“Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬 Part 2 of 2 ~Itinerary and Skin-Cutting Ceremony”
The Ancient Skin-Cutting Ceremony, from our nine-day expedition by dugout canoe; through the Sepik River Basin in Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬
For those who are new to our site, we welcome you. We just returned from a very intense, trying, but fabulous expedition throughout the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea. We visited eight Tribal Villages and stayed overnight in six of them. We got to enjoy some traditional Sing Sing tribal dancing, as well as explore their Spirit Houses, and/or Totem Pole Spirit Grounds. In addition, we visited a pottery-making Tribal Village. Each Spirit House we went into was loaded with beautifully hand-crafted carvings, and no two carvings were alike. Some were quite elaborate and big, while others, quite basic and small. One thing is for certain, the Sepik River Tribes have some mad skills!
Eighth and Final Stop ~Lower Sepik River ~Yasimbit Village ~Kanda Tribe
For this final tribal village visit, we stayed for two nights; where the Ancient Tradition of Crocodile Skin-Cutting Ceremony would take place.
Four different Tribes from the Sepik were represented in this one village for the whole two days, Aside from all the tribal and village interactions, the scenery along our canoe route of the River and Lakes of this region were absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. It is a vast region, and we never saw another tourist the whole expedition. What we did see, we will remember for the rest of our lives.
The process of skin-cutting on boys and girls recognizes the tribes’ ancestral connection to the Crocodile, who are believed to have migrated from the Sepik River onto land.
Deep within the jungle of Papua New Guinea, this ancient initiation custom; the skin-cutting ritual and the Chambri people who practice the ritual, believe the boys and girls, not only turn into men and women, but also into crocodiles.
The ancient myth tells the story of how “crocodiles migrated from the Sepik River onto land to eventually become humans.”
Part of the preparation for the day of skin-cutting, is to “fatten” up the boys and girls. This way the body will become thicker to make the cutting easier, and turn out the best, when normal weight returns.
To become an adult, the young initiate first joins his uncle or her aunt for comfort, where they are held down while tribal leaders make hundreds of 1/2 inch long slices into the boy’s and girls skin with a bamboo sliver, or razor, if available. The boy is not allowed to show pain, as the Chambri people believe that suffering immense pain at a young age will better equip them to withstand pain later in their lives. The girls, however, are allowed to scream.
First, the males (in their mid 20’s to 30’s) were inducted in the Spirit House, where they laid on their backs, with their heads cradled in the laps of an uncles, brother, and in one case, a young son. While in this position, they would have their chests cut on. The cuts with a razor blade are all intentional, to create an artistic design that will later represent the face and eyes of a Crocodile.
After the chest was complete, the males were taken outside the Spirit House, where they had to lay down on their newly cut chest and stomach, on a flipped over canoe, to have their back, and outter thighs cut on; also a design representing the skin of the Croc. This ritual for the males is completely voluntary.
The males were drug-induced with a tonic made from an ancient recipe, so as not to feel the pain. Also, the popular Betelnut is being chewed on in their mouths. This also give a bit of a natural high. The males are not allowed to cry out, while being cut.
The females were not allowed in the Spirit House, and for their right of passage (in this case a requirement if they want to marry) they would be on their stomach on the ground, held by their aunt, or sister, as their back was cut to also look the skin of the Crocodile. The girls were very young, and they had no drug-induced drinks to numb the pain. Some did have the Betelnut. Apparently, they can scream, and they did. Following the completion of the cutting, it is instantaneous that each tribal member is considered a man from a boy, and a woman, from a girl. The healing of the wounds would take much longer to complete; but when they do, the keloid scarring will be raised and bumpy; again to mimic the skin of the crocodile.
Once the cuts have been made, the boys and girls lie near a fire where smoke is blown into the wounds and clay and tree oil pushed into the cuts to sculpt the scars so that they remain raised when healed. Then, the initiates are adorned in an ornate headdress and jewelry at a big tribal ceremony, where the boys and girls officially become not men or women, but crocodiles.
‘The Crocodile Skin-Cutting Ceremony; May 2019
Yasimbit Village ~Kanda Tribe Lower Sepik River.”
The ceremony would cost us some bucks to be able to attend, but they promised to allow us access to all of the village, including inside the spirit house (normally off limits to women, but since I am white, it would be okay: this is what I was told).
For some, these photos may be difficult to see. Daryl and I watched the whole ceremony in real time, and these are our photos from then. Everything you see is real, and we did not leave anything out. We wanted to show the complete ritual, but also wanted to make the actual cutting photos, optional. We know this visual will not be everybody’s “cup of tea.”
Day 1 “Skin-Cutting” Ritual (pre-cutting celebration day)
Day 2 “Skin-Cutting” Ritual
Full disclosure about the photos in the link below.“Uncensored, Unedited and Raw”
Day 2: Post Skin-Cutting and More Celebrating
On a much lighter note, the following is our Itinerary and cost breakdown for the nine-day Expedition; by dugout canoe on the Sepik River
~Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬
Day 1:
From Wewak Town, drove to Pagwi Village, where we loaded into the canoe then traveled for five hours to the first village
Upper Sepik River
Wagu Lake and Village ~Yambun tribe
Day 2:
First Spirit House
Sing Sing Ceremonial Dance ~Upper Sepik River
Tangujam Village
~Koma tribe
Day 3:
Spirit House
Middle Sepik River Kanganamun Village
~Yatmul Tribe
Day 4:
2 Spirt Houses
Middle Sepik River
Palimbe Village
Yatmul Tribe
Aibom Village
(pottery makers).
Chambri Lake Village
Spirit House
Sing Sing Ceremonial Dance Middle Sepik River
~Andano Tribe
Day 5:
Spirit Totems
Sing Sing Ceremonial Dance Gavanas Lake Village Lower Sepik River
~Kanda Tribe
Day 6 and 7
Spirit House
This Village were the hosts to four different tribes; coming together for a Skin-Cutting Ceremony. This ancient tradition only takes place every 3-5 years
Yasimbit Village
Lower Sepik River
~Kanda Tribe
Day 8 (Albert’s; our guides’ village)
Middle Sepik River
~Yatmul Tribe
Day 9
Canoe back to Upper Sepik to meet the pickup vehicle at Pagwi Village
Drive back to Wewak; 5 hours on a long hard road.
Expedition Cost (in 2019)
May 2019 Sepik River Cultural Expedition in PNG beginning in Wewak, and ending in Wewak; traveling the Upper Sepik River, Middle Sepik River, Chambri Lake, and Black Water Lake
Cost for 2 persons: k15900/$3840
includes: pickup at hotel in Wewak, lodging, 3 meals per day, and water, car hire, and canoe transportation, and return to Wewak Hotel at end of expedition;while on expedition.
Also included is pick-up and return transportation to and from airport in Wewak.
*one-time only entrance fee: k1000/$241
*6 spirit house visits at various villages along the
Sepik River: k2000/$483
*6 cultural dances included in original base price, with no extra cost
*Deposit of k3178/$960 immediately upon agreement of expedition inclusions, exclusions and dates between both parties, following agreement on itinerary details to book and hold the date of expedition:
*2nd Deposit of: k3000/$906 by January 10, 2019
*Final payment of: k11840/$3576 byApril 10, 2019
*Additional costs and payment for entrance fee and spirit houses to be made by: April 10, 2019
*one-time only entrance fee: k1000/$242
*6 spirit house visits at various villages along the Sepik River: k2000/$483
UPDATE: It was agreed that the extra fees for using Western Union added expense for us, since Albert does not take Credit Card; to reduce our basic expedition cost from $4941 to $4741
Basic Expedition: k15700/$4741
Unexpected Additional costs k2400/$725
Final Total: k18100/$5466
10/1/18 western union payment made: k3000/$945.22 $5466.56 945.22 =$4521.34 remaining balance
-$1,200.00 = $5,721.34
More Itinerary Detail
May 9th:
Arrive in Wewak Stay overnight at hotel of own choosing not included in price
May 10th:
Get picked up at Wewak Hotel and begin expedition
Leave Wewak by hired car and go straight to Pagwi. Then, transfer to a motorized canoe with 40hs engine and go up river to Wagu Lake
Stay overnight in guest house
May 11:
At 6.30am we climb up the mountain to hopefully see the “bird of paradise,” then have breakfast. Canoe to Suagap Village for a visit
Stay overnight in guest house
May 12: Canoe further up the Sepik River to Tangujam Village and visit spirit houses and watch Singsing dance. Stay overnight in guest house
May 13: Back in the canoe and travel further up the Sepik to Korogu Village and visit the spirit and watch Singsing dance. Stay overnight in guest house
May 14: Canoe further to reach Village of Kanganamun, where we will visit spirit houses, see cassowary dances and spirit dances.
Stay overnight in guest house
May 15:
Visit Palimbe Village and visit spirit houses, then move on to Aibom Pottery Village and go to Chambri Lake to visit the spirit and watch Singsing dance
Stay overnight in guest house
May 16:
Go straight to Black Water Gavamas Village to visit and watch Singsing dance
Stay overnight in guest house
May 17:
Go straight to Kamanibit Village to visit the carving shop, then make our way back to Kanganamun Village
Stay overnight in guest house
May 18:
Canoe back to Pagwi, transfer to hired car and travel back to Wewak to be dropped off at hotel and say goodbye.
End of expedition
Stay overnight at hotel of own choosing Not included in price
May 19: Depart Wewak
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About Us
Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More