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Transcript

Justin Taylor

08/03/2019

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The Huli of Papua New Guinea

Background

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#1

Location

  • Located in the Tari Highlands of Papua New Guinea: the most densely populated but least developed region of the country.
  • Papua New Guinea is located northeast of Australia.

#2

Origination

The Huli tribe have inhabited the Tari Highlands region of Papua New Guinea for over one thousand years even though they were not discovered by Europeans until the 1930s.

#3

Other quick facts

  • Largest ethnic group of the Tari highlands with a population between 300,000 and 400,000.
  • All members of the tribe consider themselves as one person descended from a common male ancestor named Huli.
  • The males are also referred as the "Huli Wigmen" because of their fascinating wig-based traditions.

Rituals in Huli Culture

The "wigmen"-as they're referred to-are extraordinary because of the fascinating process in making their wigs and their purpose in their society.

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How...and most importantly why

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This ritual is performed by young males of the tribe (starting at age 8) and used as a transition from a boy to a man. Their hair is grown out for multiple years and taken good care of. At the end of their transition, the hair is chopped off and stitched into a personal wig for everyday use or ceremonies.

Timeline of Transition

Lives with their mother until age 8, then leave to live with father where they learn to become men. In this culture, men and women live in different houses.

A boy's hair is sprinkled with holy water that is combined with magic and spells. This helps the hair grow more quickly. They most also follow a strict diet and use a neck rest during sleep so they do not squash their hair.

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As their hair grows, it is shaped using a band of bamboo. Eventually, the hair is chopped off by a wigmaster and made into a wig for everyday use or ceremonies. Before a man can get married, they must have a wig made for them.

At age 15, they enter the bachelor school to learn the processes of becoming a man. This can last up to 10 years, during which they are forbidden to contact any women including mothers.

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Sing-sing celebrations

Across the entire region of the highlands, various tribes gather together to celebrate where they sing, dance, and parade the customs of their own culture. They occur for weddings, an acension of a chief, or initiation of boys and girls. For the Huli tribe, it is an opportunity to show off their wigs and some will even paint their face. Men who did not have a wig made of their own can buys wigs stitched with another persons hair. They can do so for everyday use or just for the occasion of a sing-sing celebration.

Any questions?

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All information in this project comes from the sources cited in my project write-up.

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