HISTORY

The National Weekender

Peek into New Ireland’s past

A photograph of Jacob Le Maire, the Dutch navigator who sailed past New Ireland in the year 1616. Between 1615 and 1616, le Maire and his pilot Willem Schouten on an expedition via South America sailed across the Pacific Ocean, past north of New Ireland and its outer north lying islands. A book of their expedition and others on early sightings of New Ireland are among the Jim Ridges’ collection of books and documents on New Ireland.

By TUKUL WALLA KAIKU and LORRAINE MARO TARAM
A DOCUMENT titled James Ridges, a ‘Documentation of Collection of Publications and Records and Archives on New Ireland Province History, Cultures and Early Churches, 1616 to 1945’ was delivered to the New Ireland Tourism Authority on Monday, March 14, 2022. It was delivered by Tukul Kaiku to Veronica Jidege, the Executive Manager, New Ireland Tourism Authority.
In the document is contained reports and briefs relating to the documentation task as undertaken by Tukul Walla Kaiku and Lorraine Maro Taram between November and December of 2019. Jim Ridges was then alive and due to failing health, he had been concerned about his collection of books, documents and photographs and had sought assistance from the New Ireland Provincial Government for a listing and documentation work to be undertaken.
And so, a project was initiated by the New Ireland Tourism Promotion Authority for technical assistance with support from the New Ireland Provincial Government through Sir Julius Chan as the Governor to organise and arrange the collection of books and publications which had been built up. Jim Ridges’ was the owner of the collection and he was getting on in years and wanted the collection to be carefully organised and arranged and then to be preserved.
The collection would be for the people of New Ireland and other interested persons. He would hand over the collection to the New Ireland Provincial Government and Administration on condition that the ‘collection’ would be under the care of a credible, qualified, and caring librarian or archivist.
Jim Ridges was an Englishman who came to Melbourne, Australia and then on to Papua New Guinea when the country was known as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea and administered by Australia. He served in Papua New Guinea in various jobs but mostly in the field of accounting. While in the country he, came in touch with a Namatanai family who adopted him as a member of their family and clan. He lived in Kavieng as he had a house there and was buried in his clan land and territory in Sohun, Namatanai.
Jim Ridges’ collection of publication and records cover the historic times of New Ireland as follows; Pre-contact New Ireland, before European contact/ 1616), European visits, contact and activities, by whalers and labour recruiters (black birders 1616 -1883, German New Guinea Company (1884-1898), German New Guinea Imperial Government, (1899-1914), World War 1 in Europe and Australian Military rule of former German New Guinea, 1914-1918 &1919 -1920, and World War 2 or the Pacific War years of 1942-1945.
Besides the listing task of a total of 134 books among them eight in the German language, plus 70 other publications, and photographs of New Ireland cultures collected from Museums in Germany and Britain, Jim Ridges had a manuscript containing articles he had compiled in the hope of producing a book on the history of New Ireland. This was identified and provided to be edited by Jim Robins of University of PNG for the purpose.
There are further follow-up tasks to be undertaken on the Jim Ridges collection which include; sorting of the books, filing and storage of the records into proper storage folders, boxing and labeling of contents/materials, shelving of boxes on the shelves, and labeling final lists for access and retrieval and digitizing of the records for preservation and online access and retrieval.
Governor Sir Julius Chan is credited for recognising the significance and value of Jim Ridges’ collection as a body of knowledge and source of information and heritage for the people of New Ireland Province.
Jim Ridges’ collection is unique, priceless and irreplaceable and the only one in New Ireland and about New Ireland. It will need to be stored in a proper purpose-built archival storage facility and managed by professionally trained personnel who have passion for history and knowledge of and about New Ireland. The provincial government and administration should as soon as practicable, build a purpose-built library and archival facility in which such a rare and unique collection can be preserved.

  • Tukul Walla Kaiku is lecturer in Information and Communication Sciences, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Lorraine Maro Taram is lecturer in Environmental Science and Geography, University of Papua New Guinea.

Majestic rings of shell money

Gunantuna loloi and tutana before they are wrapped for delivery to QAGOMA for APT9 at Nangananga, East New Britain.

By MICHAEL PHILIP
FOLLOWING years of collaboration and building relationships, the local gallery in East New Britain located in the Kokopo Museum has recently commissioned and acquired eight majestic rings of Tutana of Loloi created by a group of Gunantuna (Tolai) men from Nangananga village.
Designed to mesmerise the viewer, the spectacular rings are banks of shell money and objects of social value. The jewel-like shell encrusted cane strips comprising them – known as diwarra or tabu – are legal tender in East New Britain.
Diwarra has a market value and is used by the Gunantuna (human being) alongside the national currency, the PNG kina, for everyday transactions including buying trade store goods and paying school fees.
It is the only currency, however, used within rites relating to bride price, the distribution of wealth at death and initiation where amounts distributed are ceremonially fixed.
In these circumstances, diwarra laboriously bound into rings of loloi or tutana articulates and enacts important relational connections.

Members of the Gunantuna team. From left: Isa Apelis, Jack Apelis, Kini Balnata, William Kakabin, Ben Parai, Msisiel Vaira and Tivila Wartir counting the remaining diwarra on completion of the lolois and tutanas at Nangananga village, East New Britain.

Long canes of shells and rings of finely bound canes constitute gifts between clans and individuals that mark their connectedness. Diwarra can be stored in a loloi for decades and its emergence and re-distribution enacts connections not only between those present at the ceremony, but between the living and those who have passed.
The creation of the APT9 Loloi of Tutana was led by the late artist and historian Gideon Kakabin an initiated elder from Nangananga village in the Kokopo district.
A ceremony known as a minamai, involving family, friends and local Gunantuna community members was held alongside the launch of Minamar na Tutana ma Loloi (Tutana and Loloi display) 2018 as part of the opening weekend of the 9th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT90).
As part of the Minamai Loloi of Diwarra acquired by the Gallery will be broken open and designated lengths of Diwarra will be distributed as a mark or respect and connection to Gideon.
Gideon Kakabin was a man who shared his knowledge and energies generously through his work in fields as diverse as software development, tourism, history, culture, art and ethnography. His capacity to attract a commission and then collect the diwarra and engage enough men to create the enormous APT9 Minamar na Tutana ma Loloi (Tutana and Loloi display) are a mark of his integrity as well as the sophistication and extent of his cultural connections and standing.

Gunantuna being initiated with diwarra (shell money) fees and rumu (ceremonial spears) as part of gunantuna nidok (initiation) ceremony.

The loloi broken and distributed to commemorate his passing adds to his standing.
Both Gideon Kakabin and the APT9 work that he led, symbolise the moral and spiritual importance of building, valuing and maintaining relationships to the Gunantuna.
The gallery has maintained a commitment to artists and culture of the region for over 25 years through the ‘Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’, and we are proud to introduce audiences entering Goma to this important exhibition series with this work and the relational connections it speaks of.