When David Gillison first arrived
in New Guinea in 1973, ceremonies marking birth, death, initiation, and
marriage were still being conducted by the Gimi tribe as they had been for
thousands of years. Today, many of the Gimi's indigenous traditions, like
those depicted in Abrams' acclaimed African Ceremonies, are disappearing
forever.
Gillison's brilliant photographs and intimate text capture the remarkable
dramas enacted during what was probably the last-ever Hau, a two-week
fertility festival. Ranging from creation myths to scenarios of affairs,
clan jealousies, and family strife, these playlets, ultimately forbidden by
Westerners, are no longer performed. Gillison movingly preserves them here
for history. The only photographic record we have of the Gimi and their
unique theater rituals, the book also depicts the major effort to save the
spectacular rainforest home of the Gimi, which stands as a world model for
indigenous conservation.
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