Huli Culture
The Huli tribe
Location: At the center of the Highlands in the Tari region in the Hela Province of Papua New Guinea
Population: Most estimates number around 100,000, but there are some that estimate as many as 200,000-300,000
How They Live: The Huli Tribe is the largest indigenous group living in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Although they have only been known to outsiders since the 1930’s, they have thousands of years of history of which they believe started with one ancestor named Huli. They support themselves through a combination of hunting/gathering and agriculture, but also through extensive trade with other nomadic groups in the area. Tribal wars are a common occurrence due to the proud, fearless warriors’ personal disputes over land, pigs, and women which spiral into large-scale conflicts.
The tribe is also famously referred to as “The Huli Wigmen.” Once boys turn fourteen years old, they go to Wig School where they learn one of the most important rituals of the Huli culture – growing their hair for eighteen months and creating a unique wig out of it. After making their wigs for years, they enter manhood and can marry a woman (Tribes 1).
Features of the Huli Tribe:
Language: The Huli people primarily speak the Huli language, but they also speak Tok Pisin which is a creole language that is a combination of English, German, and indigenous Melanesian languages (Hunt 1).
Religion: Majority of the Huli Tribe is Christian because of Western Influence (Joshua Project 1).
Family practices: Huli men and women are kept separate for most of their lifetimes, even living in separate houses from one another. The women live with the children and pigs and are also restricted from entering a man’s house. There are many different ways for a man and woman to be officially married in Huli culture, some of the ways are explained at https://comm220barber.wordpress.com/marriage/. Young boys live with their mothers until they are about seven, their fathers until they are 14, and then they are sent to Wig School (Anywayinaway 1).
some images:
Two Huli Wigmen with their wigs made from their own hair
A group of Huli Wigmen at the annual Sing Sing Festival
Huli Women painting each other’s faces red and yellow
SOME MORE Features of the Huli Tribe:
Economic practices: As mentioned previously, the Huli people depend heavily on hunting and agriculture. This emphasis on natural resources has led Huli wealth being attributed to how much one owns, specifically on how many pigs one owns. Pigs are the most important resource to the tribe and are used as payment for many common exchanges, such as bride’s dowry, death indemnities, and other trades (Hunt 1). Huli men’s’ economic status also increases when he has more wives, the average amount for one man is 2.6 (Comm220barber 1).
Political practices: There is no government in the Huli Tribe or any other tribes in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. There are no hereditary chiefs in power but selected leaders who oversee the people. These leaders are picked based on their war ability, economic status based on the amount of pigs they own, and their dispute-solving abilities (Hunt 1).
Rituals and Ceremonies: The Huli Tribe is most famous for their Sing Sing Festival and their wigs. The Sing Sing Festival occurs annually and involves many tribes from the area. It is not just a ceremony but a meeting for the local leaders to discuss their problems, boast their strengths, and present their culture. The Huli frequently win the festival competition because of their wigs, vibrant yellow and red face paint, and presentation. The Huli men are known for their elaborate wigs made from their own hair. They use them as headdresses during their entire adult lives and decorate them with bundles of multi-colored feathers during the Sing Sing Festival. To be accepted into the wig schools, the men must be young and virgin. The students and wig master perform special rituals and spells to grow their hair for 18 months. Wig masters are very strict with their students, one wig master talking about his school in this article https://www.wildjunket.com/tribal-culture-in-papua-new-guinea-huli-wigmen-tari/. After this period, they cut their hand and the wig specialist weaves it into a wig for the men (Huang 1).
if you want to learn more about...
…the Wig School for the Huli Wigmen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8CoYz778Zo
…how to dance with the Wigmen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a40gce_Q814
… the appearances of the Huli people:
https://comm220barber.wordpress.com/appearance/
…a story of an outsider who visited the tribe:
...another indigenous tribe from Papua New Guinea:
https://sites.google.com/fsmail.bradley.edu/buanthro/chambri-culture?authuser=0
works cited:
Huang, Nellie. 2014. Tribal Culture in Papua New Guinea: the Huli Wigmen of Tari Highlands. Wildjunket. https://www.wildjunket.com/tribal-culture-in-papua-new-guinea-huli-wigmen-tari/
Huli in Papua New Guinea. Joshua Project. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12149/PP
Huli Wigmen Tribe. Anywayinaway. https://anywayinaway.com/photography/papua-new-guinea/huli-tribe/
Hunt, Kia. 2017. Visit the Indigenous Huli People of Papua New Guinea. The National Student. https://www.thenationalstudent.com/Travel/2017-07-29/visit_the_indigenous_huli_people_of_papua_new_guinea.html
Lafforgue, Eric. 2014. Exploring the Culture of the Huli Wigmen Tribe, “www.huliculture.com: Arts.” https://comm220barber.wordpress.com/marriage/
Ragg, Margherita. 2018. Papua New Guinea Culture: An Introduction to Ancient Traditions. Zeghram Expeditions. https://www.zegrahm.com/blog/papua-new-guinea-culture-introduction-ancient-traditions
The Huli Tribe: Inspired by Showmanship. Tribes. https://www.tribes.world/huli