Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# East Islands of Papua New Guinea vs. Solomons Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
isherwood 08:28 UTC 20 Jun 2009 | Hello, Where am I most likely to find authentic Melanesian culture, unpolluted by missionaries and the like? Thanks! Nick |
ozziegiraffe 13:06 UTC 20 Jun 2009 | I hate to say it, Nick, but you are probably 100 years too late. However, it depends which missionaries, and which Melanesians. Some are much less affected by so-called "civilisation" than others. Also, it isn't always the missionaries that caused the msot damage to culture. Planters and traders often had less respect, not to mention the "Blackbirders". | 1
Laszlo 03:52 UTC 21 Jun 2009 | Ozzie, I admire your patience - I found the wording of this question ("unpolluted") rather off-putting. With an attitude like that, OP will be in for a rude shock once he gets to the fervently Christian South Pacific. Well, I might add that the only people I found in these 2 regions yet to be christianized were the inland Kwaio of Malaita, who have been "polluted" by high-paying tourist groups instead. They were the unfriendliest people anywhere in the South Pacific, and made it very clear that they were only prepared to endure tourist presence in return for LOTS of cash. And even their menfolk wear western clothing - I mention this as most tourists claiming to look for "traditional culture" actually have exotic photo opportunities, rather than actual culture as their priority. | 2
isherwood 07:50 UTC 21 Jun 2009 | Laszlo:-It is a pity you judge people you do not know. Your valuable experience is an asset to the thorn tree, your arrogance and intolerance less so. Many members have travelled a great deal around the world and share your contempt for ugly tourism. You should be more helpful and less judgemental, especially when you do not know who you are communicating with. In case you would like to learn, and not only cast aspersions, you might consider reading "The Missionaries, God Against the Indians" by Norman Lewis. Ozzie: thanks again for all of your help. It is greatly appreciated! Neither of you answered my question, which was to compare the Eastern Islands of Papua New Guinea with the Solomons, as far as authenticity is concerned. Nicholas | 3
ozziegiraffe 10:26 UTC 21 Jun 2009 | I think you are more likely to find "semi-untouched" cultures deep in the New Guinea Highlands, than anywhere on the more-easily-accessible New Guinea islands. The islands were affected by the likes of the Marquis de Re, who told a group of would-be settlers from Italy that he would take them to Utopia, and landed them on one of the Eastern islands, where many died, before the Australian authorities resettled them on the far north coast of New South Wales. Then there was Margaret Mead, who was misled by the Trobriand Islanders. The big islands of the Solomons are bigger than these islands, and therefore took longer for western "culture" to penetrate. The current Solomon Islanders are still within a generation of western contact in some parts, and retain much of their own belief system. | 4