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Journeys in Our Disappearing World
by Gary Mancuso
The Last Places on Earth
West Papua Late Fall 2008
Photo gallery of my travels in the Baliem Valley of West Papua. All of the indigenous people shown are from the Dani tribes. The older men are famous for wearing the very unique penis gourd adornment. Formerly called Irian Jaya, the entire area of West Papau was mostly off-limits to foreigners due to the long running insurgency against the Indonesian government by the people of West Papua. This situation has only changed in the last decade. A large majority of the inhabitants of West Papua still yearn for autonomy or independence though.
With Chief and Mummy-XL
21 Local Radio Station set up by missionaries. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
23 Rapids of Baliem River. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
18 Approaching another Dani village while on trek. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
13 Man working in field. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
16 Local market outside of the main Baliem Valley town of Wamena. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
9 Outside of hut in Dani Tribal village. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
11 Gate to the village huts in Dani Tribal village. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
7 Inside hut where some Dani tribe men live. Women live separately. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
5 Villagers gather together. Baliem Valley, West Papua-XL
3 Some village tribesmen with mummy. Men adorned with feathers and traditional Dani Tribal Penis Gou
6 As in highlands of Papua New Guinea next door, pigs are the major form of wealth for the Dani Trib
1 Village Elder with Mummy of poweful chief of DaniTribe from about 250 years ago. Baliem Valley, We
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