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EXPEDITIONS


© Harald Melcher

Executed expeditions in Papua (Irian Jaya):

1995 1995 Walked from Wamena (central highlands) to the swamps of Admat and travelled in excavated trees to Agats on the South coast of New Guinea.

Purpose:
To locate the tribe in New Guinea who live in trees

1996 To the treehousepeoples (Korowai) in the swampy area with difficulty access.

Purpose:
Documentation of our first contact with the Sayakh.

1997 To the Yali in the highlands of New Guinea.

Purpose:
Recording different celebrations of the Yali, as well as the way to the swampy areas to the Korowai.

1998

1998 To the Korowai, in particular the Sayakh and the Korowai Batu.

Purpose:
To document first contact with the Sayakh and the Korowai Batu. First documentation of construction of the tree housing as well as their language and starting a small book about their language.

1998 From October 1998 till January 1999 : Attempt to get access to the northern territorys of the Korowai Batu. Attendance of our friends the Sayakh and the Dayo.Observations with a Korowai family over several weeks.


Purpose:

Documentation of their hunting and their live as hunters and collectors in film and photo.

1999

Try to cross the whole Korowai Batu area to the north. Attendance with our friends from last year. Stay there again for many weeks and see the daily live.

Purpose:
Further documentation of their hunt and daily live as hunters and collectors in film and photo.
Collecting parts of a treehouse. Complete the collecting about Korowai for exhibition purposes.

green treepython
- green treepython - © Harald Melcher


Results of these expeditions

  • 45 min. Documentary of a journey "Back to the stoneage"
  • approx. 61 hours of film documentation about the Korowai in digital quality
  • many thousand slides for documentation purposes over the life of the Korowai, in particular their daily live, searching for food, as well as over the consequences of their missionared live.
  • a complete collection off all utensils of the Korowai, as well as their decoration and "clothes"
  • complete measurements data of the treehouses.
  • Beginning of the recording of a dictionary of the Korowai language.
  • constant exhibition of the material culture of the Korowai in the people museum Heidelberg. (under construction)

Activities due to these results:

  • Appearances in radio and television
  • Exhibitions in picture and material of the Korowai
  • Publications in magazines and newspaper

Index <> current projects <> Indonesia <> New Guinea <> Papua (Irian Jaya)  <> Flora & Fauna <> History <>
We about us <> Expeditions <> current <> Exhibitions <> PR-messages <> Shop <> Sponsors <> Tips <> Links <> Slideshow <> Weather <> Postcards <> Guestbook <> E-mail
<> discussion about Papua (Irian Jaya) <>
Classified advertisements
<> PNG

Text and pictures ©Harald Melcher 1998/99/00