Tribal Death

Feast

Rare Papuan Ceremony in Honour of Late Sir Hubert Murray

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, Apr. 14.

THE greatest honour that could be con ferred on a white man by the natives of Papua —and the only occasion on which it has occurred in the history of the Territory—took place near Port Moresby on April 8, when the lead ing men of the Motu tribe invited 6,000 natives from neighbouring tribes to pay their last act of homage to the late Sir Hubert Murrav, in a Tribal Death Feast (Masi Ariana). Formerly this ceremony was accorded only to leading men of the native communities.

According to custom, the occasion was preceded by 40 days of mourning in which dancing and feasting were strictly prohibited. Peoole in the villages carried on their daily tasks as usual, but quietly, and with a seriousness that showed that, with the nassing of their beloved Gover nor, they realised their great loss, and that with his going changes must come.

Special invitations were sent by the Village Councillors to the Acting Lieut.- Governor (Hon. H. W. Champion), the Official Secretary (Hon. H. L. Murray), Mr. Justice Gore, Hon. J. T. O’Malley and the Resident Magistrate (Mr. W. R.

Humphries). When the official party arrived, they were received and escorted, in silence, past lines of heaped native foodstuffs to an awning erected for the occasion in a prominent position facing the large assembly. As the party took their seats, muffled drums gave out a subdued rhythm which continued as the principal village spokesman, Ahuia Ove, an old man of over 60 years, came for ward and addressed the gathering, first in the Motu language and, later, in Eng lish.

“Governor Murray died doing his work”, he began, while the soft tapping of drums continued without pause. “He was our Governor for more than 30 years.

During that time we saw his work, and his laws, and his good deeds. When the people were in trouble they went to him and he did not turn them away—he gave them his help and made them happy again. Wherever he went in Papua he spoke friendly words to the people—to men, women and children, and he brought contentment into their lives.

Therefore, he was good.

“But in February this year he died; and we, his people ; think of him and weep.

“He dealt with us always like his own people (Tadia Kakadia). His way towards us was the way of a strong friend. We think of him now, and we shall always think of him, for he guided us well. The ways of his people were not our ways, but he understood us and loved us all.

We, too, loved him greatly, and therefore we make his Ariana in our true New Guinea custom.

“But who is like him in Papua? There is not one man. He and his goodness are lost to us. He came among us—some times he went hunting and fishing with us and learned our ways, sometimes when his work was done he would meet us on the road and greet us coming from the gardens. But we have lost him; and we are sad in our loss.

“He told us, ‘I do not want to leave

you. I have many friends in Papua; so I will not go away from you. I will die among you’. He made good his promise to us, for his body now lies in our ground.”

There was no applause. The soft tap ping of drums continued as Ahuia Ove retired into the background.

The Acting Lieut.-Governor replied briefly, thanking the people for their tribute to the memory of Sir Hubert. He was sure Sir Hubert’s relatives and friends would be deeply grateful when they heard from him what had taken place that day.

Rabura, of Kila Kila village, who had been appointed as Crier, then came for ward and, escorted by two Councillors bearing a bundle of green wands, moved from one heap of food to another. Calling the name of the village for which it was intended in a mournful long-drawn mono tone, he struck each heap with a wand and shattered it, before moving on. When he had completed the round, the native guests came forward and quietly collected the food. The ceremony was at an end.

Before the distribution of food, a sec ond native, Rakatani Keke, made a short, eloquent speech which, like that of Ahuia Ove, expressed the natives’ grief and their great loss in the passing of one who had been their friend for over 30 years.