Study Of Sio Islanders

While in New Guinea early this year Mr. William C. Groves, an Australian anthropologist, spent four weeks among the natives of Sio Island (off the north coast of Huon Peninsula, T.N.G.) studying the effects of culture-contact. Recently he returned to Australia and he has embodied his observations and conclusions in a treatise entitled “The Natives of Sio Island, South Eastern N. Guinea —A Study in Cul ture-Contact.” This was published in the September “Oceania” and has now been reprinted separately.

Mr. Groves appears to have made par ticularly exhaustive investigations concern ing the Sio Islanders. He has analysed their personal habits, their kinship and social structure and inquired closely into their participation in the primitive economic system of the Huon Peninsula.

He noted many cultural changes which have taken place—steel and iron have sup planted stone and bone, and the lava-lava has taken the place of the grass skirt and “tapa” belt. Magic and sorcery have com pletely disappeared under the influence of mission activity.

Mr. Groves gives a concise description of life on Sio to-day and recommends as a practical step for their assistance that some form of village industrial, or local agricultural, enterprise other than coconut planting be introduced.