the Highlands of Papua New Guinea a
place so remote that the people who live
here are among the most isolated on
earth one of the native tribes the
Matassa practices an ageless ritual so
secret that it has never before been
witnessed by some members of the tribe
much less filmed tomorrow will be the
day of poon a fellows initiation the
stakes are high a boy may not marry or
take on the privileges of adulthood
until he has completed the right poon
A’s father supports his son’s decision
those who become too scared to
participate eventually find out that
they are less attractive to women and
they don’t have the same energy as
others in making Gardens building houses
or walking long distances they live a
miserable life as bachelors until the
time of their death I am born here to be
a man to protect my family tribe and my
people the most important thing is to go
through the initiation to realize my
role as a man in my community for
thousands of years that role was often
brutal traditionally Highland people
lived in a near constant state of tribal
warfare and could be expected to take
part in raids kidnappings murders and
cannibalism at some point in their adult
lives
they’re painful initiation ritual was
considered essential to transform timid
boys into brave men it is the morning of
the Matassa initiation ceremony along a
sacred creek the elders prepare for the
painful blood Rite just downstream
novices wash and wait it is their
traditional belief that to become men
they must expel the contaminating
influences of women you don’t take it
when our mothers give birth to us some
of their blood remains in us which is
considered unclean
when we do the ritual it helps get rid
of the rubbish that is stored in our
system and purifies us this is the whole
purpose of the exercise the initiate are
brought forward and see for the first
time the ordeal they face elders shove
several feet of pit pit cane down the
backs of their throats then pull it out
so they retch again and again
then it’s the novices turn pune empties
his stomach into the stream next to get
rid of contaminants they may have
breathed the men Rams sharp Reed’s deep
into each other’s nostrils
blood and mucus pour freely to complete
their passage into manhood hue and the
others must expose themselves to one
more bloodletting this time they will
cleanse another part of the body that
was exposed to female polluted food
their tongue the razor-sharp arrow
slices tender flesh again and again poon
a steals himself for his final challenge
they said to his pain is great my inside
to the outside
finally the stream washes away the last
of their blood and their trials come to
an end they return to the campsite and
their community as men
place so remote that the people who live
here are among the most isolated on
earth one of the native tribes the
Matassa practices an ageless ritual so
secret that it has never before been
witnessed by some members of the tribe
much less filmed tomorrow will be the
day of poon a fellows initiation the
stakes are high a boy may not marry or
take on the privileges of adulthood
until he has completed the right poon
A’s father supports his son’s decision
those who become too scared to
participate eventually find out that
they are less attractive to women and
they don’t have the same energy as
others in making Gardens building houses
or walking long distances they live a
miserable life as bachelors until the
time of their death I am born here to be
a man to protect my family tribe and my
people the most important thing is to go
through the initiation to realize my
role as a man in my community for
thousands of years that role was often
brutal traditionally Highland people
lived in a near constant state of tribal
warfare and could be expected to take
part in raids kidnappings murders and
cannibalism at some point in their adult
lives
they’re painful initiation ritual was
considered essential to transform timid
boys into brave men it is the morning of
the Matassa initiation ceremony along a
sacred creek the elders prepare for the
painful blood Rite just downstream
novices wash and wait it is their
traditional belief that to become men
they must expel the contaminating
influences of women you don’t take it
when our mothers give birth to us some
of their blood remains in us which is
considered unclean
when we do the ritual it helps get rid
of the rubbish that is stored in our
system and purifies us this is the whole
purpose of the exercise the initiate are
brought forward and see for the first
time the ordeal they face elders shove
several feet of pit pit cane down the
backs of their throats then pull it out
so they retch again and again
then it’s the novices turn pune empties
his stomach into the stream next to get
rid of contaminants they may have
breathed the men Rams sharp Reed’s deep
into each other’s nostrils
blood and mucus pour freely to complete
their passage into manhood hue and the
others must expose themselves to one
more bloodletting this time they will
cleanse another part of the body that
was exposed to female polluted food
their tongue the razor-sharp arrow
slices tender flesh again and again poon
a steals himself for his final challenge
they said to his pain is great my inside
to the outside
finally the stream washes away the last
of their blood and their trials come to
an end they return to the campsite and
their community as men
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