PHOTO GALLERY: Gaim Engwal's Kuru ware ritual ceremony at Alkena Village, Western Highlands Province

Preparing a Highlands "mumu". Its not just a ordinary "mumu" preparation and pig slaughtering, rather a demonstration of how ritual ceremony for Gaim Engawal's dying culture of Kuru ware was done when Gaim Gale told his dream. Photographs courtesy of Jacinta Tai - Western Highlands Division of Commerce, Culture and Tourism.  

Covering the "mumu"

Elders from Gaim Engawal telling legendary stories of how kina shell were valued and used in their youth which is now being replaced by money, making kina shell a valueless.

They lived and seen the Kuru ware dance and can tell how it was so unique from the rest.

The Engwal Tribe of the Western Highlands Province is believe to have originate Gaim Gale, thus the name Gaim Engwal. The legend starts when Gale once went hunting in the big rain-forest, it was a long walk and he had to take a nap near a big tree when he had a dream. "A Tree Kangeroo appeared in the dream and chant a verse titled Kuru-ware and described the traditional attire to wear. He wake up to find nothing and headed home, only to find that he had to share the chant amongst his brothers and so how the Kuru-ware cultural appear to be now."