The Arapesh leader – peace, diplomacy & mediation
18 October 2015
RAYMOND SIGIMET
In recognition of past leaders of the forgotten eras who safe guarded and protected their people during times of conflict and war, and worked to bring about peace and harmony in their societies
THE Arapesh people inhabit the west coast region of East Sepik, up into and over the Torricelli hinterlands.
There are three main groups based on dialectal differences: the coastal Arapesh, the mountain Arapesh and the plain (kunai) Arapesh.
In the past, the traditional Arapesh, like other societies in Papua New Guinea, solved their conflicts and disputes through the diplomacy of bikman intervention and mediation.
When a conflict arose, the village tribal chief or bikman known as the takuien of the disputing groups, would come together in the man house, smeiguh, to discuss a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The takuien occupied the uppermost echelon of the political and social strata of the Arapesh societies. These leaders had high standards. They would not instigate conflict or embroil themselves in conflict of any sort.
As the leader, the takuien was responsible for making decisions that affected the whole group and was also responsible in maintaining peace and social order within the group.
The peace discussion would weigh out the conflict and reach resolution on how many pigs and ring shell money, kobrip, would be exchanged between disputing groups. The time for the peace ceremony will also be agreed upon.
During the peace ceremony, the leaders of the disputing groups were given time to talk. They did not talk randomly but in a structured manner; when one speaker talked, the others would listen.
The takuien mediated during the peace ceremony. He stood in the centre of the meeting place, holding a spear made from the bush limbum palm tree, wabok. This spear was a symbol of the status of the bearer.
During big events like peace ceremonies, custom talk or village politics, a speaker had the authority to talk to the people when he was holding this special spear, smugh.
The spear is decorated with cassowary feathers tied at its top, middle and bottom.
Speakers had turns holding the spear and talking. The spear symbolised the authority bestowed upon the speaker to talk. After the negotiating, the outcome was respected by the people gathered.
During mediation, a resolution was reached by the disputing groups. The settlement included the agreed number of pigs to be exchanged and the number of ring shell money to be paid with other gifts also deemed relevant.
During a peace ceremony to end fighting, the takuien would call upon the leaders of the warring groups to come forward and exchange gifts. They would also plant a palpal tree together as sign that there would be no more fighting.
These leaders were central in maintaining the Arapesh societies in the past up until the first contact with outsiders and the advent of colonisation.
Great Arapesh leaders of recorded history include the likes of war hero and politician Sir Pita Simogun and philosopher and statesman Bernard Narokobi.
Acknowledgements for this information: My father Joseph Sigimet with added information regarding vernacular words from Ignas Nabasai and Pita Hajatua Simogun (son of late Sir Pita Simogun)
I stumbled across this article because I wanted to create some clothing designs signifying the Arapesh people. My mum is from Dogur and I grew up in Wewak.
Sadly I concur with all those sentiments as expressed by other commentors that the Arapesh culture is a dying culture.
I have not seen nor read online of any significance on the cassowary but from my initial discussions with my mum on what were the significant cultural valued priced items in their village she mentioned that for the Dogur people, which should also include all the coastal Arapesh, the muruk or cassowary holds significance when it comes brideprice or dispute resolution ceremonies.
A muruk would carry the same value as pigs in other parts of PNG.
My first design to celebrate my mum's heritage (as you may pick out, I am not a full Sepik), the cassowary bird or muruk to give context specifically to my Arapesh blood.
She also mentioned that the chief holds on the spear and the muruk feather as a sign of chieftainship. I am hoping someone can also shed some more light on this.
I am still blessed to have my mum who is 76 years old but we need to work fast if we are to preserve the Arapesh culture.
Posted by: Miriam Paliou | 18 July 2024 at 12:35 PM
James, the language and culture of the Arapesh people is, unfortunately, slowly dying out.
Life today is not the same as it was during the Simogun era. Everything has changed. The Arapesh generation growing up today have lost much of their identity to the encroachment of modernity.
It is not only the Arapesh diaspora in Kimbe or Lae that are starved of their identity but those growing up in the villages are also affected. Cultural history and tradition are slowly forgotten as old people pass on.
Children are growing up speaking Tok Pisin. It's only the old people speaking the vernacular. I personally feel that the Mountain and Coastal Arapesh dialects will disappear within decades. This is despite Arapesh being a large lingual and social group in East Sepik.
What you are planning to do would be an important contribution to mitigate this or a step forward in recording and preserving something that, I believe, is inevitable based on the current trends in our society and country.
Posted by: Raymond Sigimet | 27 January 2020 at 01:21 PM
I am a descendant of the mountain Arapesh people. My parents originated from Helishimi hamlet, Alitoa village resettled in Woginara 2 .
We migrated to West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea in 1969 when Peter Simogun made the move to resettle our people there planting and harvesting oil palm.
I am now a teacher educator of primary school teachers and am very concerned at the fast dying culture and language of the Arapesh people living in West New Britain Province.
I am now searching the internet and making a last minute effort talking to my old mum, recording whatever she can tell me especially the language of our dialect.
I intend to compile a simple book of the language, history and culture using what I can collect from the different sources for the future descendants of Alitoa village. If there is any help out there in the world around I need that.
Posted by: James Panny | 27 January 2020 at 12:10 AM
Thank you Barbara Short for your positive comments and words of encouragement. I appreciate that.
Posted by: Raymond Sigimet | 19 October 2015 at 07:25 AM
Thank you, Raymond. Excellent.
I have placed copies on the Sepik Writer's Club Facebook page and the Sepik Region Development Discussion Forum Facebook page and people are enjoying reading it.
If you are not a member of these groups and would like to become a member please contact me at [email protected]
Keep up with your writing. Well done.
Posted by: Barbara Short | 19 October 2015 at 05:36 AM