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Valuing the
meaning of dance during Independence
By NAOMI FAIK-SIMET*
Papua New Guinea will
celebrate 32 years of Independence on Sunday September 16.
During the celebrations, there will be an increase in
performances of traditional dances to commemorate the occasion.
Schools, tertiary institutions and private and government
organisations will be staging cultural shows to mark this
memorable event.
PNG's cultural diversity will be portrayed through the
performance of these traditional dances.
Considering that PNG has at least 875 different languages, it
would be safe to say that at a minimum; there are as many
different dances as there are languages. And considering that
each group may have more than one type of dance; the number of
different kinds of dances could be several thousand.
Traditional dances in PNG make up over 80% of our intangible
cultural heritage. Dance was an important part of pre-contact
Papua New Guinea societies. Unlike in some culture areas of the
world; dance in the indigenous PNG context was more than a form
of artistic expression which would have had the ultimate goal of
entertainment. To some extent, dance was a form of entertainment
in so far as celebratory occasions were concerned. More than
this; dance was of communicating between people; not only
between the performers and the audience, but also between groups
of people, whether they be of different clan or tribal groups.
Dances as performance also carried information between
generations. At the same time; as part of ritual, dances were
important to the survival and continuity of society.
Sustained contact with the outside world took place at different
times in different parts of the country; generally the coastal
areas and outlying islands being much earlier than the
hinterland.
The earliest contact established in the coastal areas was during
the mid-1880's while the latest contact was made in the highland
areas in around 1940 to 1950.
The way dance has fared then in PNG since sustained contact;
depends very much on an area under consideration.
Apart from time, there are of course other factors which come
into play and which effect dance forms.
In general it could be said that in the most part dances in
Papua New Guinea have retained much of their integrity but in
many ways they have undergone tremendous change.
With the accelerated developments in the means of communication,
all kinds of performances effect the dance forms of PNG; whether
it is by TV, film, and now the internet.
There is the emerging local issue of "borrowing" of dance forms
between different groups resulting in "fusion" of dances.
Related to this issue is the matter of copyright. The systems of
ownership of dance in traditional Papua New Guinea were and are
still very different from those in the Western context.
In Papua New Guinea, dances are categorised in three parts;
special (sacred), formal, or for entertainment.
Special dances are ritualistic and are only performed at certain
ceremonies (mortuary, bride-price, harvest, initiation, etc).
Some of these special dances are taken out of their
ceremonial/indigenous contexts and are performed for modern
shows, festivals and celebrations. In situations like this,
these dances are exposed to changes and must be protected and
performed within its contexts.
The formal dances refer to dances that are performed regularly
at various occasions. These dances are not ritualistic or sacred
and can be performed in public. However, these formal dances
belong to a particular ethnic group and cultural protocols must
be observed to allow for the proper use of the dance.
The entertainment dances refer to modified and contemporised
dances that are have changed with time and space. Most of these
types of dances are performed by contemporised theatre and dance
groups. Although these dances have undergone change, some
elements of these dances still maintain their cultural values
which are important to their survival in modern times.
With the coming independence celebrations, a variety of cultural
groups will be staging dance performances to celebrate the
occasion. To fulfil the true meaning of dance, each performance
must reflect and portray each of their society's cultural values
and beliefs.
More importantly, the performance must be known and performed by
the carriers of the dance tradition themselves.
* The writer is a dance researcher in the music department
of the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies
...................................
Muruks rugby team to star
in Mendi celebrations
By KEVIN
PAMBA
The 32nd
Independence anniversary celebrations for the people of Southern
Highlands province is expected to be boosted by the parading of
the SP Cup and the victorious Mabey and Johnson Muruks team in
Mendi town this weekend.
This follows a suggestion by the Mendi MP Pastor Isaac Joseph
before the Muruks took the field for the SP Cup grand final
against minor premiers Agmark Gurias last Sunday.
Pastor Joseph told the Muruks during their pre-match team talk
at Bluff Inn Motel at 17 Mile outside Port Moresby last Sunday
that there is nothing stopping them from winning the SP Cup and
taking it home to Mendi to join the 600,000 people of Southern
Highlands in the independence anniversary celebrations.
“The 600,000 Southern Highlanders have faith in you 17 players
who will take the field this afternoon to win and take the Cup
home to celebrate Independence with them,” Pastor Isaac said.
Pastor Isaac delivered an inspirational talk to the Muruks along
with others who were at the team camp as he handed over K10,000
to Muruks captain Joseph Omae on behalf of Governor Anderson
Agiru and his colleague MPs from the province.
The pastor-cum-MP’s faith in the boys was no fluke as the Muruks
mesmerized the Agmark Gurias 42-6 to claim a back-to-back
premiership in the prestigious SP Cup competition.
Along with the wishes of the Member for Mendi on behalf his
colleague MPs and the governor, the Muruks are expected to be in
Mendi during the long Independence weekend.
Injured skipper, Stanley Hondina said this week that the Muruks
are awaiting confirmation of the activities in Mendi by the
provincial officials before the team departs for Mendi from
their base in Lae.
Hondina said the team is set to go to Mendi to be with the
people.
He said the team expects to parade around Mendi town with the SP
Cup next Monday, which is a public holiday in lieu of the
Independence Day that falls on Sunday.
Pastor Joseph told the Muruks that their back-to-back victory
should add colour to the big Independence Anniversary
celebrations planned for Mendi.
He said the Muruks carry the pride and name of the 600,000
Southern Highlanders and they must hold their heads high.
The Muruks won the back-to-back premiership becoming the first
team in the SP Cup win with the biggest ever score line of 42-6
for a grand final since the semi-professional competition was
launched in 1990.
The Southern Highlands franchise is also the second team in the
competition to a win a back to back premiership after Port
Moresby Vipers in 1990 and 1991 and the first franchise from the
Highlands to do so.
The Muruks massive victory last Sunday rode on the back of huge
support from supporters who traveled into Port Moresby from
across the country.
The MP for Mendi said supporters sold their garden food, pigs
and whatever they had to get an airline ticket to Port Moresby
to support their home team.
“They did this not because you (the Muruks players) will give
them anything.
“They just want to watch you play and win and return home to
their villages across the valleys, rivers and mountains happy
and proud,” said Pastor Joseph.
Meanwhile the Muruks will celebrate the Independence with their
people with the good news that the owner of Mabey and Johnson,
David Mabey has announced the company’s renewed commitment to
support the team for as long as it is in PNG.
Mabey spoke to The National after the grand final victory that
the people of Southern Highlands and the Muruks team have been
good to Mabey and Johnson and the company will stick with them.
He said the Muruks are the first sports team the international
steel bridge building company has supported anywhere in the
world it operates.
 
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