Manam Island

Manam Island, formerly called Vulkan-Insel or Hansa-Vulkaninsel by Germans and its outlier the small island of Boesa (Aris-Insel) are approx 6.5km to the Northwest, are part of the Schouten Island archipelago, a chain of small volcanic island that stretches along the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea. Near the mouths of Ramu and Sepik rivers, Manam is part of the north coast and sepik culture areas.

Photo Souce: NASA

Situated just south of the equator and within the Pacific Ring of Fire Manam is a small cone-shaped island about 13Km across and 14km in circumference. A still active volcano with craters that reach a height of 1350 metres, it continously spews forth ash and occasional erupts molten lava.

Manam Eruption 2004. Zogari Village.

In precontact times Manam villages were politically autonomous . Each village was ruled by a hereditary chief called Tanepoa or known in Melanesian tokpisin as Kukurai a position based on primogeniture. Each clan had a leader called "Bagi Lasa" whose position was also based on primogeniture. Although the Manam now elect a village council to represent them on island's Local Government Council, in effect Kukurai are still the village leaders.

Each village holds an annual New Year Celebration known as "Barasi Daga" especially in the month of May or June. The most frequent inter-village ceremony is a type of dance and pig exchange called "Buleka".

Music and singing are the dominant arts as they have important political and economic functions. Dance, with men as the primary performers is also a major and new dance complexes are important trade items. Carvin, an art form with a tradional iconography.

Young men preparing for their "Tumbuna Singsing" (Traditional dance)

Primary school students getting prepare for their traditional dance.