After breakfast the men loaded up the tractor with locally grown produce. Mainly yams and bananas but also some shell fish from the local river. Most of the food was carried in these baskets which were made from leaves and stems the night before. The tractor headed off with it's “cargo” to the center of the village in preparation for an “exchange” festival with some catholics from Lae town. While this was all happening I took the opportunity to take some photos of Nelson and his family. The section of the village where I stayed is owned by one of four clans in Wagang. Each one of the four clans has it's own designated area within the village land. The mother and father of Nelson's wife Mukta, are still alive and they are the oldest members of the clan. They had 17 children !!! Three of them died and the remaining 14 all live in the village except for one family member who works somewhere closer to town and comes back to the village regularly. 17 children !!!!
When I said earlier that I immersed myself in village life for 24 hours, you might ask : What does Rob mean by village life ? I remember back in the mid eighties I had the opportunity to witness a group of aboriginal tribal men and women at Hyde Park in Sydney. I clearly remember the way they moved and interacted as a group. The occasion was some sort of a protest march and there was a gathering in Hyde Park where some of the “city” aboriginals gave speeches, there was also some dancing and singing etc… A whole group of tribal people had come to Sydney from the “bush” for the day. The thing that sticks in my mind is way these people walked back to the buses that had come to pick them up. As they moved together, the crowd fell silent, there was this incredible energy or presence as these men and women walked past. I remember the goosebumps and the tears. I remember becoming aware of the incredible depth of connection that these tribal people have with each other. I shed a tear. I felt alone. As a white man living in a western society I knew then how shallow our modern ways are, how much there is lacking in quality and depth of human interaction. It is on this day in Hyde Park that the hope of one day experiencing a tribal life was born. This weekend just gone my hope became a reality and I felt privileged to have experienced a way of life which will be lost from the planet within a few generations. The old ways !!
Later on that morning, an hour or so before leaving, I was sitting down with Jethro (Nelson's brother in-law), Can't remember what we were talking about but it hit me. Jethro was born here, he played here as a kid and grew up here, met his wife here, watched his kids grow up and his kids give birth to their kids, in this village called Wagang. Jethro's parents and their parents and their parents etc…. for 100's if not 1000's of generations all in the same village, the same land.Continuity. I looked Jethro in the eyes and saw a joy and I saw depth and I saw simplicity. The drums and singing in the background. The goosebumps and the tears were back.
Before heading to Wagang for the weekend I was set on returning home to Australia for xmas. Guess what ? I'm not so sure now. I want more of this village life….
To be continued….
Wow what an experience and all the emotions that go with that…. the power of nothingness simplicity spirituality and generosity…..
Love your sis
Yolande