The Asaro Tribe
The Asaro Mudmen
By Regan, James, Nicole, and Gwendolyn
Government/Power & Economic Structure
- The Asaro have sages that they look up to and seek for advice.
- Wealth is shown by owning more livestock and tending to more produce.
- Some are wage-earners Goroka
- Others raise coffee as a cash crop or grow produce to sell in Goroka's markets
Thank you!
Arts, Music, and Celebrations
- The groom's family pays a bride-price
- Price paid for with money, food, livestock, or other gifts
- A main form of art they create is mud masks
- Music is made with drums and chanting
- Men preform ceremonies for tourists that are designed to intimidate them and commemorate Asaro origins.
Belief System
- The Asaro seek advice from a sage
- They used to have a strong fear of spirits
- Initiation Ceremony: painting their face and drilling a hole in their nose.
- Wear necklaces that symbolize strength and courage in battle
- Converted to Christianity
The Asaro Mudmen
Food and Clothing
- Houses are circular or rectangular in shape, made from weaved bamboo
- Buildings are low to contain heat, with high ceilings
- Sleeping and cooking are done in the same area
- Their traditional clothing was made from cloth and decorated with leaves, but is now modern clothing
- Use a "mumu" for cooking
- Tend livestock and vegetables
- Come from Papua New Guinea
- Tale of the mudmen rising from the river
- The modern world has had an affect on their living
Family/Social/Gender Structure
- When married, the bride is taken into the grooms family and leaves her family
- The brides family helps to take care of the grooms family
- Marriage partners chosen from non-relative Dano speakers
- In the hot afternoons, men gather to play cards while women go to Goroka to sell goods
- There is not much other information for women that we could find