Life in the Korowai Tribe of New Guinea, Indonesia
Melissa Gravesande
The Korowai, also know as Kolufo or Kombai, are a tribe from the southeastern part of the western part of New Guinea. The island or New Guinea, the second largest in the world after Greenland, is a mountainous, sparsely populated tropical landmass divided between two countries: the independent nation of Papua New Guinea in the east, and the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Irian Jaya in the west. The Korowai live in southeastern Papua. Paul Raffaele (2006, September). Sleeping with Cannibals. Smithsonian, 37(6), 48,50-54,57-59. Retrieved November 24, 2008, from Research Library database. There are approximately 4,000 tribe members. The Kombai tribe was discovered only 25 years ago, in the dense jungles of West Papua, New Guinea. The tribe's lifestyle - dubbed 'stone-age' - has remained unchanged for 15,000 years. (http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/worldslosttribes/kombai/index.shtml The Korowai are known as the tree dwellers because of the stilted huts they reside. They use the limited natural resources build their place of residence. To build a treehouse, first a solid tree is selected as central pole. Operating from scaffolds, the builder removes the top of the tree and constructs the floor, which is supported by four to ten poles. The floor is constructed of bark from a tree. The walls are made of the wooden shafts of sago leaves. The roof is covered with sago leaves. Most of the Korowai tribe lives in tree houses that can tower over 50 meters. The Korowai build such kind of treehouses only if there is a dispute with the neighbors, or if they live in a hostile area. (http://www.harald-melcher.de/haupt_eng/korowai_eng.htm). However, they normally range between 6 – 25 meters. Approximately 6-8 persons can live in this treehouse. The gender living situation for the Korowai tribe is separated. The interior is divided into at separate rooms. Women are in one room and...