TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR MODERN CONSERVATION AMONG THE HEWA OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA by William H Thomas A Dissertation Presente d in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the 0 egree Doctor of Philosophy ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY August 1999 ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the relationship between traditional human activities and the conservation of biological diversity, through a study of the Hewa people of Papua New Guinea. The research tests the proposition that traditional land owners in Papua New Guinea manage their resources to promote biodiversity. The evidence comes from Hewa traditional environmental knowtedge of the effect of gardening on avian diversity. Since birds are the primary agents of seed dispersal in New GuineaJs forests. their diversity is positively correlated with biodiversity. Using traditional knowiedge. an inventory of local birds is developed and a comparison of avian diversity in disturbed habitats with primary forest is presented. These data are then compared to bird and plant transect counts as a means of verification. Traditional/and tenure and religion are likewise examined for their potential application in conservation. The data indicate that traditional activities are not necessaril y aimed at the conservation of biodiversity. The present diversity is more directly attributed to low population density and limited disturbance. This indicates that the characterization of the Hewa lifestyle as designed to promote biodiversity is a dangerous simplification and that the inclusion of the Hewa in the conservation of their lands is problematic. ill DEDICATED TO MY WIFE, FAMILY AND FRIENDS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the National Geographic Society and the Explorers Club of Philadelphia for supporting my research. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page OF TABLES . .. ... LIST . ... .. ............ .. .. ....... ................. ...... ..... .... viii CHAPTER INTRODUCTION . .. .. .. ... .... .. .. _ .. .. .. _........ 1. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... 1 The Yellowstone Model . _ .. .. ... .. .. ... _. ............................. ...... .... 4 Traditional Knowledge and Conservation . ... .. ..... ".......... .......... 8 .... _ . __ . .. .. Implications for Research . ..... _ .. ......... ... .... ........ .. .. 11 2. THE HEWA.......................................................................................... 14 A History from Contact to Present .... ..... .... .... .............. __. ........... 14 The Hewa Environment.................................................................. 17 3. THE DEMISE OF THE NOBLE SAVAGE . .... ....................................... 24 The Archaeological Record ... ... ... ... _ .... .. __ . ..... ... ... .... .... ........ 27 Contemporary Traditional Societies. .. ... .. ....... .... ...... .. .. .. ... ... __. 34 New Guinea . .... .......... ...... .. ... ... .... ... .......... .. _ . .. ....... _. .. 37 4. DISTURBANCE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION . .. .. ..... .... 43 Disturbance and Biodiversity ... .. ...... .. ... ............ -....................... 45 Tropical Rainforests........................................................................ 50 Implications for Research ......... ...... ...... ........................... ............. 53 5. GARDENING AND CONSERVATION .... .. ..... ... ...... ........... ..... ........ 57 .. .. ................... .................................. Gardens and Forests Gaps . 58 Methodology ... ...... ..... ............ ...... .................. ....... .............. 60 Results .... ..... .. ........... .. ................ ... .. .......... .............. ............ 62 Discussion . ...................... .. ........... .. ...... -................................... 69 6. LAND TENURE AND CONSERVATiON.............................................. 89 Land Tenure in New Guinea.. ............ .... ... .. .. .. ....... ... ..... -......... 91 . .. .. ... The Hewa . ....... ... ......... .. .... ... .. .. .. .. .... ... .. 94 . .. .. .. .. _. .... Discussion ... ............... .. ...... .. .. .. � ... .. .. ........ 100 vi Page CHAPTER 7. RELIGION AND CONSERVATION...................................................... 107 ................... 108 . .. ............ Ideology and Conservation . .... .. ...... ........... ........... 111 . "'" . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. Taboos . .. ... 115 Hewa Taboos and Game Management.................................. ...... _ 119 Sacred Places .......... ........... ........... .......... ....... ... ..... ...... .. ...... ....- .. 122 Sacred Places and Dreams with the Hewa....... .. ... .. .................... .. .. ... .. ..... Discussion . .. .. _ . '............................................... 124 130 ... ... .. _. .. .. ...... ................ ......... 8. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ........ 130 Gardening and Conservation.. ... ....... _....................... .... ... .............. 131 Land Tenure and Conservation . ... .... .. .. .... .. .. .. _ . _..... ..... ........ 134 ... ,............ .... .. .. Recommendations for Conservation . .. 139 REFERENCES CITED ...... .. .. ..... .............. ............................... .......... 166 . _ ... 1 . _ . .... _ . ..... ... .. .. _ .. ... _. ... APPENDIX . .. .. .. .. _.... ....... 175 APPENDIX 2 .... ... ... ... .. ... ...... ... ... .. vii LrST OF TABLES Table Page . ... .. .. 1. Birds of Grasslands and the . .. .... .. ... ...... .. ...... ... 56 Forest Edge . __ . .. _. .. .... 2. Hewa TEK of Birds Found Only .. ....... ......... .. ..... .... .. 71 In Primary Forest 3. Hewa TEK of Birds Found in .. .. .... ... ... ...... .... .... .. .................. 75 Old Secondary Forest 4. Plant Census ................................................................ .......... ........ 78 5. Transect Counts .... _. ... .. ..... .... ................. ......... ..... .... ...... ..... ... .... .... 80 6. Altitude Variation Between TEK................................... ...... ... .. .. ... 88 And Field Guides 7. Maternal Land Tenure .................................................................... 104 8. Hewa Taboos .. .. .. ......... ... ........... ... ... ..... ...... ........ .. ....... ... 127 9. Appendix 1..................................... ... ........................................... ... 166 10. Appendix2...................................................................................... 175 VUI CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION If those 'Nho plan the future of tropical areas would follow some of the funda­ mentals of the Kayapo system, we would be well on a path to a socially and ecologically viable system for the humid tropics. - Darrell Addisson Posey 1988 For the past twenty... five years, primitive man has been the subject of two conflicting characterizations. On one hand, archaeologists have increaSingly documented the role prehistOriC man has played in the decimation of wildlife. On the other hand. advocates for contemporary indigenous societies have pro- moted them as stewards of their lands, capable of conserving wildlCfe and sus- tainable management. Unlike many academic controversies. the resolution of this debate 'Mil have real consequences for future generations. since the fate of many of the planet1s last great stretches of wildemess will depend on an accu- rate portrayal of the relationship between indigenous societies and their envi- ronment. The aim of this drssertation is to address the relationship between the tra- ditional lifestyle of one society. the Hewa of Papua New Guinea (PNG). and the conservation of biodiversity. It reflects the results of sixteen months of fieldwork that began in 1988-89 and continued in 1992.1994 and 1996 97.... I will focus on three aspects of traditional Hewa life - gardening. land tenure and religion. 2 Each has been proposed as a mechanism that enabled indigenous people to esta blish an equilibrium with their environments. I wi ll demonstrate, hO\Never, that although the Hewa playa s ignificant role in shaping this environment. their traditions are not always com patible with biodiversity conservation. As we discover mor.e about the complexities of conservation, it is becom­ ing clear that the traditional park system will fail to conserve the biological diver­ sity of most countries. In fact, conservation is no longer synonymous with pres­ ervation_ Scientists now realize that they cannot create ecologically v iable parks by focusing solely on the preservation of outstanding geological features or large mammals. All organisrns and environments in an ecosystem are valuable. As a result. conservation is now defined as. Uthe wise us e of resources so that future generations will be able to benefit from the same resource base," i.e. sustainable resource use (Clay 1991). Traditional res ource use strategies have been described as not only be­ nign and sustainable. but as an appropr iate foundation upon which to develop a modern conservation strategy (Rajasekaran & Warren 1994:13). However, this new app roach to conservation is based largely on the untested assertion that indigenous people, because of their long association with the land, have devel­ oped lifestyles or ada ptations that allow them to live in "balance" with their envi­ ronment (Maybury-Lewis 1992; Bodley 1991,1976; Ne'MTlan 1990; Nations 1990; Clad 1988). According to this line of reasoning, indigenous people must man­ age their lands more sustaina bly than modem societies in order to maintain en- 3 vironmental equilibrium (Harris 1974). Conservationists hope that oncethese management techniques