Canoes are a very important part of the Gogodala Culture. They use dig out canoes for every day activities like gardening, fishing, transport, hunting, carrying house posts,transporting garden food, transporting sago and collecting firewood.
In the local language, Gogo is west and Dala meaning man, these people from Western Province of Papua New Guinea believed that their ancestors came from the west travelling by canoes. They also believe that when someone dies, their soul leaves the corpse with the rising sun on the day after death by which time it would travel to the west for its final resting place.
The Gogodala make 90 foot dug out racing canoes with elaborate prows and painted sides, paddles are decorated with owners clans. Canoes races symbolises the competitive rivalry but also the complementaries of clans.
In 2007, I visited Balimo for the 5th Gogodala Canoe Festival and saw it myself and if you are interested just contact biesmbuservices@fastmail.fm and will arrange for your travel there.
In 2007, I visited Balimo for the 5th Gogodala Canoe Festival and saw it myself and if you are interested just contact biesmbuservices@fastmail.fm and will arrange for your travel there.
No comments:
Post a Comment