Dance of the Mask: The First Flowering of Literature and the Contemporary Arts in Papua New Guinea

Dance of the Mask sets the history of the first flowering of Papua New Guinea contemporary literature and arts firmly in place so that it cannot be forgotten or brushed over or denied; the plant was always there in Papua New Guinea of course and still is. As a history, it describes the people involved and the quality of the cultural efflorescence – Ulli and Georgina Beier, John Kasaipwalova, Greg Murphy and the Raun Raun Theatre artists and their remarkable contributions to this historical conjuncture – the Papua Pocket Poets series with their visual art covers, the epic poem Sail the Midnight Sun by John Kasaipwalova and the resulting trilogy of folk operas by Raun Raun Theatre performed nationally and internationally and in Europe to great acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival in 2007. The book philosophises that culture is always changing and that literature and the arts should be influencing that process of change.

New Guinea Communications                                                                           v
Acknowledgement                                                                                                vii
Dedication                                                                                                               ix
Figures                                                                                                                     xv

1. Foreword ………………………………………………………………………………………………1
2. Papua Pocket Poets and Ulli Beier.………………………………………………………………………………….5
3. A Literary Dance of the Mask:
Papua Pocket Poets.………………………………………………………………………………………..11
Preparation of the Ground…………………………………………………………………………………………13
Ulli Beier and Papua Pocket Poets………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Reconstruction of the Mask ………………………………………………………………………………………… 18
The Poetry of Kumalau Tawali:
Signs in the Sky 1970 …………………………………………………………………………………………18
Possession by the Mask………………………………………………………………………………………… 23
The Poetry of Apisai Enos:
High Water 1971 ………………………………………………………………………………………… 23
Beginning of the Dance ………………………………………………………………………………………… 28
The Poetry of John Kasaipwalova:
The Reluctant Flame 1971 and
Hanuabada 1972 ………………………………………………………………………………………… 28
Unmasked Dancer………………………………………………………………………………………… 33
The Poetry of Kama Kerpi:
Call of the Midnight Bird 1973 ………………………………………………………………………………………… 33
Dance of the Mask………………………………………………………………………………………… 38
The Poetry of Henginike Riyong:
Nema Namba 1974…………………………………………………………………………………………38
4.  The Poems by Kumalau Tawali, Apisai Enos,
John Kasaipwalova, Peter Kama Kerpi and
Henginike Riyong ………………………………………………………………………………………… 47
Kumalau Tawali’s Signs in the Sky………………………………………………………………………………………… 49
Funeral Feast………………………………………………………………………………………… 49
Mourning Song………………………………………………………………………………………… 50
The Old Woman’s Message………………………………………………………………………………………… 50
Signs in the Sky…………………………………………………………………………………………51
The Drums of War………………………………………………………………………………………… 52
The Bush Kanaka Speaks………………………………………………………………………………………… 52
Apisai Enos’s High Water………………………………………………………………………………………… 54
Moon………………………………………………………………………………………… 54
Truth ………………………………………………………………………………………… 55
Meditation………………………………………………………………………………………… 55
Love is a rainbow…………………………………………………………………………………………56
High Water…………………………………………………………………………………………57
John Kasapiwalova’s The Reluctant Flame
and Hanuabada…………………………………………………………………………………………59
from The Reluctant Flame………………………………………………………………………………………… 59
from Hanuabada………………………………………………………………………………………… 60
Sunset Tears ………………………………………………………………………………………… 61
Public Servant………………………………………………………………………………………… 62
Parting Words………………………………………………………………………………………… 63
Peter Kama Kerpi’s Call of the Midnight Bird………………………………………………………………………………………… 64
Public Confession…………………………………………………………………………………………64
This—My Village………………………………………………………………………………………… 66
Father Your Face………………………………………………………………………………………… 66
Hamlet on a Ridge………………………………………………………………………………………… 67
Henginike Riyong’s Nema Namba…………………………………………………………………………………………69
The Hidden Gospel ………………………………………………………………………………………… 69
The Hidden Gospel ………………………………………………………………………………………… 70
The Mountain …………………………………………………………………………………………71
The Village Beyond That Mountain…………………………………………………………………………………………72
Nokondi the Masta………………………………………………………………………………………… 73
5.  Raun Raun Theatre, Greg Murphy and
John Kasaipwalova………………………………………………………………………………………… 75
6. Sail the Midnight Sun: an epic poem by
John Kasaipwalova………………………………………………………………………………………… 83
7.  Sail the Midnight Sun:the Imdeduya Carvings………………………………………………………………………………………… 107
8.  From a Literary to a National Dance of the Mask ………………………………………………………………………………………… 115
The Dancing Ground …………………………………………………………………………………………117
Finding a Voice …………………………………………………………………………………………121
Finding a Point of View…………………………………………………………………………………………125
The Traditional Mask …………………………………………………………………………………………126
Finding a Literary Design…………………………………………………………………………………………129
Finding a Theatrical Design…………………………………………………………………………………………132
National Dance of the Mask…………………………………………………………………………………………134
9.  A National Cultural Transformation………………………………………………………………………………………… 137
10.  Afterword…………………………………………………………………………………………147
Literature Today…………………………………………………………………………………………151
Art Today…………………………………………………………………………………………52
Creative Arts Centre …………………………………………………………………………………………153
National Arts School…………………………………………………………………………………………153
Last Remark…………………………………………………………………………………………154
ANNEXE ………………………………………………………………………………………… 157