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Rofundogum village prepares for mask festival
By GABRIEL FITO
Rofundogum village is situated on the
Sepik plain between the main Sepik Highway and Timbunke on the
Sepik River.
It is a village where culture and tradition is truly alive and
active among young and old alike.
The village will host a mini "Masks and Garamut" festival on May
26 to mark the opening of its new "Haus Tambaran" (spirit house).
At the forefront of preparations for this event is the Rofundogum
Cultural Group.
I met members of this cultural group during the fifth Garamut na
Mambu Festival in Wewak in September last year.
More than nine cultural groups from East Sepik, two from Madang
and one each from Morobe, Eastern Highlands and East New Britain
participated in the event held at the Sepik showground.
Three primary schools in Wewak namely Kaindi, Yarapos and St
Mary's also participated in the two-day show.
The students' participation was made possible by the generous
support of Lae Biscuit Company under its favorite Snax cracker
brand with funding of K2000.
Wewak MP Kimson Kare, deputy governor Moses Burr and National
Cultural Commission director Dr Jacob Simet were among a number of
dignitaries who witnessed and enjoyed the festival.
As the PNG flag was raised the Rofundogum Cultural Group thrilled
the crowd, tourists and locals alike, with their rendition of the
National Anthem and pledge in a truly traditional manner.
That was five months ago. Recently I was greeted by members of
this group when I visited their village.
I was among a group of tourism and culture officers from East
Sepik who wanted to see whether their display at the Garamut na
Mambu festival was truly alive in their village.
We were driven to Rofundogum village on the Sausse Auxillary
Community Auxillary Police vehicle courtesy of Rofundogum Cultural
Group.
Tourism Officer Edward Meata, Culture and Sports Officers Leo
Balthazar and Larry Lavai and I were met on arrival by a singsing
group and led to the area where the new Haus Tambaran is being
erected.
Mr Meata encouraged the villagers to include trekking as one of
its products for tourists because the area has geographical
features that would attract trekkers.
Rofundogum Culture Group director Nick Jerifia told National that
the village had a host of other products to offer to tourists.
They include Haus Tambaran, museum, guest house, springs, kunai
grass burning, wild pig catching and tumbuna singsing.
After a traditional welcome dance and of course the National
Anthem and National Pledge and General Salute the villagers
started beating the Rofundogum garamut (slit drum).
There were five garamuts, all very old but capable of lasting
another 50 years if they are properly cared for.
The longest of them is about five meters but no one could say when
it was made.
In another house close-by we found masks being tucked away on a
shelve just above our heads. There we found two big masks that
were displayed for the first time at the Garamut na Mambu Festival
last September.
These masks are considered very sacred and therefore my first
attempt for a photograph was turned down because of the presence
of women and children.
Just next to the garamut house was skeleton of a new House
Tambaran. A group of builders supervised by a very old man who had
a wealth of knowledge of how the unique house was built during his
childhood days has been working on the replacement since last
October after the first one erected by their forefathers more than
40 years ago collapsed.
After the speeches and sight seeing we were again invited and led
by the singsing group to Rofundogum Cultural Group Director Nick
Jefiria's residence for a truly traditional Sepik meal.
On the menu was wild pig meat and nangu (sago), fried sago, taro,
creamed sago with pork, taro with pig, greens and kulau wara
(young coconut) to quench our thirst.
We were farewelled with a song and a guard of honor.
The people's smiling faces, friendly welcome and eagerness to
assist us during our four hours stay at the village are characters
that would make any visitor and tourist feel welcome.
 
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