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Milne Bay Culture
Milne Bay Culture is basically all about saving face. It is why so very often, Mine Bay people do not speak up about anything, not because they are dumb, but to allow and save the other person’s dignity in what would be an embarrassing situation. During marriage ceremonies, the grass skirt is a powerful totem. Since our traditional marriages are all about prestige and competition between the bride and the groom and their respective extended families in the display of traditional wealth, this can result in fights. This is also the only allowable time you can call your prospective in law names. When a woman holds up a grass skirt, fights and disputes cease. This is normally done as a last resort after the killing of pigs and dogs. Fights still occur if this is not adhered to.
Culturally, the dropping of the skirt is significant because it means the woman has suffered the indignity of exposing herself to maintain peace. Another time when this can occur is when she is pledging her innocence and denying any knowledge in the art and practice of witchcraft. Every woman is considered a witch regardless of whether she practices it or not by virtue of being a female in a matrilineal society. It is deemed that anybody dying of circumstances that cannot be explained in medical terms or logically is said to be killed by witchcraft. The woman being the matriarch is normally blamed for this. In some areas, women traditionally sent the men to war and did the magic necessary to ensure success. This was supposed to have been done through the practice of witchcraft. The women in every clan are responsible for the safety of their uncles, brothers and their own sons.
Within the province there are many distinct cultures due to the remoteness of the area. The western end of the Bay is the home of the 'lopo' or 'gebo', long war canoes that were paddled by up to fifty warriors for miles to raid enemy villages and bring home some fresh meat or a bride for the chief. The prows on the gebo or lopo are significant because of what they signal to the village being visited and the intentions of the warriors in the canoe. Every village has a clan that is normally specialised in carving and drawing the designs on the gebo and therefore can read these signals. There are signs for hostility and goodwill and the person in the village who possesses this knowledge must be very accurate and have good eye sight to see from afar and warn the village accordingly. This practice was eventually outlawed but the war canoes are still displayed in most hotels around Milne Bay and raced at the Canoe Festival in November. Tawala is the main language spoken around the Alotau area. Cameron High School has a cultural village in the grounds with life sized models of yam houses, village houses and decorations from each region.
There are seven groups of islands: the Trobriands, Woodlark, Laughlan, the Louisiade Archipelago, the Conflict Group, the Bwanabwana Group (in the China Straits) and the D'Entrecasteau Group. The names originate from a variety of explorers from as early as 1660. The island of Samarai in the China Straits is the gateway to the island chains of the Calvados, the Conflicts and the Engineers. Throughout the islands, white sandy beaches are surrounded by turquoise sea; islanders enjoy a traditional lifestyle and live in harmony with the greatest, bio diversity marine habitat in the world. These islands are a favourite with yachties from all over the world. The world-renowned Trobriand Islands, dubbed the "Islands of Love" by the anthropologist Malinowski, are hypnotic, romantic and captivating. This is the home of the famous yam festival in July. Yams are far more than a staple food in the Trobriands. The harvesting of the yams each year is the trigger for Milaa Mala, an ancient and very colourful festival with numerous rituals and ceremonies, culminating in seeing off the spirits sweeping through the islands from village to village. The Trobriand Islands alone are a major tourist destination and well worth a visit.
The D’Entrecasteaux group is different again with another language, Dobu. This is a smouldering, mysterious area of undercurrents. There are volcanoes, legendary female warriors, bubbling hot springs, stunningly beautiful bays and inlets and a vibrant and unique culture and dance style. These islands have extremely high mountains and species of birds of paradise only found here and some rare and indigenous plant life.
The north coast is the home of a very distinctive tribal group where taro is the main staple with traditional fasting and cleansing rituals before the taro is planted by men only. Rabaraba and Wedau have a traditional system of irrigation that results in large and heavy taro. For traditional dance, women wear pandanus skirts and the men wear tapa cloth and magnificent feather head dresses. Their culture is akin to that of Tufi in the Oro Province, which is where the two provinces share a common border.
Along the south coast of the mainland are the Suau speakers. This language stretches along the coast to the Samarai Island group. This is the area of good fishing, especially for barramundi and prawns and the coast joins with Central Province at Abau then continues to Port Moresby.
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About Milne Bay
Arts & Crafts
