The Tree Houses of the Korowai Tribe of New Guinea

Oct 27, 2012 18 comments

Deep within the inaccessible jungle of the southeast Indonesian province of Papua, about 150 kilometres inland from the Arafura Sea, lives the Korowai tribe – a clan totally isolated from the rest of the world. They are hunter-gatherers living in a small society of traditional family ties who need to share all they have in order to survive. Until their discovery by a Dutch missionary in 1974, the Korowai had hardly any contact with the outside world.

The Korowai people live in tree houses ranging in height from 6 to 12 meters, but some are as high as 35 meters above the ground. Usually the houses are built on a single tree but frequently the base of the house consists of several living trees, and additional support is derived from wooden poles. These tree houses protect families not only against swarms of mosquitoes below, but also ward off annoying neighbours and evil spirits.

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To build a tree house, a sturdy Banyan tree is selected to function as the central pole. The top of the tree is then removed. The floor frame, made of branches, is constructed first and then covered with sago palm. The walls and roof is made with the same leaves the frame of the house consists of branches fastened with rattan bindings. The flooring must be quite strong as the tree houses often accommodate as many as a dozen people. A dry tree trunk with notches is hung from the bottom of the tree house in order to get up to the house. This ladder shakes with each step and warns the inhabitants that a visitor is on his way up.

The Korowai are excellent hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists who practice shifting cultivation. Since the early 1990s some of them got involved with tour companies selling tours into the Korowai region and generating moderate cash income this way. To consider, they are same people who, less than two decades ago, never knew a world existed outside their jungle.

During the 90s outsiders started exploiting the Korowai region in search of the valuable gaharu (Agarwood). In 1997, 1 kg of gaharu collected by a local Papuan would have a value of about $4.00 when sold to a trader; the gaharu was eventually sold to Middle Eastern and European market for about $1000 a kilo. Gaharu also fuelled a rapid trade in prostitution into the jungles of Papua which has helped contribute to the current AIDS epidemic throughout Papua. Eventually this trade came to an end in 1999.

Several documentaries have been made about the Korowai people and countless articles written. In 1993, a film crew documented the Korowai tree house construction and the practice of cannibalism as a form of criminal justice. In 2011, the Korowai tribe was shown in the BBC documentary Human Planet.

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Sources: Wikipedia, PACE

Comments

  1. That sixth image is photoshopped.

    Real people aren't that tiny.

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    Replies
    1. Why do idiots insist on coming on here and claiming that images are photoshopped? Out really makes them look stupid.

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    2. lol sarcasm goes way over some peoples heads.

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    3. I don't get it..what was your point. Waaay over my head... Out there.

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    4. There're only 5 images ...6th images as were being said ain't exist after all.

      Delete
  2. Better not sleepwalk...

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  3. wanna stay there

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  4. I have this tribe in my blood line and everyone's tribe or ansistery has a way they live and my tribe has the way of cannibalism that dates back way back before any of us was thoughtof and they shouldn'tbe punished for they way the are use to live that is not fair

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  5. These people this tribe was doing just fine amongs themselves without any worries, that is until the Europeans came and started exploiting them. It seems that everything the Europeans come in contact they destroy in the name of western evolution. Money rules their motivation to kill and destroy the earth without any since of compassion, I hope I am alive when the natual course of the Universe is restored then it will be a new day. The 6000 years of ruling the planet is just about over your time is up people of color who are the majority by the way will restore humanity back to its proper state.

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  6. These Tree houses are so amazing

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  7. This is amazing! Sorry to bother but can someone help me with this question: Why are the tree houses so tall?
    If you answer, thnx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The readings suggests its built high up to escape insects and the "Noisy neighbours"

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  8. I just read all of the comments I could see and there are some really racist people around here, can't we just enjoy the photos and information? No one really thought it was fake and if they did, I agree, that would be a ridiculous assumption. And then I see a comment about how people Of color will restore the planet back to its proper state and I think, wow, how this is also a ridiculous assumption. Apparently this person hasn't realized 2 things, 1) the last time the world was in its proper state was when Adam and Eve lived in Eden, which God ended with punishment of mankind. 2) people of color and white people are all, get ready for this, HUMANS... Shhhh I know it's hard, but every human on Earth enjoys the same things. Every person of every race loves power in their own way, money to a certain degree, sex that fulfills their sexual preferences and of course food for flavor including goodies when not hungry. You know what else beings of the same species do? Make the same mistakes; they are also guilty of their own severe forms of government consider the aforementioned tribe that utilizes canibalism as a for of sever punishment does that make them evil? No, it is merely an accepted form of punishment among those people and only when it becomes deviant, or morally wrong to those people in that tribe, will it become wrong or "evil" because the truth about crime and moral values is that they are different among all people across the world. You will go to jail for stealing in America, but in some countries you might have your hand chopped off! This has been quite the post I have written, perhaps pointless but every once in a while I feel compelled to vent. It must be the woman in me ☺️

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  9. That is so amazing

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  10. That is so cool! I could not imagine living like that!

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