Local History as ‘Indigenous Knowledge’: Aeroplanes, Conservation and Development in Haia and Maimafu, Papua New Guinea

2019 ◽  
pp. 105-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ellis ◽  
Paige West
Author(s):  
Stuart Kirsch

This chapter examines a conservation and development project in Papua New Guinea in the mid-1990s. These projects were intended as alternatives to more destructive forms of resource extraction, including logging and mining. In this case, the four sociolinguistic groups living in the area could not agree on a shared agenda, forestalling the project. This suggests the importance of understanding regional history before establishing conservation areas. Although I correctly diagnosed the challenges facing implementation of the project, my desire for an alternative to destructive forms of development tempered my assessment of the project. In subsequent work, I began to focus on corporations responsible for environmental degradation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Radcliffe ◽  
Cesidio Parissi ◽  
Anantanarayanan Raman

AbstractCurrent methods of agricultural and environmental education for indigenous farmers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) fail to provide high level engagement. Indigenous knowledge (IK) forms the basis of natural resource management, agriculture and health of farmers in PNG, yet its value to agricultural and environmental education in PNG is rarely recognised. The argument made in this article is that valuing indigenous knowledge will enhance agricultural and environmental education. The purpose of this empirical study was to assess the application of a knowledge management model in understanding indigenous knowledge to enhance agricultural and environmental education. This article focuses on agricultural and environmental indigenous knowledge and culture in two villages in the Western Highlands of PNG. Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and apprentice observations were methods to collect data from small-scale indigenous farmers. The study found that as farmers shift to cash crops, IK is devalued against Western knowledge. The study also found that trust, culture, and social barriers limit sharing of knowledge. The article concludes with recommendations for future agricultural and environmental education in the PNG highlands.


2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-230
Author(s):  
Martin Soukup ◽  
Jan D. Bláha

Abstract An analysis of cultural change and generation gaps in the local community of the Nungon ethnic group in the state of Papua New Guinea will be the subject of the study. This ethnic group came into contact with Europeans for the first time in the mid-1930s. The pace of cultural changes within the community has been gradually increasing. For example, the local animistic cult has been replaced with Christianity, school attendance has been introduced in the villages of Nungon, travel opportunities have become more accessible, and as the mobile signal has recently been introduced, Nungon residents can now connect to the internet and access information about the globalised world. Those who remember the colonial period still live in the community and many of them are still illiterate, with only limited knowledge of Pidgin English, the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea. On the other hand, the youngest generation can study in cities or experiment with social media and share information there. The aim of the paper is not only to show intergenerational differences, but also to document the local history and its ties to particular generations and show the role the generational memory played in illiterate societies with unwritten history. The only existing written and photographic documents were created by colonial officers. The study will show the transformation of the Nungon community from the time of photographs kept in boxes to the youngest generation, which keeps photographs in mobile phones and shares them on social media.


Author(s):  
Donald Denoon ◽  
Kathleen Dugan ◽  
Leslie Marshall

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