Oral history 03 - First contact Y16_Canon_0441 Audio-visual documentation of Meakambut ways of speaking

Kapukam's account of 'first contact'- oral history The Meakambut are semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, numbering about 60, moving between camps and rock shelters in their mountainous territory in East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea. As one of very few semi-nomadic groups in Melanesia, they are key for understanding the (socio)linguistic situation which would have prevailed before agriculture. Apart from basic word-lists there has been no prior research on the language. Using observational filming to supplement basic linguistic and ethnographic documentation, this project provides audio-visual documentation and analysis of a variety of Meakambut speech practices, embedded in rich ethnographic data. Kapukam gives an account about the first contact, which coresponds to the Patrol reports, but presents Meakambut views age estimated At the time of research Kapukam was the oldest man in the group. He can understand and speak a little bit of Anday and Enga, but is not fluent in either. His Tok Pisin is basic, but can communicate in it. He also knows a bit of Awiakay. Darja's mother tongue is Slovene, her working languages are Tok Pisin and English. She is fluent in Tok Pisin and Awiakay, but has only basic knowledge of Meakambut. She's the researcher and filmmaker.