PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 2:28 PM by Tevita

Kalam’s knowledge lives on

Papua New Guinea recently lost a ‘home-grown’ anthropologist who did not have any formal school, but rose to be an acclaimed writer who published several books on his native culture

From : Post Courier

Dr Ian Saem Majnep, who gained a world reputation for his writings on traditional knowledge of the biological environment among his Kalam people, died on September 30 at his home near Simbai, in Madang Province. He is best known for the books Birds of My Kalam Country (1977) and Animals the Ancestors Hunted (2007) and for the working paper series Kalam Hunting Traditions (1990), all co-authored with the anthropologist, Ralph Bulmer. What made Majnep unique in the world of natural history is that he had almost no formal education and was able to write about the biology of his region, not as a western-trained scientist, but as a member of a traditional community. Majnep was born about 1948 in the Upper Kaironk Valley, in the remote Schrader Ranges, a decade before a government patrol post was established in Simbai. He grew up on the edge of the cool high mountain forest, hunting, foraging and gardening, and absorbing an immense body of traditional knowledge about animals and plants. His father died when he was very young, and he was brought up by his mother. Between 1960 and 1963 he attended, for two years, very early schools in Simbai and Kaironk run by the newly established Anglican Mission. In 1963 he met Ralph Bulmer, who had begun a long-term research project studying society, language, economy and perceptions of the environment among the Kalam-speaking people of the Kaironk Valley. Hearing of Majnep's expertise in bushcraft, Bulmer enlisted the 15-year-old as an informant and field guide. From 1968-1977 Majnep worked as a technician in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology (where Bulmer was the foundation professor) at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby, doing laboratory work and fieldwork in various parts of Papua New Guinea.In the 1970s he and Bulmer began to collaborate on a series of writing projects. Their first, and much acclaimed book, Birds of My Kalam Country, was edited by Bulmer from transcripts of their conversations.Their later works were all written by Majnep in his Kalam language with English translation and commentary by Bulmer. In these works Majnep describes the appearance, habitat and behaviour of the 200 or so species of birds and more than 50 species of mammals that live in his area and shows how Kalam animal lore is woven into the customary life of his people.Details of his recent book, Animals the Ancestors Hunted, at:http://ise.arts.ubc.ca/documents/Majnep_BulmerBookFlyer.pdf



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DIVA-GIS	Monday, October 29, 2007 Posted 2:28 PM by Tevita Kalam’s knowledge lives on Papua New Guinea recently lost a ‘home-grown’ anthropologist who did not have any formal school, but rose to be an acclaimed writer who published several books on his native culture From : Post Courier Dr Ian Saem Majnep, who gained a world reputation for his writings on traditional knowledge of the biological environment among his Kalam people, died on September 30 at his home near Simbai, in Madang Province. He is best known for the books Birds of My Kalam Country (1977) and Animals the Ancestors Hunted (2007) and for the working paper series Kalam Hunting Traditions (1990), all co-authored with the anthropologist, Ralph Bulmer. What made Majnep unique in the world of natural history is that he had almost no formal education and was able to write about the biology of his region, not as a western-trained scientist, but as a member of a traditional community. Majnep was born about 1948 in the Upper Kaironk Valley, in the remote Schrader Ranges, a decade before a government patrol post was established in Simbai. He grew up on the edge of the cool high mountain forest, hunting, foraging and gardening, and absorbing an immense body of traditional knowledge about animals and plants. His father died when he was very young, and he was brought up by his mother. Between 1960 and 1963 he attended, for two years, very early schools in Simbai and Kaironk run by the newly established Anglican Mission. In 1963 he met Ralph Bulmer, who had begun a long-term research project studying society, language, economy and perceptions of the environment among the Kalam-speaking people of the Kaironk Valley. Hearing of Majnep's expertise in bushcraft, Bulmer enlisted the 15-year-old as an informant and field guide. From 1968-1977 Majnep worked as a technician in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology (where Bulmer was the foundation professor) at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby, doing laboratory work and fieldwork in various parts of Papua New Guinea.In the 1970s he and Bulmer began to collaborate on a series of writing projects. Their first, and much acclaimed book, Birds of My Kalam Country, was edited by Bulmer from transcripts of their conversations.Their later works were all written by Majnep in his Kalam language with English translation and commentary by Bulmer. In these works Majnep describes the appearance, habitat and behaviour of the 200 or so species of birds and more than 50 species of mammals that live in his area and shows how Kalam animal lore is woven into the customary life of his people.Details of his recent book, Animals the Ancestors Hunted, at:http://ise.arts.ubc.ca/documents/Majnep_BulmerBookFlyer.pdf * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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