- 11 years ago
Documentary / Family (2008) 52 minutes ~ Color
In the western islands of the Louisiade Archipelago, Ben Cropp discovers the white mans influence on the lands indigenous communities. He decides to embark further east to the remotest islands of the archipelago. At the Island of Panawina, villagers are conducting a traditional wake all in ceremonial dress. Ben has stepped back in time, and films the dances and traditional swapping of shell necklaces and ceremonial axes.
Stars: Ben Cropp
In the western islands of the Louisiade Archipelago, Ben Cropp discovers the white mans influence on the lands indigenous communities. He decides to embark further east to the remotest islands of the archipelago. At the Island of Panawina, villagers are conducting a traditional wake all in ceremonial dress. Ben has stepped back in time, and films the dances and traditional swapping of shell necklaces and ceremonial axes.
Stars: Ben Cropp
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The Battle of the Coral Sea brought Eastern Papua New Guinea out of the Stone Age.
00:07I'm exploring the remote Lusiard Archipelago in search of island communities who still
00:12practice the old ways.
00:15They fish the Blue Lagoon from frail canoes and retain their traditional stories in their
00:20dancing.
00:22How rare and wonderful to find such places still exist in the Lusiard Archipelago.
00:36On Messamah Island, our guide Sinod takes us into their past, their headhunting days.
00:43So, there are men there, and the headman is here, and from the headman, a person gives
00:58the skull to the headman and goes in there.
01:01Lynn Sutherland and Dian Costa squeeze down to where they stored their gruesome trophies.
01:09OK, so as the men come down to this headman here, giving the skull, that the headman will
01:17put the skull in order to battle how many people are killed, will be stored in here.
01:27Am I allowed to touch it?
01:32So, can you tell if it's a male or a female?
01:35That I cannot be able to tell you whether it's a female or a male.
01:48The Japanese advance south was stopped here at the Deboyne Islands, and we look for several
01:54wrecks that were sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
01:57Hi, can you show us where the plane wreck is please, the zero just out here?
02:07Do you mind?
02:08Save us a lot of looking.
02:18The propeller blade was bent on impact with the water.
02:22My other crew member, Nick Slipper, imagines he's the pilot on that fateful day.
02:39The islands were touched by war, born of disputes half a world away.
02:44The Japanese base was pummeled on May 7, 1942, and the tide of the war turned.
02:52The Japanese base was bombed on May 7, 1942.
02:57The Japanese base was bombed on May 7, 1942.
03:23On Freedom 3, I run east to the Lousiard Archipelago.
03:33These are really beautiful islands.
03:35I know, they're everywhere, they're a big line, a whole chain of them running right
03:38along the Lousiards, and I'm going to really visit all of them.
03:43What are you looking for then?
03:45I'm hoping to find something.
03:47I'm going to really visit all of them.
03:49What are you looking for then?
03:51I'm hoping to find a village that still lives the old ways of life.
03:56There must be somewhere where there's not too much outside influence.
03:59What do you mean by outside influence?
04:02T-shirts, hats, like we wear, you know, that'll be obvious.
04:06But if we can find a village where the women are still in grass skirts, bare-breasted,
04:11then that's the place.
04:13In a narrow pass through the barrier reef, Nick hooks a nice fish.
04:24Lunch.
04:25We anchor beside an uninhabited island with a clear lagoon.
04:29So enticing for a swim.
04:44A few hours later.
05:04That's Brooker, and I'm just looking for a pass through the reef into the lagoon.
05:09That looks like it's there.
05:12The charts of this area are old. Navigation is difficult.
05:19The hillside garden plots are conspicuous.
05:23There are toilets too.
05:32That looks a bit too modern, doesn't it?
05:34Yeah, it looks very much like Serbia back home.
05:36But behind here we've got the old village.
05:39That's much more attractive.
05:43We've got a reception.
05:45We've got the whole island out.
05:48Hello.
05:55Lots of children, lots of kids.
05:58These all yours?
06:01Only half of them.
06:03There is a sense of order here.
06:05The streets are signposted and laid out.
06:08The huts raised to stop pigs running through.
06:11We talk to the people, and their problems are universal.
06:15The women's concerns are of childbirth, infant mortality,
06:19and infidelity of husbands when they go in canoes to the other islands.
06:26Bye-bye.
06:35I watch Amy making a clay pot.
06:56Jotty's come to Broca to buy its pottery and other crafts.
07:01For 50?
07:03I'll try it. If it works, I'll buy it off you.
07:08Let's see if that's a good deal.
07:10Here's your money.
07:26One, two, three, go!
07:36We leave these happy people, for Broca is not what I'm searching for.
07:40They are clinging to tradition in a cyclone of change.
07:44We clear the narrow entrance and navigate to Pananumara Island.
07:56This is a pretty island.
07:59Hello Bernard, how are you?
08:01Beautiful island, beautiful.
08:06Bernard George gives us a grand tour.
08:09I'm Diane.
08:11This is dried fish? Smoked fish?
08:13Yes, smoked fish.
08:15Take a week, keep a week.
08:17Oh, that's good.
08:19You have no refrigerator here.
08:28Turtles are still on the menu.
08:31There is a limited move from subsistence to the money economy.
08:38It's Sunday, and there's nothing like a Pananumara church service.
08:52The Pananumara church service is held every Sunday.
08:56It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:00It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:03It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:06It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:09It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:12It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:15It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:19It's a celebration of the Pananamara people.
09:25This is a beautiful place, Lynne.
09:27I mean, the people are friendly, but this is not what I'm looking for.
09:31You can see there are a few modern influences, like this tin shed.
09:35I think we've got to get further east, a long way east of here.
09:39The Lusiard Archipelago is encompassed by the world's largest lagoon,
09:44110 nautical miles long.
09:47We, like the islanders, take our food from this bountiful sea.
09:52OK, there he is.
09:54My first...
10:00...blue spot trevally.
10:02There you go. Sorry, little fella, but you make good tucker.
10:07That's Panawena Island.
10:09It's actually split down the middle. It's got a river running right through it.
10:12And there's three villages there.
10:15And a yachtie told me that when he was in there, the women had brass skirts.
10:26Ooh, looks like they have some bananas.
10:33What would you like? Cigarettes?
10:36Biscuit? You have one biscuit each.
10:39Biscuit for you. Yum!
10:42And one biscuit for you.
10:44Hello!
10:47Hello Stephen, how are you? Ben.
10:50That's a fish for you.
10:51Thank you very much.
10:53For everyone.
10:57The insular nature of this area meant that for many centuries after its discovery in 1606,
11:03parts of it were unknown to the outside world.
11:07Then came the missionaries, gold miners, blackbirders, traders, planters, and soldiers.
11:13Fortunately, in its eastern extremity, the discoveries had little effect on the people.
11:18That's why we have come here.
11:25They say betel nut, Papua New Guinea lipstick.
11:31So is there any special way I should do it?
11:35That's very heavy.
11:38Okay.
11:44No, no, no, sorry.
11:50We are fortunate in meeting Robert Nelson here, and he becomes our guide for the rest of the trip.
12:00So they learn all that traditional stuff at school.
12:03So the dances, and all about the background, the village.
12:08Ah, that's wonderful.
12:14It's called the spear dance, when once they were warriors.
12:33The kids love it when Lin joins in the cone dance.
12:43We go back to freedom and replay the video for the kids.
13:14Where the river cuts the island in two, the mangrove swamp hides many mud crabs.
13:24It's dirty work to find them.
13:28Two women from Bomalau village are helping us to catch a feed.
13:33Don't get lost in the mud.
13:36Whoa, here's one. Look.
13:39Nick, crab.
13:42All right. Well, you saw him, mate. You catch him.
13:45Okay, hold it down so I can get more.
13:48Okay, hold it down so I can get more.
13:51Okay, hold it down so I can get more.
13:54Well, you saw him, mate. You catch him.
13:57Okay, hold it down so I can get more.
14:00Okay, hold it down so I can get more.
14:03Okay, hold it down so I can get more.
14:06Okay, hold it down so I can get more.
14:09You are one lucky crab, because you know what? You don't have big enough claws.
14:12But, your fighting days are over. Do I just let him go?
14:15Yep, yep, but quickly, that's it.
14:18Feisty fella.
14:24No way would I put my bare hands in there.
14:27No way would I put my bare hands in there.
14:30There, maybe two.
14:33Two?
14:36Yeah, two.
14:39Two big males?
14:42Man and woman.
14:45Big crabs.
14:48Wow.
14:51Now I know why they are so dark.
14:57The female is released.
15:16Yep, here we go.
15:19Oh, it's huge.
15:22Oh, it's huge.
15:25Okay, you want me to get ready?
15:28Okay, you want me to get ready?
15:31Okay, you want me to get ready?
15:34Good catch.
15:37Catch of the day.
15:40That was some good spotting there, Nick.
15:43Okay, mate.
15:46Open first? Open the inside only?
15:49Ah, and that is the line.
15:52Ah, okay, yes, I've seen the line before.
15:55When natives take a break, it's always beetle nut time.
16:01Oh my goodness, I've found Papa New Guinean woman with black hair, blonde hair.
16:04Oh my goodness, I've found Papa New Guinean woman with black hair, blonde hair.
16:07Oh my goodness, I've found Papa New Guinean woman with black hair, blonde hair.
16:10Oh, it smells beautiful.
16:13Thanks, darling.
16:19Hey, what's up, my brother?
16:22Hey, what's up, my brother?
16:25Good style.
16:28Are the crabs okay, Nick?
16:31The crabs are good.
16:34What's up?
16:38It's dirty work.
16:55Good.
16:58Thank you, girls. Thank you very much.
17:01And thank you very much.
17:04Fresh mud crabs.
17:07We've been looking forward to this. There you are, Diane.
17:13Really good.
17:24It's an age-old ritual.
17:34Excellent.
17:43The prepared food will be eaten later after the villagers have completed the task of planting a new garden.
17:46The prepared food will be eaten later after the villagers have completed the task of planting a new garden.
17:49We offer to help too.
17:52Yams are their staple diet.
17:55Coconuts too.
18:04I'm hungry.
18:29Ah.
18:32That looks fantastic.
18:44The men leave first. The garden is high up on the hill.
18:52Stakes are cut to turn over the new soil.
18:56It's hot, hard work. Chanting helps.
19:07Now it's the women's turn.
19:14These baskets of yams will be the seedlings.
19:25Chanting helps.
19:41Chanting helps.
19:44Chanting helps.
19:53The seedlings must be blessed to assure a successful harvest.
19:56The garden owner, Sigi, prepares his magic potion.
20:03He is using these herbs as a magic fertilizer.
20:08And he has to spit on it
20:12and then get this water within the clay pot next to the yam seeds.
20:19Then they have to squeeze on the yam seeds there
20:23before they put the yam seeds in the basket and then start planting the new garden.
20:33Sigi plants his special seedlings with a spit and tender care.
20:42That's pretty good, Lyn.
20:45Both girls are improving in the women's way of carrying food.
20:49All right, just be careful because this is a magic garden.
20:55That's pretty good, Lyn.
20:58Both girls are improving in the women's way of carrying food.
21:18As custom dictates, Sigi, as the garden owner,
21:22puts on the food to feed his willing helpers.
21:42In their custom, a man must give a bribe to the woman
21:46In their custom, a man must give a bride's parent a gift of shell money.
21:51It takes two weeks to grind, cut and drill enough shell pieces to make one necklace.
22:15It takes two weeks to grind, cut and drill enough shell pieces to make one necklace.
22:27Robert, I've been watching you eat the betel nut all the time.
22:30Can I try some?
22:33Okay, if you want.
22:36It's your half?
22:39Half, yeah. I just put it in and chew it.
22:42It's like a lime on a betel nut, and on a mustard.
22:50It's like a tangy feeling through my tongue.
22:53And how long do I chew it for?
22:56It won't take you for an hour.
22:59It's about some minutes and then you can swallow it off.
23:02And it's okay to swallow it?
23:05Swallow it, or else just throw the betel nut out again.
23:08I notice my ears are starting to go a bit warmish.
23:12Oh yeah, like when you're having a beer.
23:15Yeah, like a few beers.
23:20Hello Peter, how are you?
23:23Pleased to meet you.
23:30Logs do make good bottom scratchers.
23:36Robert takes us to another primitive village
23:39on the other side of Panawina Island.
23:42It's called Panabara.
23:48Hello.
23:51I got you a present.
23:54Thanks, this is great.
23:57What's your name? I'm Michael.
24:00Michael, I'm Nick. Nice to meet you.
24:03And a very clean one.
24:06In preparation for a wake to honour a villager
24:09who died two weeks ago.
24:12There will be a feast, so the men go out on the reef
24:15to spear some fish.
24:21Their equipment is primitive
24:24and effective in spearing only small fish.
24:36I'm going to spear a log.
25:07It is custom to parade their catch through the village.
25:22This chanting breaks the silence of a two weeks morning period.
25:26The wake is called Hanilogi.
25:29It frees the relatives to return to a normal village life.
25:32According to custom, the speared fish
25:35are placed on the wall of the deceased hut
25:38where the door has been closed for two weeks.
25:43Now gifts are brought to the hut
25:46and the widower inside opens the door to receive those gifts
25:49of shell money and ceremonial axes.
26:06Rocks form a base for the cooking pots.
26:16The fish will be cooked in coconut juice.
26:35The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:38The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:41The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:44The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:47The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:50The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:53The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:56The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
26:59The fish is cooked in coconut oil.
27:02The women want to look their best in custom make-up.
27:05The women want to look their best in custom make-up.
27:14Diane's invited to join them.
27:32The women are excited.
27:53Next comes an important ritual.
27:56The relatives and family members of the deceased
27:59bring lots of gifts of stone axes and shell necklaces.
28:22The wealth receiver man checks out the gifts
28:25and approves it is sufficient.
28:28Diane is the cousin of the dead person
28:31collecting the gifts on her behalf.
28:34They must represent the value of the work
28:37the deceased did for the village when she was alive.
28:41That fish cooked in coconut juice smells great.
28:44That fish cooked in coconut juice smells great.
29:11This is their national anthem.
29:36It's the signal for the kids to come out
29:39and perform the net fishing dance.
30:09The boy in the tree is spotting fish.
30:12It's the Kos-Kos fishing line dance.
30:25The fishing line is taught.
30:28The catch pulled in.
30:39The fish are caught.
31:00Coconut trees are like convenient drink stalls.
31:03In our jungle walk, we stop for a refreshing drink.
31:10Very good.
31:29Very good.
31:32Better than beer.
31:36Nice.
31:43No need to bring a packed lunch either.
31:59Our native friends are searching the jungle for the Bolao root.
32:02Over years by trial and error,
32:05they have discovered the root has poisonous qualities
32:08and often put it to good or bad use.
32:33This is the Bolao root that they've just got.
32:36It's a poison root.
32:39And we're going out now out on the reef
32:42and they're going to try and poison the fish with this root.
33:02The crushed roots emit a cloud of poison
33:05that will stun the fish.
33:16If the roots are crushed again, more poison will flow.
33:35They wait 10 minutes, then search for the victims.
34:06Stop.
34:22Stop.
34:25We don't do very much killing these small fish
34:28because we have not much fish anymore.
34:32That's wise, because the unwanted baby fish die too.
34:38We decide to explore the outer reach of the barrier reef
34:41where there has been no impact from local fishing.
35:02Out here along the coral wall, it's pristine.
35:25Yellow snapper cloud our view.
35:32The wall plunges to a depth of over 400 metres.
35:55On the reef top in the shallows,
35:59a reef shark is on a mission.
36:02It's chasing a mate.
36:10It becomes obvious both sharks are an item
36:13when we find a small cave where their baby sharks hide.
36:29Now that's a big cod.
36:32100 kilos at least.
36:42On the lagoon side of the reef,
36:45a graceful dancer meets us.
36:59The sandy bottom is a great place to hide.
37:02Others use the coral as camouflage,
37:05like the venomous stonefish.
37:09The sandy bottom is a great place to hide.
37:12Others use the coral as camouflage,
37:15like the venomous stonefish.
37:39The little wrasse is cleaning parasites from the Trevally.
37:47The dive has been fascinating, but taken us deep.
37:50We do not want to ascend, but our air is hot.
37:53We do not want to ascend, but our air is hot.
37:56The dive has been fascinating, but taken us deep.
37:59We do not want to ascend, but our air is hot.
38:02has been fascinating, but taken us deep. We do not want to ascend, but our air is low.
38:08Sailing canoes cross our path as we head for Saburai Island.
38:20Tandi Ai village shelters among a cluster of little islands.
38:29We are greeted by a flotilla of toy canoes. The inevitable canoes come out to trade.
38:53Soon we have lots of kids on board. The girls keep up a routine of morning exercise on the
39:00bow. The friendly village kids join in.
39:20The sailing canoes we saw on our crossing came from this village. They need to sail
39:25to the next island to tend their gardens, for Saburai Island is an uplifted coral reef,
39:31and the jungle clings to porous limestone rocks.
39:41It seems we are running into funeral wakes wherever we go. It's now happening on our
39:47arrival. The widow and family are painted black. It's the second custom stage two years
39:56after the person died, when the widow will be freed from her respectable period of mourning.
40:05Two cousins are the wealth receivers, and they call for the gifts to be brought out.
40:25Now the cousins collect all the gifts. One good reason why grass skirts still prevail
40:31here is that these natives are simply too poor to dress the modern way, and any money
40:37that they may have is given up in ceremonies like this one.
41:05The little wealth is passed around when people die, and stays in the community.
41:18the wealth receivers, but it will turn around in the feast that follows.
41:36The women must now wash the black from their bodies.
41:46The widow's grass skirt is cut short as a final ritual. Now she is free to marry again.
41:53She is dressed up and anointed with oil so as to look attractive as a single woman again.
42:19But there will be few suitors, as there are many widows, for the life expectancy is around 50 years.
42:49The celebrations are short-lived. That night the chief's brother dies, and we go on a mercy
43:09mission the next morning.
43:39Missionaries have converted all the people. My own father was a missionary at an island north of here where I was born.
43:51So the burial is in the Christian way, and the two wakes that follow are their custom way.
44:09Chief Joe is asking his people to go out and catch lots of fish to feed the many people
44:39who have come for the funeral.
44:47The little beach is crowded with visiting canoes.
45:09It's a good catch, but still not enough to feed all the people.
45:38Two large canoes set sail for the western point of Saburai Island.
45:50Here beside the limestone outcrops, they will set their nets.
46:00The canoes are firmly set in the lagoon floor. A net is attached in a V formation running to two more poles.
46:14The net is custom made with seashell weights and wooden floats.
46:24One pole makes the net is hanging correctly, and the second canoe comes in with another net.
46:38More poles are pushed into the sand, and the second net is set around the first to make sure no fish can escape.
46:48When they see a shoal of fish move in, they drive them toward the nets.
47:18When they see a shoal of fish move in, they drive them toward the nets.
47:28When they see a shoal of fish move in, they drive them toward the nets.
47:38A larger shoal is spotted and driven into the trap.
48:02A larger shoal is spotted and driven into the trap.
48:30There's enough fish to feed the entire village.
48:35Robert shows us a legendary sea cave near the village.
48:46The guardian is a sea krait, two meters long.
48:59So Robert, what's the idea of this cave here, and the way the rocks are formed in circles here?
49:05This cave meant for this island people here, living on this island, to plan out for these tribal bites.
49:12So they always come around here in secret, so nobody knows what's the plan going on about the tribal war.
49:18These are one of the only sea snakes that actually lay their eggs on land.
49:43So that's why she's come up?
49:44I'd say so.
49:45Yeah.
49:48I guess this is the moment where I should stay very still.
49:51Yeah.
49:52Coming nice and close now.
49:53Have you ever been that close to a snake before?
49:55I've never been this close to a snake like this before, no.
49:59They're only extremely poisonous.
50:02Okay, great. That makes me feel even better.
50:05But they have to actually bite you, and they have to get their fangs in.
50:09They tend to mouth first before they bite.
50:12Okay, and so what would that, like they just take a taste of you or something?
50:16Yeah, you'll see a tongue comes out, and she'll feel you before she actually bites you.
50:21It's the biting part I don't think I'd like too much.
50:29Look at this other one. That's in there.
50:31It's a lot smaller though than the...
50:33Oh yeah, maybe that's a partner.
50:36Could be. Could be. That could be the daddy.
50:40Look at that one. Aren't they gorgeous?
50:43As long as they stay on land though.
50:46They're actually more venomous than land snakes.
50:48Sea snakes, huh?
50:50Yeah.
50:51But they find it very hard to bite you.
50:53Oh, okay.
50:55This secret cave was used up to 70 years ago by the headhunting chiefs and elders.
51:01The warfare strategy they planned to protect their village is told in this dance.
51:15The man in the mask planned the war in the cave.
51:19The man with the spear is the enemy.
51:22The female dancers lure the enemy to come closer,
51:26Time stands still here in the Lusiad Archipelago.
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