Description: Ima Wusan, Part I, is the first in a sequence of two films dealing with a purification ceremony of the Baliem Valley peoples. Part I deals primarily with preparations for the rites and Part II (Ima Wusan II, Camps 10) deals with the actual ceremony itself. These events occurred at the compound at Obia, located in the vicinity of Yiwika, West Irian. The purpose of Ima Wusan is to purify the group of the contamination brought about by an act of incest. When members of the same moiety have sexual relations, the entire group is affected. It is said that when a person's pigs remain small or are sick, this condition is because of his family and Ima Wusan can be held. It is sure on the actual evidence of such transgressions the Ima Wusan has to be held. The people believe that failure to purify the group, will cause all the pigs to remain small, to sicken and die. Thus, there is the need for all members of the group to be cleansed together with the particular offenders. Part I: In the events at Obia, the Ima Wusan begins with activities in the compounds. The firewood to be used is prepared. The arch or pabi kagalek, made of the woods el and tun is begun. The ceremonial leader is Helela, and he can be seen doing this work: splitting the wood using a bone knife, tul. Husumpi, Labisok and Wasiginlekma discuss the pigs to be used for the feast. The man Apmabaga can be seen with one of these pigs under discussion. This completed, the women who have been excluded while the arch was being prepared, come into the silimo bringing leaves and hymperi. The business of killing the four pigs used in this feast starts at this point. The responsibility for killing the pigs is given to Husumpi. He uses the sike and arrows for this purpose. The usual standard position for killing pigs is pictured in the film. The pig is held by the ears and hind feet while a third man draws the bow, loosening the arrow into the pig. The arrow penetrates between the ribs just behind of the front legs, aimed at one of the vital organs. The bowman may jab the arrow in further, or maybe in and out, before it is withdrawn. The pig is then loose to rum a few meters or to topple and die quickly if the aim has been good. A large pig may be shot on the ground where it stands or maybe hoisted on poles, then shot. Two of these methods are depicted in this film. One pig shown takes two arrows before it finally dies. Nugudialok is then shown sharpening the wimukul by peeling off a small strip of bamboo. With this he proceeds to cut off the tails and ears of the slain pigs. These will later be eaten. The men in clothes is Weneroma. A fire is built and the hair and outer skin is removed. The butchering follows as the singed pigs are laid out on banana and hymperi leaves. The sequence is usually the same. Cuts are made on either side of the mouth (in this ceremony first cuts are made at the anus) then down the stomach just inside the legs. The belly, to include the lower jaw, is then removed as one skin strip. In this film Helela asked for the pigs blood for use in the actual rites of Ima Wusan, but usually it is collected in the leaves. The intestines are removed and given to young girls to clean in a nearby stream. The pelvis is broken by using the jaga and the vertebral column is removed. Strips of flesh are carefully removed and hung on meat racks, the poklagabek. Later the skin with fat, ribs, organs and backbone will be steamed. The meat strips will be roasted in the man's house at a later time. Following this activity, the pits are prepared. The bakte is lined with jeleakap and oika. The helinkit are taken from the kit pelaga and placed in the bakte followed by hymperi and wam. Soa and hom eka are also to be cooked. Men and women take part in this work which is completed with the binding of the bundle formed using the jawaga. During this time, women are be seen sitting around the silimo. Uwo, Nogo and Malekhe are watching the activities. The poklagabek can be seen laden with meat and pig intestines. (For more description of the preparation of the bakte, see Wen Hagasin, Camps 2). Part one ends on this point. The actual ritual of Ima Wusan follows as Ima Wusan II, Camps 10. Persons: 1) Helela, 2) Wasiginlekma, 3) Labisok, 4) Husumpi, 5) Apmabaga, 6) Nugudialok, 7) Wenaroma, 8) Husogo, 9) Uwo, 10) Nogo, 11) Malekhe. Terminology: 1) pabi kagalek: arch used in Ima Wusan 2) el: sugar cane used for the arch 3) tun: name of a wood 4) sike: bow used for killing pigs 5) wimukul: bamboo knife 6) helinkit: stones used in pit 7) bakte: steam pit 8) kit pelago: place for heating stones 9) hunila: cook house 10) phatphale: ceremony leader of Ima Wusan 11) ijoak: gourd 12) wam: general term for pig 13) jeleakap and oika: kinds of grass 14) hymperi: general term for sweet potatoes 15) soa and hom: kinds of vegetables 16) jawaga: bakte vine binding 17) wam al: pig intestines 18) poklagabek: term for rack on which meat is hung 19) silimo: compound courtyard 20) jaga: stone adze 21) tun: bone knife This description was prepared by Larry L. Naylor, Southern Illinois University in collaboration with J.A.E. Camps ofm and using local informants. Chief informants were: Kurelu, Kirilmo and Uwo.

Fire is made with a tinderbox. [Insects crawling out of it]. Playing with a snake. Also: an owl, geese, many sheep, cows. - Fishpond being built. Ready? Bathing! Shots of the landscape and people. Digging a ditch. Fish in pond. People swimming in river.

Yiwika III consists of a number of separate film clips: (00:00) Cremation and displaying valuables (jetak). (03:50) Funeral meal for Foralek, December, 1973. (06:30) Shooting piglets (with bow and arrow). (07::45) [Fire]. (08:48) Modern village. A child being washed in a tub. (09:30) Leveling the ground to build a Catholic church in Yiwika. (11:40) Confirmation classes, Yiwika, 1974. (13:20) Uang Eka sign, used in Camps 14 'Uang Eka'. (13:35) Meal. (11:40) Independence day, August 17, 19.. and running contest. (17:03) End.

Description: This film was prepared in the compound of Lukhigin near Yiwika. It concerns itself with essentially three topics: kaneke or objects possessing supernatural power, the kanek feast aimed at the prevention of sickness, and the rat ceremony held as part of this feast to divine certain information. The actual activities took three days to complete. Unfortunately only the first and third days were filmed and then not all could be included. An effort will be made to provide the material in this description for the sake of continuity and relative completeness. This particular kaneke feast, u tipat bakhawogoluk, was being held to prevent sickness and provide the people with tipat which they would wear around their necks as protection. Individual kaneke items are shown which were important to the local people involved. Kaneke varies from place to place throughout the Baliem Valley, each area having their own. At Lukhigin the most important of all kaneke is the inetoak. This kaneke consists of the seven jaws pictured which are said to be of former leaders. Together they are wrapped with hok eka and individually wrapped with jagat eka. Shown next are the je stones which are said to 'follow kaneke'. The smaller je and the two larger ones are called habo. Wam intoak or pigs jaws from former feasts are also shown, and they too 'follow kaneke'. The informant insists that the real kaneke is the human jaws. The actual kaneke feast, u tipat bakhawogoluk, takes place at Lukhigin and surrounds the tipat and its preparation for use against sickness. The activity begins with gathering of firewood and with the arrival of participants with their hymperi, leaves and grass. For this feast the pelai had been completed. Ninarike is seen in the compound wearing a su pelabe. The significance of this lies in association with the death of a young woman, named Keamente, about 8 months previously. (see Camps 30, Funeral Rites I). The pigs to be killed are then brought into the compound, sometimes having to be encouraged by the women who have cared for them up to this time. Sweet potatoes are also brought in at this time. Not shown, but occurring at this time also, is an activity associated with the next feast and designation of the pig to be killed. Ja-e then brings out the wam sike and the business of killing the pigs is begun and the pigs are laid out in a row. (For a complete description of pig killing and preparing, see Camps 9, Ima Wusan I). The ears and tails are removed to insure the health of future pigs, and later consumed by especially designed persons. The pigs are then cut up. Of special note is the shooting of one pig on the ground and the dipping of sweet potatoes, brought from the pelai, into the pig's blood. A short sequence of the man Polik is shown also. In actuality, he is responding to the threat of rain by reciting special words designed to make the rain go away. For the remainder of the day Polik was watchful that rain did not threaten again. While Polik was calling for the rain to go away, meat racks were prepared and the meat hung. The pits were prepared in the usual way (see Camps 2, Wen Hagasin and Ima Wusan I) and the meat, leaves and potatoes put in. Some hymperi had to be split because at their large size. While the food was being cooked using the steam of the bakte, the bark string known as tipat was individually prepared by each person. Although not shown in the film, as it was done in the evening, this string was wrapped in a bundle containing other objects, heated slightly with hot stones and later opened with special incantations and ritualistic blowing. These tipat were then in possession of power to prevent sickness. Each person then would wear the tipat around his neck. When the food was cooked, it was spread out, divided and distributed to those present. This was consumed by all who then proceeded to rub the grease from the pig on themselves and each other. All the people participated in wam amok wasin. It might be noted that no married women were present during the pig's consumption. After eating considerable amounts of pig fat, el or sugar cane was distributed and eaten to prevent vomiting which can occur. So ended the first day, remembering the tipat portion which occurred later in the evening but not filmed. The second day's activities were also not filmed. The day's activities surrounded the further preparation and consumption of food remaining from the previous day and the construction of the walo leget, but this activity was not done for reasons unknown. The walo leget is a small fence enclosure built behind the pelai into which all ghost are expected to enter. The film resumes with the third day or bagai bikhawogoluk. This activity involves the search for rats (not shown) and their divination to obtain certain information. In this instance to see who will die in the future and perhaps how many will die. The rats are laid out in a row and a stick (later put in the pelai) is passed over each. The information obtained, the rats are cleaned and put into pits which are again prepared with hymperi to be cooked. The cooking completed, the contents are distributed and eaten. Pictured in this part of the film are the tipat already in place about the necks of the people. Persons: 1) Uwo, 2) Ninarikhe, 3) Polik, 4) Halikiok, 5) Wilinkage, 6) Maluk, 7) Weaklekek, 8) Jantuk, 9) Ja-e. Terminology: 1) inetoak: grass wrapped human jaws 2) hok eka: loose leaves with the jaws 3) jagat eka: grass bound around jaws 4) habo: small je or wusa stone and 2 larger wusa stones 5) hisan: grass with kaneke 6) wam intoak: large pig jaws 7) u tipat bakawogoluk: name for particular kaneke feast 8) tipat: wusa string worn about neck 9) wam: general term for pig 10) pelai: term for man's house 11) su pelabe: name given to net carried by man 12) wam sike: bow and arrow used to kill pigs 13) jaga: adze used to break pig's bones 14) bakte: steam pit 15) hymperi: general term for sweet potato 16) wam amok wasin: rubbing on pig's grease 17) el: sugar cane 18) bagai bikhawogoluk: 'let us see the rats'(= term for rat ceremony) 19) kaneke: objects possessing supernatural power 20) walo leget: ghost place or enclosure This description was prepared by Larry L. Naylor, Southern Illinois University, in collaboration with J.A.E. Camps ofm. Informant for this film: Uwo.

Film of the hotaly festivities concerning the girl Milige Logo from Sagatnokoma village in the Baliem Valley, recorded in March, 1973. Shown are the making of the apron, the mud festival and putting on the apron after bathing. The text at the beginning of the film: 'Hotaly: renewing the apron. The first time a girl in the Baliem Valley has her period, there's a festival. At night there's dancing and singing in the long kitchen. The morning after, women of the family make a number of new skirts. When these are ready, the mud festival, which can get a little rough, can begin. Could the background of these festivities be contamination (mud, menstruation) and purification (bathing afterwards)?' For a more extensive commentary, see Hotaly Pupukhe (Camps 31, part 2).