Wok Bilong Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a country with few large, Westernized cities—most of the population lives in small villages out in the bush. There are many skills that are passed down from generation to generation, from taim bipo (time before, a long time ago). While I was at POC (Pacific Orientation Course), the staff arranged for some of the Papua New Guinean workers to show us how they make a few traditional items. (Oh, I should probably tell you that the title means "Papua New Guinean Work".)

Left: a yarn bilum, my "purse"
Right: a string bilum which I take to market

Bilum making: everyone in PNG has at least one bilum (string bag), but more likely several, all of which have different patterns (from varying parts of the country) and varying purposes. Small bilums are carried like purses, while larger ones can be filled with produce or perhaps a napping baby. Large or small, plastic string or yarn—they all have one thing in common—all are hand-made. Papua New Guinean women can whip them out in no time flat, with beautiful patterns and colors. My own attempt is quite pathetic, especially since it’s actually my second try (the first one ended quite badly) and took about two and a half weeks to get it this far.

My sad attempt at making a bilum;
the village ladies got quite a laugh out of it!

Banis weaving: this is men’s work, but the end result is just as beautiful as the colorful bilums that the women make.  A banis is a wall or fence, in this case, a wall. Then can be woven from the leaves of a coconut tree or sago palm. The men weave while the leaves are still green and flexible, then leave them out in the sun to dry. After they are dried, they are nailed together to form the outside and inside walls of a house.

Basket weaving: this is also men’s work, and men are generally the ones who carry the baskets. They, also, are woven with coconut leaves, then left to dry in the sun. I’ve seen many men carrying these baskets at the market and around town.

Morota roofs: in the village, a tin roof is very scarce; most are made from leaves from coconut or sago trees. This, again, is men’s work; they use the leaves while they are still green, bend them over a long piece of bamboo, and then stitch them together using “natural fibers”—strips of leaves. Then, as before, the strips of morota are left in the sun to dry, then tied to the rafters using natural fibers. After a couple years in the sun and rain, the morota begins to break down and needs to be replaced.