Medical doctor/anthropologist who works with indigenous people, Dr Derek Mladenovich talks to David Carabott and takes us on a virtual journey into the world of the most prominent of the Papuan tribes, the Dani tribe

What brought you vis-à-vis with the Papuan tribes?

I went to Papua in August of 2009 as a medical liaison, exploring the possibility of future ocular health screenings and program implementations and evaluations with the Dani tribe.

Who are the Dani tribe?

The Dani are considered perhaps the most famous of the Papuan ethnic groups, partially because they are numerous, but also because of the attention they have been receiving from a small but steady influx of foreign anthropologists, doctors and religious missionaries since their first ‘discovery’ by Richard Archbold in 1938.

The Dani are easily remembered as the tribe that wears the penis sheet (koteka) made of dry plant material. Koteka come in various shapes and sizes (that do not necessarily correlate to the social status), and a man may have a different koteka for different activities (work versus festive occasions). Koteka are not viewed as sexual objects, but rather as a covering, sometimes elaborate in design, just as an ethnic piece of clothing may be. It has been documented that both the Indonesian government and the Christian missionaries have been involved actively in the 1950s – 1970s in attempting to outlaw koteka wear and force the local population to wear shorts, as a part of the ‘modernization’ effort.

Where do they reside?

The Dani live mostly in the Baliem Valley of Western Papua. The island of New Guinea is the world’s second largest island, and is divided between two countries: Indonesia in the western half of the island (region known as Papua, Western Papua, or Irian Jaya) and Papua New Guinea on the eastern part. It is one of the most ethnologically and linguistically diverse regions of the world; it is estimated that in Irian Jaya alone there are more than 250 spoken languages (some 20% of the world’s languages) and more than 40 not yet contacted tribal groups. The Dani language itself belongs to a Trans-New Guinea family of languages, with an estimated 200,000 or so native speakers, and a semi-literacy rate of around 10%.

The island has been inhabited for thousands of years by the horticulturalist Melanesians living in permacultures as gatherers and hunters, with the pig being major component of daily living: pigs are used as food and for cultural feasts, as dowries, and as methods of payment and trade.

Can you comment on societal hierarchy, gender roles and sexuality?

In some parts of the island the contact between men and women is minimal and even hostile because women, including the fragile and the sickly elderly, are seen as potentially draining the ‘life-force’, therefore ‘socially inferior’. The ‘life-force’, according to the Etoro society for example, can only be passed on among the tribe members through sexual activity, hence the exclusion of the elderly. Some further believe that the ‘life-force’ may only be preserved among the men, and passed on through ritualistic male to male homosexual acts. Known as the Melanesian Model of Homosexuality, it is practiced ritualistically, sometimes throughout a lifetime, by an estimated 3% of the Dani and 20% of all Papuan cultures, notably among the Etoro or the Sambia, where homosexuality is compulsory. Heterosexual acts are generally permitted only for approximately 3 months of the year, and may not be performed in certain places such as the sleeping quarters or the fields. In the regions where Christian societal and family values are not strongly enforced over the native beliefs, these unique lifestyles remain to this day.

What about health care and education?

Relatively speaking, not much has been documented regarding the Dani health status. Increased rates of epilepsy have been documented, as well as life expectancy that is shorter than Indonesian average. Infant mortality is high, chronic illnesses and sexually transmitted diseases on the rise. Sex workers are generally younger than 20 years of age. Medical care is scarce and often culturally insensitive. Some anthropologists have noted that glue-sniffing and drinking distilled rubbing alcohol is common among the youth. As health status and politics interact, many Dani believe that AIDS for example was brought to the province by political means, as a ‘modernization’ and population control effort. Others, especially the elderly, believe that seeking medical care is best done through rituals, honouring the ancestors and appeasing the spirits. The elderly have been observed refusing food and drink after the birth of a grandchild, as death is expected at that time. Funerals may last for days and be much ritualized and involve pig feasting. Bodies are burned, and women often cut their fingers after a relative dies.

What do you mean by the concept ‘out of this world’?

It is not every day that we have the privilege to see an ancient culture. The Dani are linguistically and culturally complex people, unlike what we may encounter in our daily world.

Unfortunately, like many native people of the world, they struggle for their rights to live in their ancestral environment, in balance with the nature, and within the scope of their cultural and universal belief systems.

Rather than marginalizing them and forcing them to adapt to the ‘modern’, prescribed ways, governed by the laws of economy and foreign values, more emphasis should be placed on preserving their health and well-being in a culturally sensitive way, their culture, their environment and their social system, while encouraging their own development in their own way and time.

So what has the impact of ‘civilized’ conquistadores been on this tribe?

The modern colonial and military powers have set up towns as an act of ‘civilizing’ the native population in the last 50 years or so. While the success of civilization by setting up towns may be questionable, religious conversion to Christianity of the native populations, as well as exploitation of natural resources and pollution of the environment by foreign multinational companies has been well documented on the island for the past half a century. Like native populations elsewhere in the world, it appears, at least to an independent observer, that the native populations of Papua continue to face variable degrees of forced migration and displacement, loss of tribal lands, destruction of island ecology and bio-diversity, disruption of the social structure and other collateral damage from the process of ‘civilization’. Incidences of religious and other missionaries mingling in the internal affairs of native villages and offering culturally and linguistically insensitive health care have also been documented.

Did you encounter any funny or embarrassing incident while conducting your work with the Dani people?

I had to ride on the overcrowded, dilapidated local mini-van for an hour, sitting next to a misbehaving and squealing pig, who was, I am sure, to become someone’s meal upon arrival. It was an interesting and smelly experience. I could not break my vegetarian diet to indulge in the specialty, but I imagine that for meat eaters it would have been a delicacy!

We have all heard of head-hunting and cannibalism in the Papua. Would you like to comment?

The warfare and cannibalism among the tribe members, sometimes involving foreign missionaries, have been observed until as late as the end of 1970s, individual lesser-scale incidents may have occurred since. The warfare was responsible, some argue, for the development of segregated living arrangements between the male and female members of the society. Famously responsible for eating Michael Rockefeller, son of the US vice president Rockefeller back in the 1960s, when he disappeared and was never found on the island of Papua, now shared by Papua New Guinea and Indonesian West Papua, or Irian Jaya. There were other speculations about not having ever found Michael’s body (such as him having been eaten by the wild animals after his canoe catapulted in one of the rivers), but my mind (as that of many), for some reason preferred the story of him having been eaten.

You are a medical doctor but also interested in anthropology. How is your research going?

I did not do any research yet. Because literacy is very low, I presume that glasses for near work may not be used for reading although they may for those who are literate and read the Bible for example, but may be used for near work, such as handcrafts. However, because the life expectancy is rather short, I am not sure how many people would benefit in a measurable way from using glasses for near work, nor do I know if wearing spectacles is culturally acceptable – I did not see anyone wearing spectacles!

How difficult is it getting to and around Papua to meet the Dani tribe?

No foreigner is allowed to the interior of the island before obtaining a clearance permit from the Indonesian government. Of course, one also needs a visa for travelling to Indonesia. Flying to a coastal town on the island, such as Jayapura. is possible by an Indonesian air carrier, such as Garuda Indonesia. Getting to the island interior, where the tribes live is possible only by charter flight, a missionary plane, a military plane, or a cargo-passenger plane. Once in the interior, for example in the Baliem Valley, local transport in the form of dilapidated and over-crowded mini vans is scarce, barely connecting a few neighbouring villages, beyond which there is no transportation, and there are no specific stops on the route. Tourist infrastructure and food items are minimal and expensive, and while some organized tourism exists, independent travelling without a local guide is very difficult because the interior of the island remains largely unknown and inaccessible to a foreigner. However, I highly recommend such a lifetime experience. You will not regret it!

• Dr Derek Mladenovich has lectured in Malta and

also came to visit the Neolithic Temples