LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2017 LOCALadk Magazine 55 LOCALadk When I was contacted to travel with the U.S. Women's Under 20 soccer team to document the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Papua New Guinea, I was intrigued at the opportunity to work and travel abroad. Realizing that I knew very little about Papua New Guinea (PNG), I began to do some research into the re- gion. The more research I did and the more stories I heard from the region, the more unsettling the whole prospect be- came. Most news stories covering the region include tales of violence, poverty, and general unrest. While it is not rare for FIFA to hold events in unexpected lo- cales, PNG was an unusual challenge, due to its lack of infra- structure and many modern amenities. Prior to the PNG trip, I could not have imagined the things this month-long journey would teach me. Since returning, I have had time to reflect on my experiences and find it important to share them with others, as well as to help others understand that there is more to the people of Papua New Guinea than the doom and gloom news channels would suggest. An understanding of Papua New Guinea's history sheds valu- able perspective on its lifestyle today. PNG is located just north of Queensland Australia. According to Jane Bryan, au- thor of the latest State of the Forests of Papua New Guinea Report, PNG is home to one of the largest remaining stands of intact rainforest in the world. Because of the vast rainfor- est and intensely mountainous landscape, the ground infra- structure in PNG is sparse and in many places treacherous for travel. In many cases one must fly from one place to the next, due to the lack of roads. The extreme separation from one vil- lage to another has, over time, resulted in over 800 languages spoken across the region and indigenous practices that vary greatly from village to village. World War II was a defining period for Papua New Guinea. PNG was home to some of the bloodiest battles of the war. The famous Kokoda Trail is the site where the advancing Japanese lost their campaign to capture Port Moresby from Kokoda on the north side of the Owen Stanley Range. This proved pivotal, as it also dealt a serious blow in the Japanese quest to capture Australia. It is this piece of history that has been the largest draw for westerners visiting the region. A trek along the Koko- da trail has become a major source of tourism for Papua New Guinea, and one of the most known features of the country. The Papua New Guinea of today is, in many ways, much the same as it has always been. The land is still treacherous, with villages separated by towering mountain ranges. During my stay, I had the opportunity to meet and spend a great deal of time with people born and raised in villages from all over PNG. They told me stories and pieces of history to help me under- stand why PNG is the way it is today. Port Moresby, the capital and largest city in Papua New Guin- ea, was the location for the world cup and my home for the month of our stay. I had an opportunity to get to know many of the local people who assisted our team, worked at our ho- tel, and who volunteered to help make the tournament hap- pen. I found the society to be behind the U.S. in many areas of development and technological growth; however, the PNG people are incredibly motivated when given new opportuni- ties. I spent a great deal of time with Alex, our driver, and we got to know each other well. Knowing my interest in art, Alex told me stories about the traditional art forms most commonly recognized in PNG. He explained to me the different types of indigenous art forms, from the making of tribal masks to the meanings behind the indigenous paintings. Their art signi- fies the varying cultures from village to village, and the styles differ depending on the region of their creator. They carry a strong belief in art as a form of communication, and that art creates a relationship between the tribe and the buyer of the art. The tournament kept us very busy, and for safety reasons, we were not allowed to leave the hotels and venues on our own. Every day, outside one of our hotel locations was a small craft market. There was enough interest from the people in our team that it was deemed safe enough for everyone to visit. Our security officer, as well as Alex and our other driver, Ravu, took us over in small groups to see what was for sale. After my conversations with Alex, I couldn't wait to go over and have a closer look at everything we had been driving by during our stay at the hotel. Discovering Today's Papua New Guinea Story and photos by Claire Bruce

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