Greatest Native

[?]gen Turns On "The Greatest Native Show On Earth"

housands of natives, stamp to the beat of lizard-skin ns and the rhythm of unend chants, surged towards the vground at Mt. Hagen, in

r Guinea’s Western High

s, on the morning of May 18 ;he opening of one of P-NG’s

est get-togethers, “the Hagen

n". 9 a.m. at least 10,000 painted, )lumed and armed warriors, their s and piccanninies were seething and forth across an area about a-mile square. le group of several hundred i ors —their faces daubed with blue, yellow and black paint, heads topped with headdresses rd of paradise feathers and other ments —formed up in military ranks, eight abreast, and bed ceremonially around the shaking their bows and 10-ft ■s. [eir feet, stamping in unison, k the ground for yards around, anyone standing in their path summarily shoved aside with ilade of a spear. her groups danced ritually in ;s, their women and children ing back respectfully as men ;ed and leaped to drown the s of nearby clans. 70,000 Natives was ushered in Hagen’s second (the first was in 1961), which Administration official described ‘the greatest native show on ”, and which it no doubt was. igen is within easy distance of ast of the untamed areas, and :ind of primitive colour seen at show is quickly disappearing New Guinea. e show, which lasted for two attracted some 70,000 natives, r of whom walked in from as s 120 miles away. About 1,000 peans also turned up—every able aircraft in the territory ig been booked or chartered s earlier to bring them in. The ip was like a city bus rank.

Among the European visitors were Mr. Robert Hall, editor of the American edition of the Reader’s Digest, and Mr. Lowell Thomas, the American author and TV documentary producer.

The show featured the usual agricultural and horticultural displays seen elsewhere, but the primitive natives from the surrounding areas stole the limelight with their spearthrowing and archery contests and ceremonial dances.

In officially opening the show, the Govemor-General, Lord De L’isle,

said that it was through displays of produce and handicrafts that the people were actively raising their standards and improving their agri culture throughout the Highlands, He added: “I am deeply impressed *? y l . he of this B reat assembly, * or me . in the midst of a ® reat diversity of traditions and costumes, we can now see the be -Binning of tha t feeling of unity which 18 , so nec essary for the prosperous ar peaceful future of all people who dwell here.

Some brilliant organising by Wes tern Highlands officials found beds

of a sort for the thousands packed into the town. Officials arriving aircraft and showed night visitors to their quarters roundhouses, the school, anywhe Several longhouses were buili the natives —real long houses, was 700 yds long and housed £ 6,500 natives! About 400 ton kaukau was stockpiled for n meals and it was open-air barbt for the Europeans.

Birds of Paradise plumes wei be seen in thousands, and were openly to Europeans for as littl £l. Few natives showed any int in the liquor bars—those from primitive areas were positively interested.

Just before the Governor-Gen opened the show several thou paper flags were distributed to native crowds, who waved them g Voted the most gruesome ex: at the show was the corpse c native from the Lagaip sub-dis: The local practice is to leave a ♦ body on a platform for about months and then bury it under s lative’s house, and this corpse i have been good and ready for burying stage.

A story went the rounds that particular fellow had been unhs at missing the last Hagen Show had expressed the desire to be pre; at the next one. His relatives obliged.