Southwest Pacific Cultural Heritage Training Program: Papua New Guinea 2002.

Buka Town

Representatives of the SWPCHTP visited Buka town, North Solomons Province, between 27th April and 10th May 2002. The purpose of the vist was fourfold. First, to provide advice to the provinicail administrators involved in establishing a new cultural centre and museum. Secondly, to assess the High School curriculm as it pertains to archaeology and prehistory with the aim of updating it in the future. Thirdly, to organise the logistics for a SWPCHTP workshop in Buka during 2003. Fourthly, to promote the importance of archaeology in the High Schools.

 

Acknowledgments:

At Buka we would like to thank the NSP goverment. In particular, Joe Lera, (University Centre-Buka) and Joe Mokuma (NSP Cultural Officer).

References:

Leavesley, M and H. Mandui, 2002 Antiquities Smuggling Museum Dekenai 3(2):4.

 

 

Site designed by Mr. Matthew Leavesley, (Arch. & Anth., ANU) & content by Dr. Glenn Summerhayes (ANH, ANU) for the SWPCHTP.

 

 

 

Dr. Glenn Summerhayes	Australian National University
Mr. Matthew Leavesley	Australian National University
Dr. Bernard Minol	UPNG
Mr. Vincent Kewibu	UPNG
Mr. Francis Bafmutuk	Conservation, National Museum
Mr. Jon Dop	Anthropology, National Museum
Mr. Joe Lera	University Centre, Buka
Mr. Joe Mokuma	Cultural Officer, North Solomons Province
Mr. Henry Arifeae	Central FM
Taloi Havini	Australian National University

Table 1 lists the participants in the Buka 2002 program.

The participants were primarily drawn from the Australian National University, the University of Papua New Guinea and the National Museum and Art Gallery, Port Moresby. They were selected specifically for their expertise in cultural heritage management and related issues.

One of the objectives of the program was community awareness and education. This was achieved by giving seminars to a variety of school groups. The schools visited were the Bishop Wade School at Talena, North Bougainville, Hahila Mission school, Sohano Community School, Malasang Community School and Hutjena High School. The talks generally began with an introduction from Summerhayes. This was followed by a general description of the Bismarcks and NSP prehistory by Leavesley. This picture shows Summerhayes talking to the students at Hahila.

During the 1960's Specht undertook archaeological investigations in Malasang village, Buka Island. This ground breaking research was later expanded by Wickler in the 1980's. The workshop visited Malasang village and the archaeological sites, Palandraku Cave and Kilu Cave and discussed some of the important implications of research in a village environment. Malasang is one of the few locations that still make clay pots. In this picture Summerhayes donates a copy of Wickler's book "The Prehistory of Buka" to Malasang. The book was accepted by the two pot makers who live in Malasang and who feature on the cover of the book.

Copies of the book were donated to a number of places. Below, Mr. Leavesley donates a copies of two books, one by Wickler and the second by Parkinson, on behalf of Summerhayes and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation to the University Centre-Buka. The book is accepted by the head of the Centre, Mr. Jo Lera, in the company of Mr. Jon Dop from the National Museum in Port Moresby.

While on Buka some time was allocated to the discussion of better way to promote the understanding of cultural values as they relate to 'secret sacred' items and places. The participants concluded that closer ties between village people and government bureaucrats was going to be the key to protecting cultural items from being smuggled abroad as swift liaison between Local, Provincial and National government Officers has been shown to have worked in the past (Leavesley and Mandui 2002:4).