I was very excited to begin my research of my assigned patrol report volume, which is that of the East Sepik District, Yangoru from the years 1949 to 1953. I was intrigued whilst reading the actual patrol reports from the collection, for they are valuable primary sources from eyewitnesses of the actual colonization process. However, when I branched out to research the region more broadly to find specific dates of contact, information on the region, and its historical events, I was met with difficulty locating reliable, or academically-focused works. I anticipated an array of research papers or online library collections of sources similar to that of UCSD, yet it seemed youtube videos, blog posts, and even websites promoting tourism were commonplace over such sources. This lack of quality, educational, and unbiased factual accounts of the region left me disappointed, and led me to conclude that this lack is likely due to the more recent colonization of Papua New Guinea.

Since I do not often conduct research outside of creative or literary criticisms, I believe I was slightly less prepared to hunt down incredibly detailed sources, but I did read a summary of the history of the East Sepik, which explained the events that lead up to my given time period. The summary stated that before the mid 1940’s, the district was actually occupied by Japan for most of World War II, which ceased further development of the region until it ended (Lonely Planet). Pressure and expansion westward by Australia in Papua New Guinea led to the eventual surrender of the Japanese General Adachi during 1945 (Lonely Planet). Though the exact years I am focusing on were not outlined in the source, it did not that the region has been quite “volatile” from after WWII until present day, most notably for government corruption, attempts at invasion from other countries, and immigration struggles (Lonely Planet).

An article specifically about the Sepik River entitled “Sepik River Facts,” was rich in information on the prominent geographical feature, which “flows 700 miles through Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, and was untouched by Europeans until 1885 when Germans began to explore its region” (Sepik River Facts). The river is clean and undeveloped due to little industry in the area, and it has a watershed of 30,000 square miles (Sepik Facts). According to the article, “There are no large cities or industry along the Sepik River, which contributes to its pristine state” (Sepik River Facts). However, currently, threats of “proposed mining, invasive species, and industrial logging” are present in the area (Sepik River Facts). The Sepik River includes a variety of different ecosystems, such as mountains, tropical rainforests, and swamps (Sepik River Facts).

As we have mentioned in class, the same article also mentioned that historically, indigenous cultures have practiced cannibalism in the region, and though currently Christianity is common amongst villagers, many superstitions and rituals are still maintained (Sepik River Facts).

Though context of this only lightly-developed and until quite recently untouched region is difficult to encounter, I am eager to delve further into the physical patrol reports and Melanesian Archives to increase my breadth of knowledge.

Lastly, here is also a link to a helpful map of the exact region I am researching, it offers a helpful interactive visual of where bodies of water and established provinces are located: http://www.maplandia.com/papua-new-guinea/east-sepik/

PNG Patrol Report: East Sepik District, Yangoru, 1949-1953

Sources:

Lonely Planet Travel Information (N/A) History of the Sepik. Retrieved from: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/papua-new-guinea/the-sepik/history

Maplandia (N/A) Yangoru Map- Satellite Images of Yangoru. Retrieved from: http://www.maplandia.com/papua-new-guinea/east-sepik/yangoru/

N/A (N/A) Sepik River Facts. Retrieved from: http://www.softschools.com/facts/rivers/sepik_river_facts/2131/