Culture’s Treasure Trove

IT’S no secret that British High Commissioner David Gordon McLeod has a special affection for Papua New Guinea, especially its people, its natural environment and its cultural diversity.

At the 43rd Hagen Cultural Show on August 14 and 15, Mr McLeod explained in his address to the thousands present, including traditional dancers, tourists and show goers that his native Scotland was similar to PNG in many ways. Passing on the greetings of the Government and people of UK, he said like PNG, Scotland has mountains and rivers and yes, they love to sing and dance. Coming from a mountain region like PNG’s highlands, he said they have many clans too and that many years ago, his ancestors wore traditional lap laps like the highlands purpurs.

Swedish Broadcasting Commission radio journalist Lena Naslund interviews Culture & Tourism Minister David Basua at the show ground.

Mr McLeod then got everyone laughing, when he said they didn’t wear anything else underneath because just like their PNG wantoks, they were proud of what they had. Many a foreigner would have been shocked at what this Whiteman was saying, especially given the setting in which it was being said, and some tourists present seemed perplexed at his comments. But these words were from a man with a genuine heart for Papua New Guinea.
Since arriving in PNG several months ago, Mr. McLeod has made it a point to travel the country and learn about the people’s way of life and their unique cultures and traditions.

Standing on the podium on that glorious Saturday afternoon at the Kagamuga Show Ground, he said, “I could not imagine a more wonderful place to be then here today. There is so much color and diversity, the likes of which you won’t find anywhere else on God’s Earth. Papua New Guinea is culturally the richest place on this planet, you have more cultures than any other country and you should be proud of that.”

In fact, the 400 tourists who came from as far as United States, Sweden, Italy, Taiwan, England, Australia and elsewhere would have agreed with Mr McLeod as the 70 different cultural groups paraded their diverse body paintings, decorations and song and dance.

Part of the 70 cultural groups that participated at the 2004 Mt Hagen Cultural Show.

Australian High Commission’s First Secretary AusAid Chris Wheeler was inspired by the magnetic effect the show has in uniting the different tribes and clans. This is because despite their many tribal differences, which can often be a problem in PNG, everyone was united on the same stage for the same reason - to display their own unique cultures. “If you have a few hundred tourists here today, you deserve thousands,” he said.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) chief photographer (Australia – New Zealand – South Pacific) Torsten Blackwood was shooting pictures like crazy, while at the same time trying to impress upon Culture & Tourism Minister David Basua that AFP gives PNG the most positive coverage unlike the other overseas media organisations. According to Mr. Blackwood, images from the show would be splashed across 260 countries with readership reaching into the millions. Swedish Broadcasting Commission radio journalist Lena Naslund was accompanying two Swedish botanists studying orchids and hoya (creepers) along the Sepik River when they had to detour to Mount Hagen just for the show before traveling to Tari.

Ms. Naslund was amazed at the many different colours on display, the splendour and the magical atmosphere created by the thousands of drum beats, chants and body movements, seemingly in unison, as if programmed by remote control.

For her, it was an experience she’d treasure forever and wished her family were there to share it with her, adding that she’d love to bring her family to PNG in future, although Sweden was a very long way away from PNG. “I would really love to come back with my family but we’ll see,” she said. However, being a typical journalist, her curiosity got the better of her and she asked Minister Basua if his personal cultural ties were still intact. Mr Basua told her, “I’ll show you” and disappeared into the masses only to resurface in the frontline with his Kewa Cultural Group.

Swedish Broadcasting Commission radio journalist Lena Naslund possess for a photograph with the South Simbu Women's Group.

Despite the fact that the Minister was performing a traditional dancing to prove a point, there was cheers and applause from the receptive crowd, who were impressed by the Minister’s performance.

On the same show ground, Russian journalist Marinika Markova and photographer Slava Voronin were lost in this magical world as all they had ever heard or read about PNG was crime – the bad news story.

They were mostly touched by the genuine smiles and the welcome extended by simple ordinary Papua New Guineans. Mr Voronin described the Mount Hagen Show as “unusual, very original and unique” saying “you do not find this kind of a show anywhere else in the world.”

Mr Basua had set the tone earlier during his opening address, when he invited our international visitors to enjoy a sample of PNG’s diverse cultures while at the show.

“To our valued visitors, please, pass on the message of this cultural extravaganza that you experience today, and extend our humble invitation to other visitors from around the world to come and experience for themselves as well as share in our paradise live,” he said.

His Excellency, Mr McLeod could not agree more, as he hopes that the Mt Hagen Show and Papua New Guinea’s diverse cultures are preserved for another 10,000 years and beyond.

Ends..//

Culture & Tourism Minister David Basua gets into the swing of things with the Kewa Cultural Group from his Kagua/Erave Electorate at the Mt Hagen Show.