Only people that went through initiation were given the mandate to discuss community issues. They were also eligible to contest the chief’s chair and elder’s titles in the community.

The initiation took two to three years to accomplish. A lot of preparation was involved. The initiation could begin when enough valuable items like pigs, pigs tusks, shell money (tambu), galip nuts, sago, banana, taro and betel nuts had been assembled.

The father with his cousin sisters prepared the daughter for Samban Gar initiation while the mother and her cousin brothers prepare the son for Brag Gar.

When a parent had enough wealth for the initiation, the cousins were invited to a little party which served as formal registration for the child to begin the initiation. After the party, the cousins brought the child to the secret initiation house. The parent would not see the child again until the ritual was accomplished.

The beat of the garamut slit drum was the main communication channel. Its different beats announced the initiation rituals procedure until its accomplishment.

The first ritual involved lectures on society’s culture, customs, traditional songs and dance steps. Both genders practiced song and dance on the beach under moonlight and away from the village to protect secrecy.

The second ritual was the testing period. The men would have their ears and nose pierced. Then they would be caned with kanda (cane twine). After the piercing and caning, they received the carvings blessings. The blowing of the one-side flute (brag) ritual followed.

As for the women, they would be paddled out to the open sea and forced to capsize their canoe into the sea. It’s called sea bathing. After this they were tattooed. The symbol of the sun was tattooed on their chest.

The sea bath is the cleaning ritual. The sun tattoo indicates life because women uphold the human race.

During whipping and tattooing, the boy and the girl lie on their uncle and aunt’s back symbolizing the extended family’s bond of unity, peace and harmony.

The carvings blessings symbolise the people’s bond with nature. The carvings signify important activities of the community. These engraved spirits, known to uphold deep secrets, were kept in the men’s house.

The blowing of the one-side blown flute (Barg) ritual followed after the carving blessing ritual. Barg is the name of the river spirit who roams the Sepik River in his crocodile canoe. He is the most feared spirit among the spirits and his call is played on the flute.

A single beat on the slit-drum signals to everyone that Barg is coming from the men’s house to visit the village.

When the villagers hear the single beat of the slit-drum, they go into hiding. No one is to peep through door, window or holes in the wall to see the blowing of the one side-blown flute procession. If anyone is caught spying on Barg, he or she will be summoned to the village arena and immediately killed.

The male elders from the men’s house light dried coconut palm leaves (boomboom) and retrace the footsteps of the flute procession around the village. The palm leaves are believed to drive away the Barg spirit if he is still roaming the village.

When that is done the slit-drum is beaten once again to signal to the villagers that Barg had returned to his place and the village is now safe.

The final ritual is the receiving of the Korkar –a decorated stick symbolising respect. The Yamdar Korkar was decorated with a basket adorned with sea shells and kambung-gourd and the Mondomot Kokar was decorated with pig’s tusk and red tanget leaves. A cassowary’s feather was tied at the end of the Kokar.

These are all symbols of peace, friendship and respect. The two Kokar were presented according to the family bloodline.

The initiation for the Korkar was conducted in traditional attire. The females had their hair trimmed giving it a braided look. Their bodies were oiled with a mixture of red clay and pig’s oil. The father’s cousin sisters put the grass skirt round the niece’s waist.

This occasion was also a time where the aunts revealed their deep secrets, particular the secret of their lover boys, by sticking chickens’ feathers on the girl’s head. The number of chickens feathers stuck on the girl’s head represents the number of lover boys the aunt had. It gives the aunt a feeling of pride and value in society.

The boy on the other hand is given a spear symbolising bravery and perseverance.

After the presentation of the Korkar, the initiated men and women go around the village with their Korkar and the villagers show their acknowledgment and approval by splitting dry coconuts as applause.

A feast concludes the initiation. The food is distributed according to the amount of tambu-shell money and pigs tusks the uncles and aunts have given as offerings to their nephew or niece.

When one of the two Kokar is posted in the village square, peace and harmony is observed at all costs. Anyone caught fighting or arguing in the presents of the Kokar must compensate for this with pigs and shell money.

The Kokar still exists to this day but the initiation is about to become an extinct ritual.