About Huli

The Huli people of Papua New Guinea are native to the Tari Basin, located in the highlands, a land consisting of thick coastal swamps and rugged mountainous regions. The country Papua New Guinea is named for the Spanish explorer Inigo Ortiz de Retes and is located due north of Australia, just south of the equator. The Huli tribe is one of the most interesting tribes in Papua New Guinea.

Inhabitants

Anthropologists have long believed that the first Papuans migrated to the island around 45,000 years ago from the Solomon Islands. More than 750 languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea because of tribal isolationism.

Housing

The Huli, like many subsistence communities, live in grass huts. There are generally two to four huts in a community. They are made from split wood and mud walls. These communal compounds serve as housing for pigs, as well as to keep "evil spirits out."
The traditional Huli communities separate their houses for sleeping. The men are confined to a joint hut, while the women and pigs share a common dwelling. Both the pigs and women are considered property of the Huli men.
Some more modern Huli villages now separate their pigs from their women because of the influence that Christian missionaries have had on their society.

Diet

Yams and manioc are the primary dietary staples in the Huli diet. These crops grow in well-planned, well-irrigated gardens. Some of the first explorers who came in contact with the Huli were amazed over their agricultural prowess.
While the Huli are more of an agrarian society, the Huli do eat meat that comes from village-raised pigs, as well as wild cassowary, kangaroos and cuscus.

Clothing

The traditionalists of Huli society still wear clothing typical of many tribal villages, with the exception of the male's koteka. Huli men wear no clothing other than a gourd that is tied under his genitals and around his waist with two pieces of string. The females typically wear grass skirts.

Religious Beliefs

The Huli as a traditional people are animists. Animists believe that everything has a soul; this includes rocks, water, mountains, plants, etc. Because of this belief, the Huli people offer many sacrifices in order to appease the spirits. They believe all illness and bad luck comes from witchcraft and sorcery.
However, because of the influence of western religion, 66 percent of the Huli people now list their religion as Christianity. Even so, many of the Christian practitioners are very much aware of the spiritual world and still could be considered animists.

References

• Care 2 Know
• Animism