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The first inhabitants of Papua New Guinea, probably migrants from the Indonesian archipelago, arrived about 50,000 years ago. These migrants arrived in intermittently and the land where they settled had a remarkable effect on cultural development. Because New Guinea's terrain is marked by imposing mountains and extremely rugged territory, different population groups developed in virtual isolation. Each group developed its own language and its own tribal culture, a development that gives Papua New Guinea one of the world's most diverse and fascinating cultural landscapes.
Today around four million people speak 800 different languages which represents a third of all the languages in the world and more than 200 cultures, each with own colourful traditions, are found on the land. It is know as the “Land of the Unexpected” or the “Land of a Thousand Cultures”.
Modernization has only brought about a change in the general standard of living but much of the inherited social structure, from matters affecting gardening to marriage and death, remains unchanged. Majority of people continue to remain dependent on subsistence farming and live in small villages.
Social units are based on family, clan and tribe with women taking care of the day to day work, gardening and household chores. Ownership of material wealth is vested in the household and controlled by a male elder. Fundamental to the society were notions of reciprocity and family obligations.
Ancient rituals are still performed for important social events. These elaborate ceremonies are normally presided over by the elders of the clan, with warriors painted and decorated in bright colours, feathers and shells. Today each of the twenty provinces has its own cultural festivals and regional shows where groups are invited to perform and visitors have the opportunity to glimpse the many visual and performing arts of Papua New Guinea. The most popular shows include the Hiri Moale, held in Port Moresby every September, the Mount Hagen show, held annually in August and the Goroka Show, every September, which attracts tourist from all over the world.
Papua New Guinea also has immense artistic variation. Just as the language varies from village to village, so does the artistic expression. Pottery, weapons, carvings, basketwork, musical instruments are produced by different people in different places, according to their traditional skills and beliefs.
The Waigani area of the National Capital District is home to the impressive Parliament House building and the National Museum and Art Gallery, which exhibits one of the finest collections of primitive art in the world. Sepik River carvings, Malagan masks and Trobriand Island fishing vessels are just some of the unique examples of Papua New Guinean culture on display.
Parliament House building is constructed in the style of a traditional Sepik River Haus Tambaran, or Spirit House. Artists and craftsmen from the villages throughout PNG were brought together to work on the impressive carvings, mosaics and murals. The result is a magnificent testimony to this culturally diverse and fascinating nation.
