Bøger af Kal Muller

The Kamoro are an ethnolinguistic group of Papuans living along the north shore of the Arafura Sea and a short distance inland. Like other Papuan groups, they take advantage of the resources available to them. This book lists the Kamoros¿ natural resources with the emphasis on what they actually use from their ecosystems: the sea, the estuaries, the mangroves and the tropical rain forest. A study of the natural resources in four separate areas was undertaken by the author in the year 2000. The research was conducted in Iwaka, an inland village, Pigapu Village, an inland riverside settlement, the coastal village of Atuka, and Paopao, a semi-temporary agglomeration of related clans located on a rived they owned traditionally. The information was gathered in the Indonesian language, supplemented by the names in the local Kamoro dialects. The author and his Kamoro informants consulted together books illustrating various animal groups in order to obtain the names in English, Indonesian, Kamoro as well as the all-important universal binomial scientific designation. This research was a part of a wider study by the author on the risk assessment of the influence of the mining company Freeport Indonesia due to the tailings from processing of the mined ores. The tailings had a considerable effect on the lifestyles of the Kamoro who lived in the areas where they were deposited. The various chapters in the book concentrate on the vegetation (and especially that of the mangroves) with various chapters devoted to the most important animal groups used by the Kamoro for food and a variety of other purposes. These groups include birds, fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, reptiles, mammals and insects. An appendix groups different designations together, such as Latin name and Kamoro name, then Kamoro name followed by the Latin one. All the various animal groups are treated this way for convenient quick references. English names are also listed. The book ends with a bibliography of all the references consulted.

This book compares the two sides of New Guinea: the independent country of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the West New Guinea (WNG) that forms a part of the Republic of Indonesia. By sharing the same island there are many similarities that apply to both sides such as the ethnic makeup in the eastern and western halves of New Guinea. Yet differences exist: geologies and geographies underlie some basic difference: outward maritime trade routes in the west focus toward the Moluccas while those in the east look towards the South Pacific. The inland trade routes are similar in the highlands following the dictates of the rugged terrain. Stone blades for axes and adzes were among the most important trade items everywhere, along with salt from local saline pools. The island¿s Babel of over 1,100 languages has prevented any large-scale political entities. And while the art styles show some similarities, marked differences are found in the east and the west. The colonization process defines much of the current differences between the two sides. The west was colonized by the Dutch as part of their East Indies domain, now Indonesia. In the east, the British and the Germans were the first to take possession, with Australia taking over the entire west after 1914. Treatment of the Papuans differed considerably. In the west, it was almost complete neglect as the Dutch were mostly interested in the productive money generating parts of the East Indies, lacking in West New Guinea. In what became Papua New Guinea, working in plantations and gold mining depended on cheap Papuan labor, with their treatment showing considerable variation. World War II affected the two sides quite differently. The Japanese juggernaut rolled over the north coast of West New Guinea, then that of PNG before being stopped in the Solomon Islands. The expulsion of the Japanese took nearly three years on the PNG side but only a few months in WNG. This difference had profound effects, quite different on the two sides. The post war history in PNG headed for eventual independence in 1975 while WNG came to resemble an Indonesian colony with practically no political voice for the Papuans. Only a rebel movement contests Indonesian hegemony. The last chapter on mining shows the differences between the two sides on this most important element of their economies. Basic land ownership, individual and clan rights cause many problems in PNG while Indonesian control negated any difficulties for any mining approved by the central government in Jakarta.

THE BOOKThis book on the Yali, Mek and Ok cultures is the last one in our series covering the major Ethno-linguistic groups in the highlands of West New Guinea (WNG). Some members of one of these inhabitants of the interior of WNG, the Mek group, were the first to have had any contacts with the outside world. A journal article published in a Dutch in 1912 gives the first account to the world about the mountainous interior of New Guinea along with an overview of the lives of the areäs inhabitants. The Mek territory also made news in 1960 when a French expedition was the first to cross WNG from south to north, through the near-incredible rugged mountainous territory. The Mek were also the last Papuans to have attracted the sustained missionary attention. Then, a large German multi-disciplinary scientific team spent two years, 1974 to 1976, among the Mek, with a plethora of publications resulting from their work. The easternmost area of WNG¿s central mountains, running from the Baliem Valley to the international border with Papua New Guinea, holds the three language groups covered in this book. The geography of the area is considerably more rugged than the western section that stretches from the Baliem Valley to the Paniai Lakes, covered in a previous volume in this series. Just east of the central Baliem Valley, the Yali culture shows a degree of resemblance with the Mek but less so with the Ok that live in the borderlands with Papua New Guinea (PNG). Indeed, a major portion of the Ok Papuans live in PNG. A large Dutch expedition in 1959 was The Netherlands New Guineäs last before Holland was forced to leave, before allowing Indonesia to claim this territory. Much of our knowledge about the eastern WNG highlands comes from the pioneer missionaries¿ publications. These men, along with their families, spent years, mostly in isolation from their fellow Europeans. They learned the local languages and wrote the texts that form the basis of this book.

THE BOOKAside from the Dani of the Baliem Valley, the Amungme are the best-known highlands tribe in West New Guinea. This is largely due to some of their lands having been taken by the mining company Freeport Indonesia for the development of their mining complex, first around the Ertsberg, then the Grasberg. This second ore body holds the world¿s largest gold deposit and the third largest concentration of copper. The Amungme, live to the south of the steep central mountains, while their linguistic brothers, the Damal, spread just to the north of this range. During the early years of the Freeport mine operations, the company paid little attention to the Amungme. Their lands were used with scant compensation as the company paid its taxes to the central government, with no obligation to start any social programs for the Amungme. The various chapters cover the essential aspects of the Amungme culture, including their origins, their distinctive language, the kinship structure, social organization, the importance of cowry shells, and females in exchanges, leadership, and the various ways of subsisting: hunting, farming, and gathering. The results of the contacts with the outside world begin with the section on Christianity and the pre-contact mystical concept of ¿h¿ai¿, and early paradise that can be attained without first expiring. The effects of the large-scale mining operations are described from the early history of Freeport Indonesia and the effects of the discovery of the huge ore body in Grasberg (Grass Mountain). The concluding section describes the current improvements in the treatment of the Amungme by Freeport, including education, health programs, and job training. THE SERIESThe aim is to provide a conduit for the publication of studies on the Island of New Guinea, with its two established political divisions, but will also include other associated patterns of islands.It will enable contributions from new knowledge workers¿with their dissertations¿and from established scholars. As there are numerous scholars who would like better coverage of the areas in which they have explored¿as a tribute to the people they have worked with¿as well as local scholars who understand the importance of their unique areas. It is felt that the approaches being trialed in the visual anthropology part of the series as area studies will bring a wider attention to the remarkable nature of the island.The first volumes will be on modes of communication: oral history and folklore, and the emergence of a local literature. While the representation of all disciplines is welcome, comparative and whole island studies would be of great interest as well. For this, collaborative works or edited volumes may be needed.It will allow for academic publications of a more preliminary kind¿rather than exhaustive monographs, which are becoming more and more impossible to produce.Where is the knowledge we have lost?

THE BOOKThe Dani group, centered in the Baliem Valley, has long taken the world¿s attention. It is by far the best-known ethnic group in West New Guinea, ever since its discovery by the aptly named American explorer Richard Archbold in 1938. While some Dutch groups had passed close by during previous nears, none had seen the valley itself with its high population of 50,000 to 100,000. The flat, fertile valley bottom was expertly farmed with irrigation and drainage in geometrically laid out fields of raised mounds that produced bumper crops of sweet potatoes. The Dani group was discovered when Archbold flew his hydroplane overhead and was suitably impressed by the gardens beautiful, orderly layout. He also saw some mysterious tall erections dispersed in several areas on the flat land. These structures turned out to be watchtowers, ready to alert the nearby inhabitants of the approach of a hostile group. For large-scale warfare was the way of life in the Baliem. Divided into several large alliances, hostilities were never-ending, punctured by short periods of relative peace. After the Archbold Expedition left the valley, the next visitors were American Evangelical missionaries who landed on the Baliem River in their new hydroplane. They established a base there and began proselytizing a full two years before the Dutch opened their first post there. A few years later, an American filming expedition from Harvard University was able to film the daily life as well as some actual battles, fought with spears, bows and arrows. The film, Dead Birds, was screened to many audiences in the US and elsewhere. The missionaries among the Dani were not very successful. This was in stark contrast with the Lani (also called Western Dani) who lived in the northernmost part of the Baliem Valley and spread far toward the east in West New Guineäs central highlands. They had been successfully proselytized by American Evangelicals based in Enarotali, on the shore of Lake Paniai. The Lani had migrated from the east towards the west probably due to population pressures and thinly inhabited lands. They had not been satisfied by their traditional religion that did not provide material goods such as those enjoyed by the missionaries. After only a few years, they became Christians and burned their old fetiches to show their commitment to the new religion. THE SERIESThe aim is to provide a conduit for the publication of studies on the Island of New Guinea, with its two established political divisions, but will also include other associated patterns of islands.It will enable contributions from new knowledge workers¿with their dissertations¿and from established scholars. As there are numerous scholars who would like better coverage of the areas in which they have explored¿as a tribute to the people they have worked with¿as well as local scholars who understand the importance of their unique areas. It is felt that the approaches being trialed in the visual anthropology part of the series as area studies will bring a wider attention to the remarkable nature of the island.The first volumes will be on modes of communication: oral history and folklore, and the emergence of a local literature. While the representation of all disciplines is welcome, comparative and whole island studies would be of great interest as well. For this, collaborative works or edited volumes may be needed.It will allow for academic publications of a more preliminary kind¿rather than exhaustive monographs, which are becoming more and more impossible to produce.Where is the knowledge we have lost?

Indonesia's easternmost landfall, is also its final hidden gemstone; from the depths of its oceans, to its rich mangroves, lowland and montane rainforests, alpine tundra and equatorial glaciers and its highest peak between the Himalayas and the Andes, few have had the chance to explore its secrets. Home to the world's richest coral reef, a par exemplar of terrestrial biodiversity, and a nexus of over 250 of the world's spoken languages, it awaits discovery.Landscapes formed by millions of years of biogeograhical evolution, thousands of species of exotic flora and fauna, and traditional peoples whose histories, cultures and traditions stretch back 50,000 years are all found in this paradise. Journey with Kal Muller through this Photo Album and see the faces and places of West New Guinea that have left indelible marks on his 20-year sojourn and memory of this unique corner of the world.

THE BOOKThis volume is one of four covering The North Coast which makes up the bulk of West New Guinea. The other three are Introduction to West New Guinea, The Highlands of West New Guinea, and The South Coast of West New Guinea. The main purpose of these books is to give a summary of the history and cultures of the western half of the island of New Guinea. West New Guineäs north coast saw sail-bys and a few landings by various European ships, starting in the 16th Century. Biak Island hosted the most important traditional Papuan sailors (read: trader-warriors) in pre-colonial times. The island¿s inhabitants continue to hold a leading role today, thanks to the widespread educational facilities that produce many top civil servants. For most of the colonial period, the town of Manokwari was by far the most important urban area on the north coast. Christianity was introduced to West New Guinea from there starting in 1855 and the town was the center of commerce and government. That changed drastically during WWII, when American military engineers constructed a huge and efficient infrastructure around Jayapura and Sentani. After the war, the returning Dutch government made Jayapura the capital of West New Guinea, and Indonesian officials followed this example after 1963. The North Coast of West New Guinea covers a number of basic social topics such as kinship, social structure, and marriage, along with languages and the areäs pre-contact material culture. Some aspects of the old cultures were still present until quite recently. Some of the major ethnic groups merit chapters of their own. However, this book is definitely not a complete volume about all the different Papuan groups in the area. Far more research needs to be done for a more complete picture, as many ancient traditions are fading from memory. THE SERIESThe aim is to provide a conduit for the publication of studies on the Island of New Guinea, with its two established political divisions, but will also include other associated patterns of islands.It will enable contributions from new knowledge workers¿with their dissertations¿and from established scholars. As there are numerous scholars who would like better coverage of the areas in which they have explored¿as a tribute to the people they have worked with¿as well as local scholars who understand the importance of their unique areas. It is felt that the approaches being trialed in the visual anthropology part of the series as area studies will bring a wider attention to the remarkable nature of the island.The first volumes will be on modes of communication: oral history and folklore, and the emergence of a local literature. While the representation of all disciplines is welcome, comparative and whole island studies would be of great interest as well. For this, collaborative works or edited volumes may be needed.It will allow for academic publications of a more preliminary kind¿rather than exhaustive monographs, which are becoming more and more impossible to produce.Where is the knowledge we have lost?