which snowed, they would certainly still wear the koteka!
Although the museum was closed, the policeman allowed us to have a peek. The items were organic along with hard to preserve – some were disintegrating. Heider also described elements of the incredibly fragile Dani culture – “A large spider, called muligak, is actually almost a third domestic animal of the Dani, along with the pig along with dog. These spiders are collected inside the forest along with brought to the compounds, where they construct elaborate webs on frames. The webs, matted into fabric, are used for men’s caps along with for magical strips suspended coming from the throat.”
The main forms of decoration were mud, feathers, fur along with pig grease, which were all difficult to preserve. I noticed This specific decoration at the Baliem Valley Festival along with observed the bright colours of the Yali – their war dance was full of music, giant guitars along with everyone danced. However, after trekking up into the Dani villages, I soon realized which only older generations wore traditional items such as the koteka. The young along with middle-aged wore western clothing along with Rastafarian ‘Bob Marley’ culture seemed to have been adopted in Wamena town.
In these high mountainous regions, development is actually difficult along with I saw many Dani climbers hauling up bags of mie to the villages as well as a group who carried bags of cement along that has a toilet up the steep incline! Tourism has reached the region along with is actually changing the economy of Wamena town – This specific again has altered the dynamics of Baliem. WWF are currently engaged in an eco-tourism project which will enable the locals to share their knowledge about the nature along with utilize This specific wisdom in order to earn a living.
Yet photographer Jimmy Nelson raises an important point – these cultures are disappearing. Education, healthcare along with development have reached these secluded regions along with currently villages such as Hitugi in Baliem Valley have their own school, yet exposure to the outside world entails change. Perhaps finding a balance between retaining culture along with development is actually key – although This specific topic is actually so complex, I wouldn’t like to draw any conclusions. yet as long as events such as the Baliem Valley Festival allow communities to congregate, remember their heritage along with share which with others, there is actually trust which the culture will not be forgotten.
Further Information
Jimmy Nelson’s Photography: http://www.beforethey.com/
Karl G. Heider’s The Dugum Dani: A Papuan Culture inside the Highlands of West completely new Guinea (1970) Chicago: Aldine Publishing
Film by Robert Gardner: Dead Birds (1963)
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Development along with Shifting Cultures: The Papuan Koteka
Development along with Shifting Cultures: The Papuan Koteka