The N’gusunga Celebration hosted by the Korogu Community on the 14th to 15th of October 2022 was an affirmation of the relationship between the Sepik people and their home. It honored the abundance of food and life sustained by Sepik River, its lakes, tributaries, swamps, marshes and forests. It was more than a celebration. It was a proud expression of the Niaura Tribe’s sophisticated and noble culture and an opportunity to educate the younger generation of the cultural and traditional practices of the N’gusunga. The N’gusunga celebration also stands as a cultural act of resistance, reinforcing the “Save the Sepik” and showing solidarity against the Frieda Copper and Gold Mine proposed by the Papua New Guinean government and the Chinese company, PanAust. The Sepik River is more than just a body of water, it is the lifeblood, the N’gusunga, of the people of East Sepik Province (ESP), of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the rest of the world.
N’gusunga in the Yatmul language of the people of Middle Sepik, ESP, PNG, refers to a traditional food storage container in the part of the house used to cook food. It is a large cylindrical basket, half a meter or so in length, half a meter in width and a height of about 30 centimeters, made from pandanus stems and tied with cane vines. The “N’gusunga” is kept above the fireplace and is continually warmed to protect its contents, fish, meat and vegetables, from pest and decay.
The term “N’gusunga” is not only limited to a container in the kitchen but its meaning stretches far beyond its physical form. It speaks of the larger food bowl, it refers to people’s dwelling and a place of abundance of food. It is a symbol of sustenance and continuity. N’gusunga is an expression of the wealth and well-being of the community pertaining to the lakes, the river, tributaries, swamps, marshes, the forests, the spirits of the water called “Wonjumouks”1 and the spirits who dwell on land and in trees called “Wunjumbus”2 and all life and non-life forms. It embodies a profound metaphysical nexus, an ontological symbiosis between humanity and cosmos, symbolizing an intricate harmony that sustains both ecological integrity and spiritual wholeness. The practice illustrates a sustained balance of life.
The Dances of N’gusunga
The N’gusunga celebration featured dances which captured and highlighted different elements and important aspects of the N’gusunga. Two of the three important dances featured during the event were the Val’rasam and Tagwanal’ra. Both of these dances were centered around the canoe, a significant element in the N’gusunga concept.
The Val’rasam
The Val’rasam dance depicted the celebration of a new canoe. Traditionally, the dancing and singing is performed by the maternal uncles of a child which the canoe was built for. Usually the mother of the child, will call for the child’s uncles and cousins to sing and celebrate the canoe. The dance involves fire and ash, in which the dancers would hold lit coconut frond torches and dance around the canoe, celebrating the main medium of transportation that the child of concern would use to go out into the N’gusunga to collect food. The canoe is also used as the coffin when the child passes on. It symbolizes the journey in the other life. After the dance is completed, the parents of the child will show appreciation to the dancers in gifts of pigs, cassowary, crocodiles or chickens for everyone to feast.
Tagwanal’ra
The tagwanal’ra dance also focuses on the canoe. The dance featured men dressed as women with coconut shell breasts dancing around the canoe. The canoe is usually made by the men and so as a celebration, joy, fun and affection, the men would imitate the women and dance. The dance also captured an interesting element of costume called ‘Yol’ri. This symbolizes that the canoe has sat there idle while it was made; it was made in hiding from the women and so the canoe has come of age, just as a woman who sees her first monthly period. Here, the canoe is also ready to carry humans in her. The dance concludes with the ceremonial blessing of the canoe with the breaking of a coconut inside the canoe signifying its readiness to go out on into the N’gusunga to be used.
The call “Save the Sepik”
The N’gusunga Celebration event aligned well with the efforts of the “Save the Sepik” campaign. For years, Project Sepik and its partners have tried to help people reflect and acknowledge the value of their environment and culture. The Sepik is one of the most intact and pristine freshwater ecosystems in the Asia Pacific region, which is a living memory of their ancestors who arrived more than 50,000 years ago. They are the indigenous guardians of that natural heritage and it is their calling to keep the water and the land safe for the people who are yet to arrive from the future.
Their cultural traditions have been so sophisticated that they were able to use these to sustainably manage their environment for centuries. They have had more than fifty thousand years of sustainable livelihoods. The people of Korogu have celebrated their cultural traditions in so many ways. Project Sepik hopes that by celebrating, the people would have internalized the abundance and wealth of their N’gusunga. In doing so, they can then protect their home, their N’gusunga from harm.
The N’gusunga is an essential part of the cultural traditions of the Niauras. This concept emphasizes much of the core values of the Melanesian culture of harmonious and thriving clans and tribes. Values of respect and togetherness, kinship, relationships and connectivity of all life and non-life forms are central for people to thrive. The Sepik River is the N’gusunga of the Niaura Tribe of the middle Sepik. It is also the N’gusunga of the people of Upper Sepik, and of the lower Sepik. It is the N’gusunga of the hinterlands, of Kubalia, Yangoru, Nuku, Drekikir and Maprik. It is the N’gusunga of ESP. It is a N’gusunga of PNG. The people of the Sepik from Iniok down to the Delta of Sepik have said No to the proposed Frieda Copper and Gold Mine. Stand with the true Guardians of the Sepik River. Stand with the Supreme Sukundimi, one of many powerful spirits of Melanesia. Protect N’gusunga, save the Sepik, save a Regional Iconic River, save a World River, save a World Heritage.
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