CULTURE IN CRISIS

SYNOPSIS

The history of Bougainville is a bloody one. For nearly a decade the island was the site of an ugly conflict over who had the rights to the profits from the island’s lucrative copper deposits: the locals, or the Papua-New Guinean government and Australian business interests.

During this latest war, many Bougainvilleans went bush. They returned to their traditional methods of food production, magic and healing, and revitalised skills that were at risk of being lost in the rapid modernisation of the country.

The island is currently in a process of reconciliation, and Bougainvilleans are rebuilding their lives and communities.