Ceremonial dances now performed for modern shows
By NAOMI FAIK-SIMET
INITIATION ceremonies were a vital part of Yangoru cultural life in East Sepik province.
Both female and male initiation ceremonies contributed immensely to the socio-political roles of men and women in Yangoru society.
Research carried out in the late 1970s up to the early 1990s by foreign researchers and anthropologists has shown that many of the ceremonial performances and rituals that were a common practice in the past have now declined.
This is attributed to European influences in the form of Christianity and educational opportunities.
In addition to this is the lack of interest by the young who are not concerned about the significance of these performances. They are not keen to learn from their elders about the many traditions that exist.
As a result, many of the cultural practices and beliefs associated with traditional ceremonies have declined with time.
Some cultural groups in Yangoru have tried to revive these ritual performances through their participation in modern shows and festivals. However, the difficult part of this is the change in terms of its contexts.
Cultural performances that are performed in modern contexts are prone to change to suit modern expectations. A good number of these cultural groups aim to make money before they can perform or participate in a modern show or festival. Many of the dances performed for shows and festivals are only parts of actual ceremonial performances that take place in traditional contexts.
For instance, the Hasa Lomo cultural group, which originates from Kworabri in the Yangoru area of East Sepik province, is a registered cultural group that promotes their culture through dance and music performances.
In 2006, the Hasa Lomo cultural group performed ceremonial dances at the 5th National Mambu Na Garamut Festival in Wewak. Their aim was to promote and revive ceremonial dance and music performances associated with garamut playing (slit drums).
One particular performance was called telekrie, which is seldom performed nowadays. This performance only takes place when a young girl has her first menstruation. It is performed to celebrate her transition from a young girl to a woman. The use of garamut is important to the whole performance, known as hama mie (garamut and song).
There have been various concerns from the local people that this particular female initiation ceremony is dying away. To revive such performances in modern shows and festivals is a very complex issue. Initiation ceremonies and related performances should be revived in their traditional settings to instil the value and meaning of those performances. These special performances are participatory and do not require an audience. They can only be performed for a certain audience. Today, we are losing our old people who are the custodians of traditional knowledge. This knowledge must be learned by the young to enable its continuity. If nothing is done, the only place to view snippets of these performances will be at modern shows and festivals. Modern shows and festivals are now providing the venue for many of our cultural performances to be revived. The organisers of these shows and festivals should be commended for their efforts in promoting and maintaining our cultural heritage. The participants on the other hand should be encouraged to also revive some of these special performances in their traditional settings and not only wait to perform parts of them at modern shows and festivals.

* The writer is a dance researcher with the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies.
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