LibGuides: 6 Art Masks: Abelam Tribe (Papua New Guinea)

Resources

Abelam History
Several hundred years ago, the ancestors of the Abelam people abandoned their marshy environment surrounding the Sepik River and moved northwards, following the streams and rivers that drain the Torricelli and Prince Alexander mountains.
Abelam People: History and Culture
Only after warfare ceased and peace was imposed did these movements stop and villages become relatively permanent

Abelam Family
a man with his brothers and their sons, as well as most of the in-marrying wives of their children, live together.
Religious Beliefs
There is almost no "natural" death recognized; most deaths are attributed to magic and sorcery.
Importance of Yams
The Abelam people may well be the world’s most accomplished yam growers
Creation Myth
The Wāpiken story, a founding myth of the Abelam people, describes how yam growing and other cultural practices came to be

Yam Mask
Men weave the yam masks with human and animal characteristics and then typically cover them with clay pigment and dyes.