By KENNY ROMANUS in Kiunga, Western Province
The residents of North Fly District in Western Province prepare to celebrate the 49th Independence Anniversary and the first Sel Kambang Festival 2024 in Kiunga the District Headquarters after being certified by the National Cultural Commission last year.
The Skel Kambang Festival is an initiative of local MP James Donald which was launched in 2018 with his DDA board to outstand the unique cultural identity of the district and came up with the name “Skel Kambang” to promote the diverse culture of the district which was then supported by the Fly River Provincial Government(FRPG) to expose different cultural identities of Western Province as one way of promoting tourism in the province.
Penis gourds(SEL KAMBANG) are worn by men in 4 tribes of North Fly District which are The Awins, Yongoms, Ningerums, Faiwols, and the Min Tribes of West Sepik Province in which Western shares Provincial boundary with in the north. The penis gourds are made from nuts collected from special trees, hornbill beaks, or roots of special trees, which all serve the same purpose.
The district aims to expose the unique cultural identity of North Fly to the outside world and also aims to boost the tourism sector of North Fly or wider Western Province.
The program will start on Sunday, 15th September, with a combined church service at the Kiunga Main Oval, then proceed on with the Independence program on Monday, 16th September which everyone will witness the flag raising ceremony led by the joint security forces and 15 selected students from primary school and Secondary Schools in Kiunga Urban LLG.
After the flag raising ceremony, athletics will then follow to wind up the Independence Day program in the afternoon, while the Sek Kambang Festival starts on Tuesday, 17th September, and ends on Thursday, 19th September.
Preparations on the ground are currently underway with the tireless efforts of the committees aiming to host a peaceful and successful event.
The local singsing groups talking part are of four (4) tribes of North Fly, The Awins (Central, East, West and North), Youngoms (Lower, Central Upper), Ningerums (Lower, Central, Upper) and Faiwols (East, South,West), including the Min Tribes of West Sepik Province (Telefomin and Oksapmin).
As North Fly hosts communities from other Districts of Western Province, they will also be part of the program. The Jimahangi and Debepari Cultural Group of Nomad LLG in Middle Fly, Singsing groups from South Fly (Kiwai Dancers), Gogodala dancers from Delta Fly and West Papuan Dancing groups.
North Fly is also a home to residents from other provinces. Therefore, there will also be singsing groups from regions, Niugini Islands (NGI), Momase, Highlands, and Southern.
The committee also stated that there will be a complete booze ban during the independence and Sel Kambang Festival period as children and women or every citizen has equal rights to enjoy or move around feely without fear of people under the influence of alcohol.
Western Star 