On August 8th, 2023, I had the pleasure of traveling to Papua New Guinea. This adventure was undoubtedly different from my prior travels, as Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a place unlike any other. The culture, the tribes and the vibe are all unique. I spent just over three weeks in this country having some amazing experiences and learning as much as I possibly could about this largely ignored culture.
My travels throughout this amazing country are documented in six separate posts. You can see Papua New Guinea through my eyes by perusing the posts in the carousel below.
Papua New Guinea inspired me to introduce a new section to my travel blog. Cultural Snapshots will be where I will delve a bit further into certain aspects of the cultures I have encountered during my travels. I hope to provide my readers with a deeper look and first-hand knowledge that you simply cannot get from search engines.
In this Cultural Snapshot, I will be introducing you to the Enga people from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
The Enga People
Enga Province, one of seven provinces of the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea, is the second most rugged province after Chimbu. Even other Highlanders refer to Engans as true “mountain people”. Situated at the northernmost tip of the Highlands, Enga split from the Western Highlands when Papua New Guinea achieved independence in 1975.
Comprised of six districts (five districts by some accounts), and housing a quarter of a million people, Enga is very unique. Unlike other provinces in Papua New Guinea that speak a myriad of languages, the Enga region has only one major ethnic group and one language, both of which share the same name as the region.
Subsistence
Subsistence agriculturalists, the Engan people have developed a deep relationship with the land. Historically, sweet potato was the staple crop but it has since been joined by corn, peanuts, pumpkins, bananas and sugar cane. The modern diet includes rice, ramen noodles and canned fish or meat. Many Engans also raise pigs, which they will sometimes consume.
The Enga are also known for traditional salt making. Their salt is derived locally from a specific tree. The trees are left in a salt lake for several weeks allowing the salt to dissolve. Once the salt has dissolved, the wood is dried and burned and the salt is strained from the ashes. Salt is particularly valuable when trading between provinces and also as currency when purchasing a bride.
Tee Ceremony
While Engans consume pork, the importance of pigs as currency transcends their value as a food item. A man’s status is directly measured by the number of pigs he owns. Pigs are the basic item of exchange for bride-wealth, major purchases and compensation payments.
The Hagen and Goroka Festivals and the Tee ceremony were all created to encourage enemies from different clans to reconcile group animosities.
Despite strong inter-clan ties, the Engans, like many Highland groups, have a long history of tribal fighting. In the 1850s, Engan leaders established a system to reduce violence – the Tee ceremony. In the Engan language, the word “tee” means “to ask for”. During Tee ceremonies, men offer pigs, money and other gifts to their enemies as compensation for deaths or to right real or perceived wrongs. If the pig is given as recompense for a death, the clan of the deceased performs a mock attack on the giver in order to receive compensation.
It is through these ceremonies that men would demonstrate their influence and wealth, as well as clan wealth. Tee ceremonies also created exchange networks between clans and tribes.
There is also a larger, more complex exchange ceremony known as the Mamaku Tee ceremony. This ceremony takes place between Engans and other Highlanders, who exchange pigs, bilums (string bags), and kina shells. In fact, the word “Mamaku” actually means kina shell. Kina shells are highly prized in the Highlands and these ceremonies encouraged trade between Highlanders and tribes hailing from the coastal regions where the shells were found. Similar to other traditions in Papua New Guinea, the exchanges are slowly disappearing.
Rite of Passage
In Engan culture, young males used to undergo a rite of passage called “sangai”. During this initiation ceremony, boys remained in seclusion in order to purify themselves. During the purification process, their eyes were ritually washed with water symbolically removing any trace of contact with women. The young men were also instructed in the rich oral history of their tribe during this period.
Governance
Leadership is not inherited in Engan culture, it is achieved on merit. Men become leaders by demonstrating their skill at warfare, their knowledge of rituals, strong oratory skills, and charisma. Leadership is traditionally a male domain, but the Enga have had a number of female leaders.
Suli Muli
One of the more easily recognized Engan tribes is the Suli Muli. While the name and history of the tribe is shrouded in mystery, it is believed that the term Suli Muli finds its roots in the melody of a song sung by a local artist from Madang Province. One of the most interesting aspects of Suli Muli culture is their use of black face paint.
The Suli Muli believe that black paint symbolizes strength and identity, and it is worn by both sexes. The paint is made from a mixture of charcoal, ash, and oil, and it is applied to the face in intricate patterns that vary from person to person. The patterns are often symbolic and represent important elements of Suli Muli culture, such as the sun, the moon, and the stars. In addition to their use of black face paint, the Suli Muli people coat their bodies with clay, mud and oil from plants and pig fat.
Men
The men don giant hats made of their own hair, moss and plant fibers similar to those worn by the Huli Wigmen from Hela. Their distinctive round headdresses, a symbol of Engan culture, are topped with feathers of birds of paradise, eagles, and parrots. Like the Wigmen, they also have an impressive presence in any space they occupy.
Women
Suli Muli women also wear giant hats but theirs are made of moss and plant fibers. The women also practice facial tattoos, sometimes with a complicated design covering the entire face.
Ceremonial Dance
When performing, the men form spear lines or circles and jump up and down in unison to the beat of the kundu drums while they chant. The two most famous ceremonial dances are the “Mali and Shangai”. Mali is performed by both men and women and it is most often called the social dance. Shangai is performed after the traditional manhood initiation.
