The Dani 1962 :: essays research papers

Balien Valley, New Guinea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dani tribe lives in the Balien Valley of New Guinea. The Valley is very green and full of tropical life. The tribe is spread among a network of small villages. Each village consists of ten to thirty individuals of the same or closely related family. Villagers live in huts made of local grasses and sticks. The women farm while the men the weave and protect the tribe from enemy raids.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dani are in constant warfare with a neighboring tribe. They believe that if someone dies from enemy hands then they have to be avenged. Wars are mostly fought to avenge deaths, to settle quarrels between the tribes, and just because some enjoyed fighting. Wars are fought with bow and arrows and spears with barbs, the barbs attach themselves in the enemy’s flesh, making it very painful to remove. Warfare is very structured and full of rules to which both sides comply. Battles do not begin until both sides have all their men present. No wars or raids take place at night.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ghosts control the people by fear. The ghosts come from discontent or neglected spirits of the dead. Ghosts dominate the night. They strike fear into all. During the night they hide along the paths and wait to eat whoever passes. The ghosts also eat the people’s food, the bananas in the forest and the crops in the gardens. Since the ghosts are so feared the people take preventative steps to make sure that their tribe’s spirits are always content. When a tribe member is killed, the tribe must avenge that death or they go through spiritual decline. The dead are bathed with pig fat or else their spirit would feel neglected. A Wyantonafe, Pig Treasure Ceremony, renews their spiritual self and strengthens the community’s spirits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the mourning the men go to their towers to watch for enemy advancements, during this time the men also weave. Women do not weave, most of the older women wouldn’t be able to because fingers are cut off after a death of a close family member. If the men see no sign of the enemy they set a fire telling the women that it’s safe to go to their farms. The men only do the farms hardest work. The women do work around the huts and in the farm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The children learn the their roles in the tribe by imitating those older than them.