Primitive Man In Our World

[Music] In our modern world, primitive man still exists. One of the places where he is found is on the island of New Guinea. The largest of all the Pacific Ocean islands, New Guinea is just north of the continent of Australia, right on the equator. [Music] The tropical climate with its hot sun and heavy rain creates dense jungles. [Music] A New Guinea day glitters with a clear, brilliant colors that belong especially to the tropics. [Music] In New Guinea are some tribes of primitive people who live differently from most people in the world. Here, man still lives a primitive life as he did thousands of years ago. New Guiney's isolated location and hot, wet climate have kept the modern world away from her shores. There are no cars or concrete buildings or telephones or factories. [Music] The people live very simply. They make only what they need and use. They need boats for transportation because water is all around them, the Pacific Ocean and many rivers. Canoeing is a favorite sport of the natives. No one can master a canoe better than these experts. For them, it is like driving an automobile down the street. They start learning how to handle a boat when they are children. The jungle furnishes everything the people need. [Music] Bananas are plentiful. Their staple food, like bread is to us, comes from the pith inside the sago palm tree. They pour water from the river over the palm fibers to soften them. Then they mash the fibers into a soft pulp. Finally, the pulp is put out to dry. They call this food sacks. They also eat ducks and chickens. Besides getting their food from the jungle, the people also get their clothing from the jungle, whatever is handy. They dress lightly because of the hot climate. Little of what the natives use is manufactured. From the materials around them, they make almost everything they need. All labor is done by hand. They make their own baskets out of jungle grasses. With materials from the jungle, they make their fences. The poles are lashed together with reads. A New Guinea house, like a New Guinea fence, is made of many poles stuck into the ground and lashed together. The poles keep the floor off the ground, protecting the people from floods and animals. The higher the house, the more fun it is to race to the top. From inside, it's a long way down. These people are preparing to go to a village celebration up the river. [Music] They are taking an explorer with them who travels in a modern way with an outboard motor. But the people of this region use paddles. [Music] This is the same primitive way their grandfathers traveled. On man's first highways, the rivers. [Music] The rivers serve as roads in most of New Guinea. The jungles are so wild, dense, and full of swamps that it is impossible to travel by land. So most of the villages are located on the banks of rivers. In New Guinea, news cannot travel by telephone or telegraph. Communication between villages is by messenger and word of mouth. [Music] The river is always changing. [Music] In some areas, it covers miles of reeds to form vast swamps. Travel here is very difficult. [Music] Between the reeds, the channels are so narrow that the boats have to thread their way single file. Then the river broadens out again and takes them to the next village. [Music] The natives enjoy having guests. Today all the village people will get together for a feast. They will cook several pigs like this one. Primitive man does not cook in a modern kitchen. Instead, he builds his own oven. Burning logs cover a pit that has been dug in the ground. On the logs, stones are being heated to cook the food. The supporting logs are withdrawn and the red hot stones dropped into the pit. The pit is then lined with grass and leaves. [Music] Then vegetables can be put over the hot stones without burning. [Music] Poles are placed to support the meat. [Music] This makes a grill on which the freshly prepared pigs can be laid. [Music] Everyone has been waiting for the cooking of the pigs. The pigs are first covered with banana leaves. Then a layer of dirt forms the top of the oven and seals in the heat. Water is poured through a hollow bamboo pole into the hot rocks below. The water creates steam which helps cook the meat faster, just as it does in our metal pressure cookers. Waiting for the feast is hard for the children and their pet. There is plenty of space in a New Guinea village. The jungle is everyone's backyard. Each family owns his own house. In a primitive village, there is no electricity or running water. Yet, these people have learned to make the most of their environment without the use of machines to help them do their work. In his everyday life, primitive man is artistic. The house tambber or meeting hall is the most beautiful building in the village. Here the men gather to govern their people. Here also they meet to worship their gods. Each house tambberam is decorated splendidly. Many figures are carved and painted on the posts and columns. Here are some baby pigs and their mother. [Music] The men make unusual masks. [Music] The people believe that these works of art protect them from evil spirits. Their art is part of their religion and they take pride in it. Creating art occupies a great deal of time in their daily lives. [Music] In a primitive world like New Guinea, man lives close to nature. He depends upon nature to provide him with nearly everything, food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. And in turn, he worships nature. Primitive man in New Guinea lives in a simple and interesting world. [Music]