Who Are the Chimbu?
The Chimbu (also Simbu or Kuman) are a highlands people of Papua New Guinea inhabiting Chimbu Province in the central highlands. Numbering approximately 300,000-350,000, they are one of PNG's largest ethnic groups. They speak Kuman and related languages of the Chimbu family within the Trans-New Guinea phylum. The Chimbu are famous for their spectacular body decoration—particularly the "skeleton men" (asaro mudmen) and elaborate bilas (decoration) for sing-sings (festivals). First contacted by Australians in the 1930s, the Chimbu rapidly engaged with the colonial and post-colonial world while maintaining vibrant ceremonial traditions.
Sing-Sing Culture
Chimbu ceremonial culture features some of PNG's most spectacular body decoration. For sing-sings (ceremonial gatherings), participants spend hours applying paint, feathers, shells, and leaves to transform themselves into dazzling beings. Bird of paradise plumes, pig tusks, kina shells, and elaborate wigs create stunning visual effects. The famous "skeleton dancers" paint their bodies to resemble skeletons, invoking ancestral spirits. These ceremonies mark events including pig kills, initiations, and intergroup exchanges. While missionaries discouraged some practices, sing-sing culture has been revitalized for cultural festivals and tourism. The Goroka Show and Mount Hagen Cultural Show draw thousands of decorated Chimbu and other highlands performers annually.
Pig Economy
Pigs are central to Chimbu economy and society. Pig husbandry is primarily women's work; a woman's status derives partly from her pig-raising success. Pigs are wealth, exchanged in marriages, compensations, and ceremonial distributions. Major pig kills (bugla gende) are community events where hundreds of pigs may be slaughtered, distributed, and consumed—demonstrating generosity and building social obligations. The pig cycle structures much of Chimbu economic and ceremonial life. Coffee cultivation, introduced in the colonial era, has become an important cash crop, but pigs remain the premier form of traditional wealth. The interplay between cash economy and pig economy creates complex contemporary dynamics.
Contemporary Chimbu
Modern Chimbu navigate between tradition and change. Many have migrated to Port Moresby and other urban centers, creating significant diaspora communities. Chimbu Province remains one of PNG's most densely populated and economically challenged regions. Land pressure, limited economic opportunities, and tribal conflicts create ongoing difficulties. Education has expanded; Chimbu professionals work throughout PNG. Christianity (Catholic and Lutheran primarily) is widespread but incorporates traditional elements. Ceremonial culture continues, adapted for cultural festivals and tourism. The Chimbu face challenges common to PNG highlands peoples—maintaining cultural vitality while addressing poverty, health challenges, and governance issues in a rapidly changing nation.
References
- Brown, P. (1972). The Chimbu: A Study of Change in the New Guinea Highlands
- Brookfield, H. C. & Brown, P. (1963). Struggle for Land
- Warry, W. (1987). Chuave Politics: Changing Patterns of Leadership in the PNG Highlands