`Lords of the Garden' portrays Korowai's dark image<\/p>\n
By Amir Sidharta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lords of the Garden, a documentary about the
\nKorowai, was aired on July 10 in the United States on the Arts
\nand Entertainment (A&E) cable channel.<\/p>\n
The film is based on a research expedition led by Paul Taylor,
\ncurator of Asian Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution's
\nNational Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., to the tree
\nhouse clusters of the Korowai in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
The documentary focuses on aspects of the Korowai's way of
\nlife that revolves around the tree house and its surrounding
\nenvironment. However, instead of presenting the film as a
\ndefinitive volume on the Korowai, it is a work-in-progress of a
\nscientist who is still trying to unravel the intricacies of their
\nlifestyle.<\/p>\n
As Taylor collects the data, he immediately shares his
\nanalysis and findings with the audience. The inclusion of the
\nresearcher within the film demystifies the role of the
\nanthropologist. This method of communicating ethnographic
\ninformation is more easily understood than that used in
\nconventional anthropological documentaries.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, it seems that the producers insisted on
\nstressing an exotic aspect of the Korowai, cannibalism, which
\naccording to Taylor's research was indeed practiced by the
\nKorowai in the recent past.<\/p>\n
Mysterious<\/p>\n
The film's introduction portrays New Guinea as "a mysterious
\nand dangerous place - a place of head-hunting and cannibalism."
\nIt presents the histories of lost explorers from the sixteenth
\ncentury to Michael Rockefeller who disappeared in the Asmat
\nregion as recently as 1961. He was believed to have drowned or
\nhave been eaten by either crocodiles or cannibals.<\/p>\n
Cannibalism takes up approximately twenty-five percent of the
\nfilm but is mostly discussed near the end. Although Taylor would
\nhave preferred to downplay cannibalism in the film, he felt that
\nit was based on reliable scientific research and therefore worthy
\nof discussion. He says that "the exaggerated importance given to
\ninstitutions like cannibalism and head-hunting... just encourages
\nthe idea that these people are so exotic, so different, so
\nfierce, so inhuman, that we don't spend the time trying to
\nunderstand why they are the way they are." His findings enable
\nthe audience to better understand the place of cannibalism in the
\nlife of the Korowai.<\/p>\n
The expedition starts at Jayapura, the modern capital of Irian
\nJaya. On board two chartered airplanes, the members of the
\nexpedition reach Yaniruma, a tiny settlement established by Dutch
\nmissionaries in 1980 in the middle of the rain forest. From
\nYaniruma, they travel up the Eilanden River in dugout canoes for
\nseveral days into the Korowai territory. Then, they leave the
\ndugouts and trek into the interior to the Dayo clan tree house
\nclusters.<\/p>\n
Penthouse suite<\/p>\n
They arrive at the down-river Dayo tree house cluster and
\nTaylor climbs up a forty foot notched pole to reach the home of
\nYakob, the owner of the house. Reaching the top, he describes the
\natmosphere as, "comfortable. Lots of light. Lots of ventilation.
\nIt's a penthouse suite."<\/p>\n
The tree house is the epitome of Korowai patrimony. Taylor
\nemphasizes that Yakob always speaks of the children replacing
\ntheir parents in the tree house cluster. "Our sons replace us,"
\nYakob says, "when they grow up, they substitute and become Tuan
\nDusun (the Lords of the Garden)."<\/p>\n
For the Korowai, the tree house symbolizes "the good life".<\/p>\n
Yakob talks about the atmosphere and the views he experiences
\nin the tree house. It's distance from the ground allows light to
\nenter the house, reduces the damp cold, and offers better
\nvisibility compared to the forest floor.<\/p>\n
The tree house is also a kind of fortress where they hide and
\ndefend themselves from their enemies. Yakob really wants his kids
\nto live the tree house life.<\/p>\n
One of the main goals of the expedition is to document the
\nbuilding of a Korowai tree house which are known to be among the
\nhighest in the world. Assured that the crew had no intention to
\nmove in, and that he would be able to live in it, Yakob willingly
\nagreed to build a house in his garden. Because a tree house only
\nlasts three to four years, it is frequently rebuilt.<\/p>\n
During the construction process, Taylor was able to observe
\nthe Korowai's perception of the forest, and how they use it. When
\nthe crew inquired about the placement of the new tree house, one
\nof the children said, "This soil is terrible. You'll never plant
\nanything here," making it evident that the Korowai were not
\nmerely concerned about the location of the house itself, but also
\nabout the garden and the environment around it.<\/p>\n
It takes nine days to build the tree house. As it is being
\nconstructed, the film shows the participation of the community; a
\ncrew of sixty-six men, women and children, all adept at their
\nspecific chores. Every Korowai is a master-builder of tree houses
\n"that can soar as high as a six-story building." The magnificence
\nof this house building endeavor is portrayed by using a vertical
\ndolly camera ascending into the tree house through specially made
\nopenings.<\/p>\n
Humor<\/p>\n
As the tree house is being completed, more trees are cut in
\norder to plant crops near the house. The conversations among the
\nKorowai during the forest clearings are humorous. Yakob, afraid
\nthat the tree might fall toward the film crew, wants to tell them
\nto move. However, Bilium is certain that "they've seen trees fall
\nbefore, they should know what to do."<\/p>\n
One evening, the sound of wailing announces the death of
\nsomeone in the tree house cluster. The death of Amodo Dayo leads
\nto a discussion about their beliefs. Yanofare says, "It is like
\nwind. You can't see it... It's like dreaming and in your dream
\nyou see a path through the jungle."<\/p>\n
If the path in your dream is clear all the way, and you keep
\ngoing forward and arrive at an afterlife, that is death.<\/p>\n
The film continues to follow the construction of the house.
\nThree trees will become the supporting columns for the house
\nwhile strips of cut sago leaves will become the house's roof
\nshingles. The walls of the house are made of sago spathe, the
\nbase of the stem. Flooring is bark from another tree, pried in
\nbig sheets, and rolled on the floor. The notched-pole ladder used
\nto reach the house is from a special tree which hardens after it
\nis cut. Once the house is completed, Yakob and his wife move in.<\/p>\n
Many aspects of Korowai life are strictly segregated by gender
\nincluding the house. Consisting of three rooms, two dirt-lined
\nfire pits, and two porches, the house is usually divided into
\nseparate equal living quarters. The men sleep in one room, the
\nwomen in another, while space in the middle is for both sexes.<\/p>\n
As a new family moves into a house, they "sound the sago
\nspathes", beating the walls of the house in an enormous emotional
\nrelease. This ritual is done not only when entering a new home,
\nbut also when returning home after a cannibal feast, a time when
\nyour home is like new and you go back to it a new person.<\/p>\n
Cannibalism<\/p>\n
Traveling to the upriver Dayo clan, Taylor manages to slowly
\ngather more information about cannibalism. When talking about
\ncannibalism, the Dayo associate it with what goes on beyond the
\npacification line, the other side of the Eilanden river, where
\nthe Bomwai clan live. However, they also talk about cannibalism
\nas part of their past, "a shadow side of their own, at least,
\nrecent past."<\/p>\n
Chief of Manggel explains that cannibalism was actually a
\npunishment for those accused of committing serious crimes, such
\nas murder or theft, including wife-stealing. He describes
\ncannibalism as part of their justice system.<\/p>\n
A graphic description of the ritual of cannibalism is
\npresented along with a more subtle reenactment. The person
\nindicted to be killed and eaten has his elbows tied behind his
\nback and is brought to a small river. Encircling the convict they
\nshoot him with an arrow. "Shoot him to where he would scream,"
\nthey say. The victim would then be cut into six pieces, cooked,
\nand later eaten.<\/p>\n
Based on the abundance of detailed information from the
\ninterviews he conducted, Taylor personally finds it hard to
\nbelieve that cannibalism has not been practiced here in the
\nrecent past. He concludes that the Korowai hesitate to talk about
\ncannibalism, just as Americans would be reluctant to think of
\nAmerica as a death row culture. Similarly, it would be "very
\nsimplistic to think of Korowai culture as only cannibalistic,
\nbecause it's much more than that." However, he says that
\ncannibalism does have its place in Korowai society.<\/p>\n
Taylor is excited about the new interpretation of cannibalism
\nhe has managed to obtain. "What is new is the aspect of
\ncannibalism as a well-functioning example of how a complete
\ncriminal justice system in this area worked. That criminal
\njustice system seems to have been very effective." He believes
\nthat it is a very significant discovery and is anxious to obtain
\nmore information.<\/p>\n
Question<\/p>\n
The Smithsonian documentary on the Korowai ends with the
\nquestion of inevitable change. The narrator questions whether the
\nsons of the Korowai will "be able to substitute for them, as
\nYakob says, or will this good life be gone by the time their
\nchildren are grown?"<\/p>\n
For Yakob, it is inconceivable that his children would not
\nreturn to the tree house. He says, "I'd be happy if my children
\ngo to America or to Jakarta or anyplace faraway. They'll always
\ncome back here. Just look out from the tree house, how far can
\nyou see? There is so much light."<\/p>\n
The tree house signifies a distinct Korowai identity and Yakob
\ndoes not expect that to be modified or altered. "He expects his
\nchildren to follow him as lords of this same garden," Taylor
\npoetically concludes.<\/p>\n
The documentary about the Korowai focuses on aspects of their
\nway of life revolving around the tree house and its surrounds. It
\nalso stresses cannibalism, another aspect of the Korowai life,
\nconsidered to help market the film. Nonetheless, the film's
\ndiscussion, which offers Smithsonian researcher Paul Taylor's new
\ninterpretation about cannibalism, is hoped to demystify Irian
\nJaya's dark image as a mysterious and dangerous land of head-
\nhunting and cannibalism.<\/p>\n
Taylor also hopes that an Indonesian version will be prepared.
\nHowever, this might not be as straight forward as one might
\nthink. While the presentation of the Smithsonian scientist as the
\ncentral figure of the film diminishes the barrier between the
\nexotic land of Irian and the American audience, the presence of
\nthe anthropologist may be perceived by some Indonesians as a
\nsymbol of foreign hegemony in scientific research.<\/p>",
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