Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1921-09-22
New Guinea Woman and Baby.
prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, d. C)

New Guinea v
prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. d. C.)
Perhaps 1t is logical enough that
less Should be known about the largest
heavily Inhabited island in the world
Now Guinea-than about the smaller
and more easily traversed lands Of
the sea, especially since 1t lies, like
the ne!ghboring continent Of Australia,
near the antipodes of the western
world, far from the beaten track.
This island has come into notice re-
Gently through the action of the
League of Nations in giving to Aus
tralia the mandate for its northeastern
quarter, formerly colonial possession
Of Germany. It is probable, too, that
1t may be one Of the subjects Of dis
cussion when the problems Of the Pa
cific are taken up in Washington.
Except for fringe Of few widely
separated settlements and mission sta
tons along the coasts. New Guinea Cor
Papua, to give 1t its native name) is
paradise of savagery. Probably In
no other area Of equal extent In the
! world has civilization made so light
an imprint. In the interior Of the
great island heads are hunted as In
smaller regions elsewhere, cannibal
feasts are held. savage dialects are
spoken innocent Of any modification
by civilized language, primitive weap-
ons are used, and there is practically
no contact with and no knowledge of
the outside world.
Origin pf Papuans Unknown.
The origin Of the Oriental negroes"
OF Papua is an unsolved problem to
ethnologists. On most of the islands
to the east and north and toward
Asia, straight-haired, relatively fair
Malays are found. But the Papuans
are black, woolly-haired negroes like
the natives Of the far.away Guinea
coast Of western Africa. 1t was this
resemblance between the inhabitants
OF Papua and Guinea that gave the
island Its more common name among
westerners. Though the Papuan race
is distinct. and though large numbers
OF the pure stock exist ON the island,
the negro strain has also been mixed
with Malayan blood, resulting In nu.
merous racial gradations.
The natives of the southeastern
part of the island may be said to
bark back to the days Of their
arboreal, pre-human ancestors, for
they live in rude leaf and straw.
matched novels which they construct
In trees. Though this custom of tree.
dwelling Is not followed to any great
extent in other portions of New
Guinea, the natives Of the island all
seem determined to live we'll off the
ground. The favorite habltations
throughout a large part Of the country
are constructed on high piles. On the
protected ground beneath these struc-
lures the culinary operations are usu-
ally carried on. Many of the build.
ings are long. narrow communal af.
fafrs. housing a score or more Of M.
lives. In many cases these habita-
lions are merely dark tunnels, but In
others they are divided into compart-
ments. Clothing bothers the Papuans
{ az
but little. but they give much atten.
tion to painting and tatooIng their
bodies. and to bedecking themselves
with neck. nose and ear ornaments.
Odd Native Customs.
s There Is very little furniture In
Papuan dwellings to he shifted about
BY the Gladly of the house" on cleaning
day. Important among the few NOV
ables are hard narrow wooden blocks
scooped out to At the -.'pillOwsr
which would hardly appeal to western
;ers as substitutes for their soft down.
filed cushions.
Some Of the tribes near the coast
have a passion for bathing. so great
that they impute love Of the water
to the spirits Of their departed tribes.
men. To facilitate spirit bathing, ."
surviving relntives and friends care.
fully construct and keep open paths
leading from each grave to the sea.
When they are not dining on choice
cuts from some enemy tribesman,
Papuans eat in the main q prosaic
enough diet Of bananas. yyams, sago.
breadfruit and the meats sSf various
animals and Dish. But as ehoIce It'd
bits, some Of the tribes eat certain
Insects and the meat Of the worlds