For members of the Atmin Cultural Dance Group from the Yongom tribe in North Fly District, culture is more than tradition, it is a way of life.
Travelling from the remote village of Dome near the Papua New Guinea-West Papua border, the group made the challenging journey through bush tracks and across the Alice River to participate in the 5th Sel Kambang Festival in Ningerum Local Level Government.
Their performance was rewarded with enthusiastic applause from festival-goers as they performed traditional dances that showcased the identity, history and customs of the Yongom people.
Leading the group was Lydia Gabriel, who said preserving culture remains important despite the influences of the modern world.
"We all dressed up in full traditional attire, from small children to elderly people, to show others our identity. Culture is life.”
“Involving young people helps them learn the culture passed down to us by our ancestors.”
The Atmin Cultural Dance Group performed three traditional dances: Ketmo, Amegop and the Flying Fox Dance.
Ketmo serves as a ceremonial procession into the performance arena, while Amegop incorporates various traditional activities and movements, including fishing practices, chasing flies from a deceased person's body and removing water from streams to catch fish.
The Flying Fox Dance portrays the nocturnal animal searching for trees to roost in and feeding on fruit.
Gabriel said life in remote villages continues to be closely connected to traditional knowledge and skills.
"We grew up in the village fishing, hunting, gardening, swimming, playing and listening to stories. These experiences shaped our lives. In remote communities, we use our cultural skills to survive using the resources around us.”
"Today we live in a modern world, but we must not forget that culture is our life. The Yongom tribe, like other tribes in the North Fly District, has its own customs and traditions. We must appreciate and uphold them."
The Atmin group has proudly represented the Yongom people beyond Western Province. In 2017, members travelled to Port Moresby and Milne Bay Province, where they performed for two weeks before returning to Kiunga.
Back home, the dances continue to be practised in Dome and Iogi villages, ensuring traditional knowledge handed down by generations of ancestors remains alive.
The Atmin Cultural Dance Group was among several cultural groups, including performers from Awin, Ningerum and Faiwol communities, who contributed to the week-long Sel Kambang Festival held from June 22 to 26.
