NATIVE CHARLATAN

Evening Star, Issue 22365, 15 June 1936, Page 5

NATIVE CHARLATAN

WITCH-DODTOR PRACTICES VILLAGES PAY TRIBUTE A remarkable story dealing with native “ religious ” outbreaks in New Guinea is told in the annual report of the Administrator of the Territory (Brigadier-general W. M'Nicoll), which was presented to the Australian House of Representatives recently. According to the investigating officer, a native named Maraii, of Bunki village, spread a report among the natives of his own and neighbouring villages that the devil had visited him and given him supernatural powers. Satan, he said, took him into the bowels of the earth, where all the dead people were living. The dead people told Marafi that they wished to return to live in the villages once more, but Satan would not allow them to do so until Marafi had induced the villagers to believe that Satan was the supreme saint. Thus they were to be prepared for the return of the dead. He was told to test their belief by demanding presents, and to warn them that all who refused to give would die when the dead people returned. The investigating officer pointed out that, so as to further impress the natives, Marafi held services on very dark nights. He assembled numbers of natives near the large houses which had been constructed, and told them that he was about to visit Satan. After warning them that if they attempted to spy on him Satan would spear them through the stomach with his finger, which was very long and like a pig spear, Marafi disappeared in the bush. He then went to the rear of the house, climbed on the roof, and shouted that he was flying overhead in the shape of a bird. Marafi convinced the natives that he was really in league with Satan, and he succeeded in collecting tribute in many of the villages. As a result of these activities, many females, mostly children, were sent away to safer places. Food gardens were neglected, native labour deserter* were encouraged to remain in their villages, tracks were allowed to fall into 'disorder, and the influence of the Government suffered considerably. On the visit of the district official, all the young women returned to their respective villages, many of them showing physical signs of the anxiety they had suffered. The various offenders were dealt with in tire courts according to their responsibility and the amount of damage they had done.