Motuan
Encyclopedia
The Motuans are native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea
, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu
, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesia
n immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesia
ns of the area. They are the original inhabitants and owners of the land on which Port Morseby - the national capital city of Papua New Guinea - stands. The biggest village of all Motuan villages is Hanuabada which is also the biggest village in Papua New Guinea
. Hanuabada is north west of Port Moresby
, Port Moresby
is built on Hanuabadan land.
Friedrich Ratzel
in The History of Mankind reported in 1896 on tattooing in Melanesia that among the light-skinned Motus he found tattooing in patterns similar to those of Micronesia
. He also reported, among the old women, blacking the body with a kind of earth which gives a lustre like black lead. This was said to be a sign of mourning.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, living along the southern coastal area of the country. Their indigenous language is known as Motu
Motu language
Motu is one of many Central Papuan Tip languages, and is spoken by the Motuans, native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea...
, and they are believed to be the descendants of Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n immigrants who intermarried with the native Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
ns of the area. They are the original inhabitants and owners of the land on which Port Morseby - the national capital city of Papua New Guinea - stands. The biggest village of all Motuan villages is Hanuabada which is also the biggest village in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. Hanuabada is north west of Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
is built on Hanuabadan land.
Friedrich Ratzel
Friedrich Ratzel
Friedrich Ratzel was a German geographer and ethnographer, notable for first using the term Lebensraum in the sense that the National Socialists later would.-Life:...
in The History of Mankind reported in 1896 on tattooing in Melanesia that among the light-skinned Motus he found tattooing in patterns similar to those of Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
. He also reported, among the old women, blacking the body with a kind of earth which gives a lustre like black lead. This was said to be a sign of mourning.