Around 50,000 Papuans, descend onGoroka, a small town in the highlands,of Papua New Guinea, their bodiespainted in oil and pig grease, theycome in their colorful traditional dress,with face and body paint, feathers,shells and masks. They bring togetherknowledge passed on through theirrich heritages and celebrate withdance, music and costume.

The town of Goroka host's this culturalshow' which is called a sing sing, anannual event, held each September. The sing sing is an intense display ofthe rich and vibrant cultures. Thecultural show can attract up to 140,000people, including 40,000 paintedwarriors dancing to the rhythmic thudof the Kundu drums.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea.A Photo story by ©Donna Todd/LightMediation

Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LightMediation Photo Agency - +33(0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

2250-03: Emmanuel is the youngest child of his mother who's name is Rosa. Emmanuel gives his mother a hug just before setting off to his first Goroka cultural show, he is excited about his partisapaption as it amountto a rite of passage to the 12 year old.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-01: Tribe's people from the village of Comufa in thehighlands of Goroka, practicing their act, in preparation for their participation in the town's famous Cultural

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-02: Tribes people tend to the head dress of a womanwho is participating in the Goroka cultural show. / Afghanistan / Goroka

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-03: Emmanuel is the youngest child of his mother who'sname is Rosa. Emmanuel gives his mother a hug just before setting off to his first Goroka cultural show,

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-04: a local village of Comufa positioned high at the topof one of the misty mountains close to Goroka, home to a tribe of people who remain here and have done

2250-11: A member of the huli wig men tribe from far north of PNG, peeking through a window during a break from his tribes performance at the 2008 Goroka cultural show.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-05: Villagers from a village called Comufu, sing anddance around their camp fire, before heading off to the Goroka Cultural show by foot. / Papua New Guinea

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-06: Rosa helps her 12 year old son Emmanuel to dressinto his outfit for his first ever Goroka cultural show. Rosa knitted some of the boys outfit with wool

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-07: Rosa helps her 12 year old son Emmanuel to dressinto his outfit for his first ever Goroka cultural show. Rosa knitted some of the boys outfit with wool

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-08: This year it was 12-year-old Emmanuel's firstGoroka cultural show and he was very excited even though he was dressed in wool costumes rather than

2250-19: Tribal male warriors enact a tactic of survival, which resembles learning to play dead. They aremidst performance at the Goroka Cultural show where around 50,000 of warriors, png nationals and now a

2250-21: It is estimated that there are more than 1000 diverse cultural groups in PNG, and there are 820different languages. Most languages have around 5000 speakers and some as little as 500.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-09: Tribal people chatting and preparing a cup of tea,and relaxing before heading off on the two hour walk down from their village of Comufu to the Goroka

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-10: A tribal lady dressed in her new woolen tribalcostume, sits waitning for her head dress to placed on her head, passes the time chewing her chewing

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-11: A member of the huli wig men tribe from far north ofPNG, peeking through a window during a break from his tribes performance at the 2008 Goroka cultural

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-12: Eastern Highlands of Papua new Guinea, 75 yearsago one million of these tribes people were discovered living here in the highlands . there existence

2250-18: New Guinea was one of the last places on earth to be colonized by Europeans. In the 1920's the Australians occupied only the coastal fringe and two large outer Islands, of the interior nothing was known. Thestaging of the first Goroka Show started back in 1957, it was initiated by missionaries in an effort to introduce the countless tribes and encourage them to proudly display each other's cultural styles of dress, paint, dance

and instrumentals. Encouraging them to come together in friendly competition in place of the customary tribal feuding which relentless between the tribes.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-13: A young child warrior from a tribe of people who livehigh in the misty mountains of the eastern highlands of PNG. A mountain range which was so steep and

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-14: 12 year old Emmanual from the village of Comufuon top of a mountain outside the town of Goroka, he is very proud as this is his first cultural show and it is

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-15: The tribe of people from Comufu walk down themountain in full traditional dress to particapapte in their towns giant sing sing which can see up to 140,000

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-16: The tribe of people from Comufu walk down themountain some in full traditional dress to particapapte in their towns giant sing sing which can see up to

2250-32: The staging of the first Goroka Show or Sing Sing started back in 1957, it was initiated by missionaries to introduce the many different tribes to each other, so they could proudly display cultures of their districtsand come together in a forum for friendly competition in place of war. The show attracts around 40,000 Warriors such as the tribes people shown here.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-17: Neighbors walk to a meet with the rest of their tribeto participate in the Goroka cultural show. / Papua New Guinea / Goroka

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-18: New Guinea was one of the last places on earth tobe colonized by Europeans. In the 1920's the Australians occupied only the coastal fringe and two large

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-19: Tribal male warriors enact a tactic of survival,which resembles learning to play dead. They are midst performance at the Goroka Cultural show where

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-20: A Huli wig man, the man is a warrior part of a tribewho live in the cloud-cloaked jungles of PNG's southern highlands and have resisted every intrusion of

2250-42: A this tribal elder and warrior takes a smoke break from the dancing, singing and beating of drumsat the Goroka cultural festival. In his everyday life he acts as judge and jury amongst the people of his

2250-40: Warriors such as this fierce warrior, displaying his weaponry is an exuberant example of theanthropological marvels which are found in person at the Goroka Cultural show. The show which today

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-21: It is estimated that there are more than 1000 diversecultural groups in PNG, and there are 820 different languages. Most languages have around 5000

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-22: It is estimated that there are more than 1000diverse cultural groups in PNG, and there are 820 different languages. Most languages have around

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-23: The elderly face of a man from a hill tribe, who istaking part in the celebration along with his tribe at the Goroka cultural show in Papua New Guinea. /

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-24: Two warriors one from the coast the other from themountains in Papua New Guinea, share a smoke during a break in performing with their individual tribes.

2250-51:

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-25: Painted warriors dancing to the rhythmic thud of theKundu drums during the celebrations at the Goroka cultural show, known locally as a Sing Sing. / Papua

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-26: A beautiful female warrior from the misty mountainsof northern Papua New Guinea, birds of paradise feathers proudly on her head, in bilas (full traditional

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-27: It is estimated that there are more than 1000diverse cultural groups in PNG, and there are 820 different languages. Most languages have around

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-28: The staging of the first Goroka Show or Sing Singstarted back in 1957, it was initiated by missionaries to introduce the many different tribes to each other,

2250-33: Tribes people, warriors and tourists crowd the arena during the Goroka cultural show.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-29: Tribal groups flock into the town from the highlandsof West, East, North, South and the coral atolls around PNG. Painted elders in grass skirts with purple

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-30: A female warrior from the misty mountains ofnorthern Papua New Guinea, birds of paradise feathers proudly on her head, in bilas (full traditional

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-31: Celebration is the aim when 40,000 warriors walk toGoroka, a small town in the eastern highlands, of Papua New Guinea, their bodies painted in oil and pig

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-32: The staging of the first Goroka Show or Sing Singstarted back in 1957, it was initiated by missionaries to introduce the many different tribes to each other,

2250-20: A Huli wig man, the man is a warrior part of a tribe who live in the cloud-cloaked jungles of PNG'ssouthern highlands and have resisted every intrusion of Western civilization. To the Huli appearance is

2250-37: A beautiful female warrior presents a glimpse into the exquisite costume; extravagance and visualdelights are on display at the Goroka cultural show. The show exhibits one of the finest collections of

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-33: Tribes people, warriors and tourists crowd the arenaduring the Goroka cultural show. / Papua New Guinea / Goroka

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-34: 12 year old Emmanuel from the village of Comufu,just up on top of one of the mountains that surround Goroka valley, dancing with his tribe at the Goroka

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-35: / / The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-36: After two days of dancing, singing and celebrationsat the annual Goroka cultural show, this Warrior feels his age and takes a nap before embarking on the

2250-24: Two warriors one from the coast the other from the mountains in Papua New Guinea, share a smoke during a break in performing with their individual tribes. The staging of the first Goroka Show started back in1957, it was initiated by missionaries in an effort to introduce the countless tribes and encourage them to proudly display each other?s cultural styles of dress, paint, dance and instrumentals. Encouraging them to come

together in friendly competition in place of the customary tribal feuding which relentless between the tribes.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-37: A beautiful female warrior presents a glimpse intothe exquisite costume; extravagance and visual delights are on display at the Goroka cultural show. The

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-38: Tribal men dance and sing to the rhythm of theirkundo drums at the Goroka cultural show in Papua New Guinea. / Papua New Guinea / Goroka

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-39: A baby in traditional dress, who has been busydancing for two days, takes a nap on his fathers knee as the two day clutural show in Goroka has taken

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-40: Warriors such as this fierce warrior, displaying hisweaponry is an exuberant example of the anthropological marvels which are found in person at the

2250-47: 75 years ago one million of these tribes people were discovered living in the highlands of Papua new Guinea ? there existence unknown to the outside world until 1930. It is estimated that there are more than1000 diverse cultural groups in PNG, and there are 820 different languages. Most languages have around 5000 speakers and some as little as 500.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-41: Tribal ladies from the coastal town of Madang,become the audience when a American woman comes to photograph them during a break in their

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-42: A this tribal elder and warrior takes a smoke breakfrom the dancing, singing and beating of drums at the Goroka cultural festival. In his everyday life he acts

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-43: The display of a lorikeet corpse on the head of thisyawning tribal woman as she takes a break from the celebrations during the Goroka Cultural show is

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-44: A mother and son dance and sing whilst performingin their traditional dress at the Goroka cultural show. / Papua New Guinea / Goroka

2250-43: The display of a lorikeet corpse on the head of this yawning tribal woman as she takes a break from the celebrations during the Goroka Cultural show is macabre. The show is staged annually and attractsaround 50,000 people.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-45: It is estimated that there are more than 1000 diversecultural groups in PNG, and there are 820 different languages. Most languages have around 5000

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-46: / /

2250-54: Celebration is the aim when 40,000 warriors walk to Goroka, a small town in the easternhighlands, of Papua New Guinea, such as this Huli wig man, the Huli people only met their first European

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-48: A group of tribal Warriors sing and beat their kundudrums in a powerful display which reveals how the cultural integrity of the tribe has united over the

2250-50: The people of the Comufu tribe dancing at the goroka show.

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-49: A Huli wig man is a warrior part of a tribe who haveresisted every intrusion of Western civilization. To the Huli appearance is everything, these men might be

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-50: The people of the Comufu tribe dancing at thegoroka show. / Papua New Guinea / Goroka

2250-53: A young male warrior from the tribe of Comufu village who live high above Goroka. he hasdressed in his traditional costume to take part in the Goroka cultural festival. Shown here with the

The Changing Face of Papua New Guinea / 2250-52: 75 years ago one million of these tribes people werediscovered living here in the highlands - there existence unknown to the outside world until 1930. Shown

The ChangingFace of PapuaNew Guinea.

These tribal groups flock into the townfrom the highlands of West Papua, fromthe forests and coral atolls around PNG. Painted elders in grass skirts with purpleand yellow flowers in their hair mingle withWarriors wearing Birds of paradisefeathers displayed proudly on their heads,tribes people come in bilas (full traditionalcostumes) with stunning face tattoos,elaborate headdresses and shellbreastplates. Traditional dress drawsheavily from the natural environment,making use of tree barks, natural dyesand pigments, animal bones, shells andbird feathers - in particular the colorfulplumes of the bird of paradise. Thewomen, men and children sing songs ofpraise and celebration. "We are happytoday, we are happy today," theyserenade. Whilst the dancers whirl to thesound of the beating drums and whistles.It is estimated that there are more than1000 diverse cultural groups in PNG, andthere are 820 different languages. Mostlanguages have around 5000 speakersand some as little as 500.Because of this diversity, many differentstyles of cultural expression haveemerged, each group has created its ownexpressive forms in art, dance, weaponry,costumes, singing, music, architecture andmuch more.

The staging of the first Goroka Show orSing Sing started back in 1957, it wasinitiated by missionaries to introduce themany different tribes to each other, so

they could proudly display cultures of theirdistricts and come together in a forum forfriendly competition in place of war. Themissionaries brought in sing sing groupsfrom many different area's, which hadnever before met due the remote countryside and thick rainforest. Sing Sing is a tokpidgin word from Papua New Guineameaning a large musical gathering, acelebration in song and dance, a musicparty.The sing sing has remained much thesame since then and has become anational event in PNG's calendar. TheGoroka Show attracts tourists from withinPNG as well as from all over the world; it'sa rare opportunity to experience thecustoms of over a thousand differenttribes that populate Papua New Guinea.

But there is a changing face in PNG.In the town of Goroka, the local governorsponsors a tribe from way up on top of themountains in the luscious rainforest. Instead of wearing their traditionalcostumes, The Governor buys themcolorful synthetic wool in the colors of his'Helicopter Company'.The tribesmen women and children comedown to the Goroka Cultural Show toperform as an advert for his company.The Governor categorically denies anysponcership, but the tribes people toldsing his praises and are proud to wear hishelicopter company colours.The village is called Comufa and the tribehas been here for countless generations. This year it was 12-year-old Emmanuel'sfirst sing sing and he was very excitedeven though he was dressed in woolcostumes rather than his tribe's traditionaldress. Still his participation amounts to arite of passage to represent his tribe andcelebrate along with his village's elders athis countries most famous sing sing.

Emmanuel's father Mamissa is the elder ofhis tribe and he has five children;Emmanuel is the youngest, his wife'sname is Rosa. Mamissa's role as thetribes elder is complicated he acts asjudge and jury amongst the tribe, he is thecommunity leader and leads thecommunity in all events fundamentally itwas his decision to except the colorfulwool in the Governors helicoptercompany's colors in an effort to get thecash to pay off some of his many debts.Although Mamissa insists that the majorityof his tribesmen and women will weartraditional headdresses that have beenhanded down through the generations,and stored carefully when not in use. Hehimself along with one of the otherhigh-ranking tribesmen will wear acardboard cut out of the governorshelicopter on their heads and dance, singand beat the kundu whilst leading histribe.The tribes people of Komiufa are not onlyinfluenced by the Government; themissionaries have built a chapel on theirland and the tribe is too fearful not tobelieve in the chapels Seven dayAdventist missionaries preaching. Mamissa say's that a lot of his tribe's veryold traditions have been diminished due tothe arrival of these missionaries who havetold them their traditional ways are vulgarand will stop them from progressing in life.Rosa, Mamisa's wife, spends her dayworking looking after the chapel. Thereligious leaders do not live with them butinstruct them in the work needed to tendthe church, education in preachingmethods, how to tend to the buildingstructure which amounts to tree trucks tohold up a straw roof, an alter, with freshflowers, candle's and rows of pews. When the leaders of the church do cometo visit the village Rosa told me that noone goes out of their huts and houses as

they do not want to disturb themissionaries, they just sit in their housessilent until the leaders leave and then theyare free to move around the village again.Mamissa says, 'Before the white mancame we had beliefs but now we onlyfollow the white men's religions, when thewhite man come to my country that wasthe time that modern worship began. Before this we revered only nature, wewere warriors who fought with neighboringtribes for land and women.'Prior to the missionaries arrival theindigenous tribes practiced elaborateinitiation rites and secret knowledgerevealed to inititiates only after they hadpassed through six or seven stages andhad become old men themselves.Now Mamisa says, 'I only wish to worshipat the white mans church, now I havedebts and I believe that the church willhelp us out of them. My biggest wish is tobe free of all these debts and worship inthe church, that's all I want. He felt deeplythat his traditional ways were bad andseemed embarrassed to talk about any ofthem.In spite of this the Mamissa is very proudof his youngest child, with Emmanuel'sparticipation in this years show, the wholetribe is pleased, to relax and escape thebounds they have found them selves in.They take delight spending these twodays celebrating PNG culture with all theother indigenous tribes. They spendweeks practicing their dancingaccompanied by ground shaking beatingrhythms of their kundu drums. The morning of the show; the atmosphereat the Komiufa village was full ofexhilaration and cheerfulness, the peoplehad a good time helping each other todress and arrange their gorgeous headpieces that had been passed downthrough the tribes for many generations. The two-hour walk from the top of the

mountain to the show grounds seemed togo within an instant, the joyful memberssang and laughed in an atmosphere ofenergized fervor.

The fierce competitive spirit that themissionaries first noticed within Papuancultures in the early 1900's is still alivetoday and the sing sing is a colorfuldisplay of some of the urbanized tribes aswell as more isolated clans. Such as the Huli wig men who live in thecloud-cloaked jungles of PNG's southernhighlands and have resisted everyintrusion of Western civilization. The Hulipeople only met their first European 70years ago. The men are warriors. Theirtribes are in constant conflict and only apeace deal brokered with land and pigscan settle them down again. To the Huliappearance is everything, to be anyone ofinfluence; you need to look the part. Hereyou need a head of hair to get ahead.These men might be the fiercest warriorsin PNG but they do have a tender side. Ata sacred river in their homeland they bondby preening each other, Huli men have anobsession with hair. They can't growenough of it and when they do, they keepit forever preserving it in wigs thatsometimes take years to construct.The men spend around a week each yearwalking to Goroka for the sing sing. Where they are welcomed into a localPoliceman's home. Here the Huli wigmenspend hours before each Goroka showpreparing their costumes and make-up,complete with their ceremonial wigs andaccessories. The scene resemblesbackstage at a Las Vegas show -- dozensof men finishing their face and bodymake-up, adjusting the feathers in their

wigs, and helping each other with all theminute details of costuming before thecelebration begins. Preparation materialsinclude clay and flowers, bird feathers andbones, various plant oils, hand-wovenfabrics and threads, precious stones andartifacts from the sea.The Huli have remained isolated and solive a very different life from the peoplefrom Cormufa. In preservation of theirculture the Huli wig men don't mindperpetuating the myth of their man-eatingways if it keeps the missionaries at bay.Western missionaries proselytized thecountry in the nineteenth century, theycame to preach about god, they camedespite the fact that many were initiallymurdered and actually eaten by cannibaltribes.Today according to census, 96 percent ofcitizens in PNG identify themselves asmembers of a Christian church.There have indeed been occasions whenmissionaries were responsible forneedless destruction of culture, howeverthe missionaries have also beeninstrumental in the translations of themajority of languages in PNG.Although, conversely, at the culturalshow, when an older man in traditionalsing-sing attire looked up and greeted atourist with a friendly, "hello, masta' ! Itwas a firm reminder that less than ageneration has gone by since the days ofcolonialism in Papua New Guinea. The Cultural show is an exciting display ofcolors and a profusion of culture. Still, themacabre display bird of paradise feathersand colorful lorikeet corpses that adornedmany of the show's headdresses raisedthe question; surely the frequentdestruction of these birds for the sake oftheir plumes must be putting them at riskof becoming extinct. The birds of paradiseare the most amazing and incrediblycolorful family of birds. It is thought that

trade in skins and tail feathers of thesebirds has been going on in South EastAsia for around 5000 years and Papuan'shave used the tail feathers of the males asadornment for as long as is known. Theythought of them as the Birds of the Gods,that they floated in heaven and fed on dewuntil they died and fell to earth. Howeverinterestingly despite this excess of killing,owing to the prolific breeding styles of thebirds no Birds of Paradise are currentlyendangered. If any threat exists to Birds ofParadise populations it will be habitatdestruction of the rainforest they dependupon.

In a country of 4 million people there is nosuch thing as a typical Papuan. Theimpact of modernization brings dailychange to PNG but the majority of people,whether they be from the Highlands to theCoastal regions, remain majoritydependent on subsistence farming andlive in small villages.Papua New Guinea's art forms are asdiverse as they are distinctive and theopportunity to glimpse the many visualand performing arts of this country exist inabundance at the Goroka cultural show, itexhibits one of the finest collections ofprimitive art and culture in the world.