A place they called home

HISTORY

By DAVID BUFFALO HARRO
WHEN dawn blooms like a bouquet of roses and mimosa blossom across the sky, freckle golden rays will play with your mind and can transport you back in time to a place in your dreams.
If you are reading this, thank you for being part of this paper.
Here I am putting these words on paper that will leave us raising our eye brows over how pioneers from Gulf ventured into a god-forsaken land to establish the first indigenous settlement in Lae.
The Gulf community working and living in Lae, and the nine districts and 33 LLGs of Morobe celebrated Gulf Provincial Day on Saturday Nov 30.
I am in awe and time had wrought a miracle of change and this reminded me of my wantoks from Gulf, who came after WW2 and afterwards in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, established the first settlement and called it Papua Compound.
Ah ah, soa taheka ou taia o (just wait a while) to jump on the oroti maita laisiai (canoe flowing with the tide) for a fari maeaforoe (sad story), I have pieced together.

First Keremas to Lae
The first Kerema karus (men) were like little puppies tripping over their own paws in their enthusiasm and ignorance but instead ventured into the unknown. Occasionally one or the other would gesticulate and point further towards the shores of Huon Gulf at Salamaua, the Markham River that flows to meet the sea, mosquito-infested swamps, densely populated forest and savannah grassland with iconic backdrop of the Sarawaget Ranges.
It all began in 1950s, when men like Avoa Siviri, the Laho brothers, Miva and Sevese accompanied by few others; Kariko Laho, Siviri Ivoro, Ivaroa Lorou and Meata Miro, settled at the beachfront where the Inter Oil headquarter is located but later moved camp to where PNG Motors is now situated.
In a transport of lust and hunger they were strangers who converged in these part of the province to settle and laboured to build their lives. Even in the direst situations, life renewed itself, people lingered on in melancholy, in harmony.
The new transformation took off like the lahara trade wind, the south-east monsoon brewing across the Huon Peninsular that saw an influx of more Keremas pouring into the new Papua Compound which became their transit point.
From here they went in different directions to greener pastures.
They had easy manners and spoke simply but effectively in the colloquial language and understood each other. They became one, the warmth and respect for each other was evident. There was free will, harmony, grinning and crowding closer as a big family to catch every word, laughing at the jests, scowling with shame at their rebukes, and glowing at their compliments.
Leaving their wives, sweethearts and families behind they were aware of the bond between themselves to flourish or allow themselves to despair in the new environment they wanted to call home. Their future was like climbing into the cold rugged misty Sarawaget Ranges to reach its highest peak. Once they had achieved that they would be assimilated into the ranks as benevolent Keremas, true warriors from Gulf.

Moving in droves
Then in the 60s and 70s they came in droves that eventually saw dramatic changes. They were jacks-of-all-trades, thanks to the war and gold rush days. Being carpenters, drivers, crane/tractor operators, plumbers and mechanics, they could stop at nothing but it all came with a price.
There were the turn of heartbroken events when some decided to go their separate ways. Many stayed on to work with Commonwealth Works and Commonwealth Niugini Timbers and other companies. In 1950, the Laho brothers Miva and Sevese with Avoa Siviri went further inland to what is now West Taraka and settled there. Ivaroa Lorou and Meata Miro ended up in Apo Kantri-Goroka as carpenters.
A team of carpenters in the likes of Peter Lei Foó, Lari Miro, Siaoa Miro, Oraka Miro and Elavo Kaisova parted company for Beautiful Madang where they established alata (another) Papua Compound. The more adventurous and single-minded stalwarts led by team leader Epe Sioa led the way for Lucas Laufa, Kae Sioa, Sevese Sioa and Lari Sioa, brothers in arms, to Mt Hagen searching for employment and I guess who knows they were also looking for ambuges (wives) to marry.
Last but not the least, the Sioa siblings; Moka, Lari, Kae and Sevese (if or by any relations) scrambled on whatever land transport that was available headed to Madang and travelled by sea to Wewak, East Sepik and settled there.
lalau e soa hea lofere (sometimes it’s like that).
Please don’t ask me what they were looking for because I can vividly recall, there is a small Papua compound under the meve ipi (mango tree) settlement.

Onward to Bulolo
Then the 70s saw men like Arua Sevese making his way to Bulolo Forestry Nursery whilst poor Gregory Eovo Mitase was working his butt off at Daulo Pass as bulldozer operator cutting new tracks. (Beginning of Okuk Highway construction).
This was the destiny they were searching – build and start new lives for their wives and children? I guess this was proper and really, lareva kofa (very good); there were no checks and balances and impediments to their enterprise which they conquered because they were also God-fearing people.
Many were soul-searching amongst themselves, putting their lives in the hands of Ualare Papuvita (the Triune God), to guide their mortal beings. They scarcely hid their true feelings of being God-fearing and were old-fashioned believers, sublimely certain of the omnipresence and omnipotence of Jesus Christ. It was God’s call that they constructed the first house of worship and named it Malaita United Church along the same street and later built West Taraka United Church.
Although Morobe had a stronghold influence of Lutheranism, it is one God they all worshipped. The Keremas were of good mind. They harangued one another with power of their intellect and being able to triumph over frailty of their human souls to begin their new lives without doubts nor ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. The truth is, these people had accumulated a store of learning, wisdom and experience and had the appetite of using their hands.

Other settlers from coastal to inland villages along the great rivers of Gulf with the likes of Laharis, Mettas, Farapos, Farehos, Larivitas Kivias and Mokas; these names are synonymous as they took up employment as carpenters, plumbers or mechanics and builders whilst few adventurous ones ended up at the gold fields of Wau/Bulolo. Others ended up in Rabaul, East New Britain.
Makuri soahea heafo kofa (life is sometimes hard), as these Keremas moved to constructions sites to build houses, schools hospitals and shops in Lae, Finschhafen, Markham and Boana, the highlands, you name it, they’ve been there and done it all.
During the transition period they were able to determine their temperaments and disposition to distinguish between the headstrong and unruly, the wild and tractable over the days, weeks, and months into years, to develop tentative relationship amongst themselves.
Under the tutelage of white colonial masters, the Morobe headquarters at Salamaua was shifted to Lae to become an intricate business centre because of its locality with small port services to ship cargoes in and out. An aerodrome was constructed for fixed wings to airlift heavy duty machinery for the gold mines in Wau/Bulolo.
People from other centres throughout the country flocked into Morobe for employment but our Keremas stood their ground and had the last laugh.
The day was Dec 1, 1995, on which Gulf attained its provincial government status under the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments. Of course provincial days were initiated by respective provincial leaders to celebrate.
On Aug 10 this year, some young stray aves (dogs) with a couple of old hands set the wheels in motion to realise the dreams of celebrating Gulf Day.

Celebrating in style
This was the first time after 24 years that the Gulf community came together to commemorate their provincial day in style. There were traditional foods like hakefae and ekoka poi (sago and kina shells), meae mea, mousere ekoka and poi likiriki, (traditional porridge made from sago, pumpkin, ripe banana and smoked fish). Interestingly many witnessed the true Gulf identity and cultural heritage when both young and old took centre stage with various traditional dancing.
Sialau o ara leati roi”, the lyrics from Gulf’s young music sensation Archie Tassi, added with smooth flowing San Flawa Bilong Lae Siti by Robert Oeka, but when one heard the vibes of fora maeahoa (beautiful) Pariva miri foroe and Hesisi mori, the chemistry and cascading vocals ripped and serenaded folks to tears. Some fell in love with our songs and wanted to marry any loose Keremas on that day … or go looking for tora pupuri maeahoa (beautiful flower).
Robert Oeka’s, Skere kofa transfixed my mind across the Huon Peninsular towards home of “flawa bilong lae siti and other coastal village hamlets of Salamaua.
Yeah! What was truly pure blood, half, triple, quarter cast or whatever cast? This was the opportune time Gulf’s very own musicians and cultural groups showcasing and ululating as a unit like humming birds.
Ere foromai kotita (everybody came), for Saturday, Nov 30, Gulf’s music legends with Lamaika’s frontman Steven Meyu and Briczzie. Their voices were like colours of rainbow with the big boys to rock Lae City to its foundation.
Then you can lament to yourself, how… what… where and why… your memories will become a treasure, which will give you tranquillity and makuri hailalalasi (life’s comfort) – because yu no save yu yet kam na lukim pinis.”
My special thanks to Eugene Miva, Eugene Kevaro Lari, Paul Lavai Hasu and Terry Soi who provided some relevant information.

• David Haro is a freelance writer.