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STORI BLO BUS GRAUN BLO MIPELA: Forest Conservation in Papua New Guinea

Project Overview

  • Title: Bus graun blo mipela (Forest Conservation Project)

  • Duration: 2023-2025

  • Director: Nicolas Garnier, Centre for Social Research, Divine Word University

  • Contributors:

    • Allan Maule (Ato village, artist and village research coordinator)

    • Yatha Baran (Aguru village, artist and village research coordinator)

    • Philip Wambi (Chambri Lakes, artist and village research coordinator)

  • Drawing Details: Created for the project, August 2023.

Introduction

  • Quote by Dante:

    • "Halfway along our journey to life’s end I found myself astray in a dark wood…"

  • Context: Explore the paradox of forests in Dante’s Divine Comedy representing both fear and paradise; the wild wood symbolizes the nightmarish entry into death and chaos.

  • Scholarly Perspective: Contemporary reflections on forests are often influenced by European biases regarding wilderness, leading to misconceptions about indigenous connections to forests.

  • Key Thematic Consideration: The project examines the complexities of human relationships with forests in Papua New Guinea, addressing both reverence and fear among indigenous populations.

  • Critical Insight: Indigenous peoples may not universally love their forests; there exists a culture of negotiation concerning land rights for economic gain against conservation needs.

The Forest and Its Inhabitants

  • Importance of Primary Rainforest:

    • New Guinea's forests are among the most essential on the planet, critical for global climate regulation.

    • Managed largely by customary laws under the 1975 PNG constitution's concept of "Underlying Law."

  • Traditional Practices: Many people live on ancestral lands without heavy reliance on imported goods.

  • Quote from Yatha Baran: "Taim mipela save go lo ples, mipela save kisim fri sameting. Olsem gaden kaikai, kumu, buai, kokonas." (Translation: "When we go to the village, we get things for free, like garden crops, vegetables, betel nuts, coconuts.")

  • Cultural Dynamics: Increasing rural-urban migration affects ties to traditional lands, influencing cash economies and conservation practices.

  • Research Proposal Goals:

    • Study methodologies to balance environmental preservation with economic development needs.

  • Historical Context of Environmental Research in PNG:

    • Ongoing concern for ecological conservation since independence (1977 Waigani Seminar, Louise Morauta's works).

    • Limited anthropogenic impact noted by observers in past research (e.g., Winslow 1977).

Environmental Conservation in Contemporary PNG

  • Dichotomy in Perspectives:

    • Conservationists view forest preservation as critical for planetary health, while loggers present short-term economic benefits.

    • Customary landowners may choose logging for economic survival which presents a dilemma between cash income vs. forest conservation.

  • Interplay Between Conservation and Local Markets:

    • Tampa's influence on logging and development issues, whereas conservation is often tied to Western values and historical issues of poverty.

  • Evolution of Religious Belief:

    • Dominance of Christianity alongside emerging evangelical and revivalist movements affecting cultural values and interactions with nature.

  • Sociocultural Implications: Villagers face tension:

    • The forest can be both a sacred reservoir beneficial for humankind and a commodity facilitating access to wealth and opportunities.

Cultural Context of Environment

  • Contrasting Views of Forests:

    • The forest concept is often perceived as a commodity, measured by capitalist valuation detached from indigenous experiences and histories.

  • Research Hypothesis: Explore locally understood categories of land (including forest) to inform national policies and practices around conservation.

  • Legal Definitions: The term "customary land" encompasses diverse land categories, blurring distinctions between sacred (natural) and cultivated (cultural) spaces.

  • Interrelations Between Inhabitants: All beings—humans, non-humans (spirits, etc.)—are vital to understanding PNG's ecological relations.

Methodological Approach

  • Fieldwork Locations:

    • Ato village, Madang Province (Marik language)

    • Aguru Village, Madang (Amele language)

    • Chambri Lakes, East Sepik Province (Chambri language)

  • Research Design:

    • Engage villagers as core agents of their environment.

    • Focus on interspecies relations and innovative forms of artistic/academic expression.

  • Cultural Narratives: Inhabitants articulate complex relationships with their environment, often conveying traditional ecological knowledge through storytelling and cooperative art practices.

Community Involvement and Action

  • Art Collaboratives: Villagers actively participate in visual artistic projects depicting forests, flora, fauna, and spirits, exploring their cultural definitions and environmental ethics.

  • Ethnographic Methodology:

    • Collect narratives while nurturing community engagement in a way that promotes local practices.

  • Presentations of Findings: Initial works generated during the project have already circulated internationally, highlighting innovative scholarship emphasizing the voices of local populations.

Discussion of Environmental Ethics

  • Ethical Tensions: Addressing the conflict between human practices and non-human entities based on ethical frameworks informed by Christianity vs. traditional animistic beliefs.

  • Implications for Conservation Policies: Ethical considerations should expand traditional conservation strategies, recognizing the spiritual and ecological significance of relationships between humans and non-human inhabitants.

  • Final Thoughts: The Bus Graun blo mipela project fosters a critical examination of land use, sustainability, and policy-making, advocating for a nuanced understanding of forestry that goes beyond simplistic commercial valuations.

Bibliography and References

  • Comprehensive referenced works related to environmental anthropology, translational studies, and PNG-specific ecological dynamics are included, reflecting a rich academic groundwork.

Here's a breakdown of the art described within the "STORI BLO BUS GRAUN BLO MIPELA" project:

Who
  • Artists/Contributors: Allan Maule (Ato village), Yatha Baran (Aguru village), Philip Wambi (Chambri Lakes) – all artists and village research coordinators.
  • Participants: Villagers from Ato, Aguru, and Chambri Lakes actively engage in the visual artistic projects.
What
  • Type of Art: Drawings and visual artistic projects.
  • Content: Depictions of forests, flora, fauna, and spirits.
  • Purpose (form): Innovative forms of artistic/academic expression, conveying traditional ecological knowledge, and articulating complex relationships with the environment.
When
  • Specific Drawing: August 2023 (mentioned for initial drawing details).
  • Project Duration: The artistic activities are integrated throughout the project's timeline (2023-2025).
Why
  • Project Goal: Created for the "Bus graun blo mipela (Forest Conservation Project)" to balance environmental preservation with economic development needs.
  • Cultural Exploration: To explore local cultural definitions and environmental ethics.
  • Knowledge Transfer: To convey traditional ecological knowledge and articulate complex relationships with the environment.
  • Community Engagement: To nurture community engagement and promote local practices.
  • Scholarship: To highlight innovative scholarship that emphasizes the voices of local populations, with initial works already circulated internationally.
How
  • Methodology: Part of a research design that focuses on interspecies relations and innovative artistic/academic expression.
  • Practice: Involves cooperative art practices and storytelling, where inhabitants articulate their environmental relationships.
  • Engagement: Through ethnographic methodology, by collecting narratives and fostering community participation in visual projects.