Compiling family trees
By TUKUL WALLA KAIKU
ONE has only to pay a visit to the National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea at Waigani to note surprisingly the number of Papua New Guinean villagers and or town dwellers who constantly flock there to consult government records in the hope of finding clues to their genealogies as well as customary land and territorial ownership histories.
According to one definition, genealogy and or genealogies also known as a family tree refers to a record or records and or tables of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors.
For those who go to the National Archives to consult records relating to their genealogies a number of disappoints can occur.
Firstly, there is usually very little or no information on peoples genealogies and or territorial land ownership histories.
Secondly information searchers literally force the records, which were written, created and compiled by government officials on subject matters relating to government business to provide them the information they require.
In most instances valuable records such as patrol reports, which are widely used for such purposes, are consulted leading to their wear and tear and thus reduction of their life span.
Papua New Guineas do not realize that the records of government held at the National Archives do not contain their genealogies and land histories because not even our ancestors have documented such so that these would have been deposited at the National Archives.
So how long will such information seekers and users venture to the National Archives to seek information on their genealogies and land histories?
In particular what steps should Papua New Guineans take for the documenting and compiling of their genealogies? And which organizations should assist people with this little known but important task?
As far as one can ascertain, the issue of genealogies in this country is one of those tasks, which Papua New Guineans have never addressed nor taken the time to have institutionalized either into the Public Service or the churches or the Local-level Governments and or the communities.
And if the people of Vanuatu another of our Melanesian neighbors can be documenting their culturally significant traditions, what is the problem with us in Papua New Guinea?
To begin with at the national level we have the necessary cultural institutions, legacies of our colonial past in the form of the National Cultural Commission.
It is understood that a National Cultural Commission is a national organization responsible for the preservation, protection and promotion of significant cultural traditions and places and sites.
At the provincial level there are members of the national parliament for each province and the provincial administrator and public servants who are responsible for government and administration of their respective provinces. This includes provision for cultural services there.
At the district level, there is a district administrator and staff who are charged with ensuring that government and administration is geared towards developing the districts as well as the aspirations of the people within those districts. Within the districts are the local-level governments with their elected members and staff. And there are churches as well in the provinces, districts and in the local-level government areas.
So, what happens now? Do we continue to wait for someone to compile our genealogies for us or can someone work with the communities and nurture a culture of appreciation for our cultures and documenting these so that the necessary information is captured, document and available for use.

The author is a lecturer in Information and Communication Studies, School of Humanities at the University of Papua New Guinea.
Weekender Stories