“Would you like to find Africa in Polynesia?”, asked Isaac, the man with chocolate skin and warm eyes. I’m sure he could feel my Spirit, but I answered “Yes” anyway. And he began to share his wisdom. He began to share his life. “The cultures in the Polynesian are similar. But, if you want to find the African link, look to Papua New Guinea.”
Papua New Guinea is located in the Pacific Ocean and is bordered by Indonesia, just north of Australia. So, how could Africa’s presence be found on the tiny island in the Polynesian Islands? Historical accounts show that Africans migrated to Southeast Asia over 50,000 years ago. These peoples then migrated to Papua New Guinea. Amazingly, I later learned from Issac, they’ve preserved ancient traditions and beliefs rooted in Africa.
Born in Papua New Guinea, Isaac was proud to share his culture with me. We spent the next 30 minutes talking about Africa and how it’s traditions have been preserved in cultures throughout the world, particularly in Papua New Guinea. He spoke about how a democratic society existed in certain nomadic tribes well before the introduction of U.S. culture. What was most interesting, although not surprising, is the fact that if you truly want to experience the culture, you must go to the rural areas, where wisdom is kept and the heart of the African-Papua New Guinea culture is nurtured. When Isaac spoke of spiritual culture, I immediately noticed similarities to that of African and other indigenous cultures. Isaac spoke about acknowledging the Ancestors. He noted that nature, including the Earth, stars, and clouds, is of utmost importance. As in African societies, there are Spirits associated with the river, the rain, and other parts of nature. Observing nature not only allowed them to know when to plant sweet potatoes, but also provided a continuous opportunity to honor God, the Creator, as a living God. As nature lives, so does God. And so does Africa’s Spirit, in the Polynesian island of Papua New Guinea.
To learn more about Papua New Guinea, visit http://www.papuanewguinea.travel/USA.
