Changing notions of Big Man in PNG society
23 December 2010
The Crocodile Prize
The big man
BY DAVID KITCHNOGE
The great warrior
The protective barrier
Was my big man
The mighty hunter
The famine buster
Was my big man
The grand gardener
The feast maker
Was my big man
The powerful orator
The freedom fighter
Was my big man
The magic maker
The awe inspirer
Was my big man
The splendid dancer
The joy bringer
Was my big man
The well dressed
The cash drenched
Is my big man
The pot bellied
The master bully
Is my big man
David Kitchnoge was born in Kainantu in 1978 of mixed Sepik and Morobe parentage and he calls both provinces home. He was mostly educated in his mother's village of Mindik in the Finschhafen area, and went on to tertiary education at the Divine Word University in Madang. He regards himself as "a proud rural product, very passionate about rural development issues".
Well said David. PNGen's have yet to separate good leadership from riches and wealth - firstly in our hearts and minds. What are the important things today, perhaps there's more we can say?
Posted by: Icarus | 03 January 2011 at 10:08 AM
An interesting poem by David Kitchnoge.
Today, this Big Man syndrome is mostly prevalent in the highlands region.
Here, the general masses worship the Big Man, who lavish them with hand-outs of gifts (cash or material).
Fortunately, this is not the case anymore in the coastal provinces.
The people there are better informed about their leaders, what they can, and can not do for them.
They do not look upon anyone as a Big Man, but regard everyone as equal to them.
Here, the people are fortunately not so over-impressed by anyone pretending to be a Big Man misleading them into their future destiny.
In time, as the whole country gets better educated and well-informed, the days of the Big Man in PNG will be nothing, but a bad memory in the past.
Posted by: Reginald Renagi | 23 December 2010 at 09:24 PM