The Kilimeri Census Division

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Report by Christin Kocher Schmid

Vanimo, March 18th, 1996

Kilimeri Census Division in Sandaun Province lies south of Vanimo, the province's capital. It comprises 16 villages, i.e. settlement units with a total of 2'411 inhabitants (1990 census). Of these settlement units, 15 share a common language belonging to the Bewani Language Family (Border Stock, Trans- New Guinea Phylum), one is a linguistic isolate belonging to the Sko Phylum-Level Stock. Actually, the name of the language as well as of the area should be Imeri, however, it has been mistaken by outsiders as Kilimeri, meaning in pidgin "kill the woman" or "women killers" and is thus now the officially used designation.

The area is accessed by the Vanimo-Bewani Road, which traverses it from north to south as well as by a strip for light aicraft near Ossima (Catholic) Mission at the eastern edge of the area.

Some of the villages and hamlets are situated on the breezy tops of the coastal range (Oenanke Range) at altitudes around 300 m ASL, others cluster around the Pual River (formerly Nemayer or Neumayer River) and its tributaries at lower altitudes (80 to 150 m ASL)

The traditional political authority is in the hands of the auwe (a designation also meaning elder brother), the leaders of the patriclans, which are also the landholding units. The term patriclan is here used as the members of such a social group claim common descent from a mythical ancestor and patrilinear descent is the rule. The modern administration has installed village councillors, who are often identical with the traditional leaders. Normally a village comprises several patriclans, which are restricted to this village, one clan however, has members in five different villages. The patriclans being exogamous, the major binding links between them are marriage transactions. Each such transaction binds three clans together: not only the wife-giving and wife-taking clans but also the clan of the bride's mother, as the brideprice is handed over to the bride's mother's brother, who in turn will use it to pay brideprice for his sons' wives. Other major money transactions between clans include death payments, in pidgin referred to as "baim het bilong man" (pay the dead person's head)

The staple is the starch of the sagopalm (Metroxylon sagu ) , it is complemented by banana and root crops as well as by a range of tree crops, of which the most prominent are "tulip"-trees (Gnetum gnemon ) and coconut palms (Cocos nucifera ). Characteristically the sagostands are found in the swampy river- and creek basins, the "tulip"-groves are situated further up on the hillsiides, and the coconut palms are planted on the hilltops within or close to the settlements . Pig husbandry is not as prominent as in other parts of New Guinea, the hunt on wild pigs, birds and marsupials as well as fishing being a much more important source of animal protein. (The outlined subsistance activities are subsumed under agricultural system 1507 by Bourke et al 1993.)

The daily meal consists of sagopudding wrapped into banana leaves for individual portions and is accompanied by vegetables, and if available some meat, cooked in coconut cream.

Cash income is scarce in the area, there is a little cash-cropping of cocoa, some men grow bananas, pineapple and root crops or rear pig and chicken for sale to DPI (Department of Primary Industries), and the women travel either to Vanimo or Bewani to sell surplus foods on the markets.

The Kilimeri area lies within the Vanimo Timber Purchase Area, which was defined as early as the mid sixties. The land of several of the villages has been logged, another part is now being logged and others are due for logging in the next years. The royalties from selling the timber rights are considered a major source of income by the villagers, although those having already been paid have spent the money within less than a year (mainly on cloth, food and beer). Only a few men have succeeded in reinvesting their share into smallscale business (e.g. tradestores). Dissatisfaction with the logging company is high, as the royalties paid are considered much to low.

This short account is based on a brief field survey by Christin Kocher Schmid between March 3rd and 17th 1996 and the following references:

Bourke, R.M., B.J. Allen, R.L. Hide et al. 1993
Agricultural Systems of Papua New Guinea. Working Paper 3. West Sepik Province. ANU, DAL, UPNG. Canberra.

National Population Census 1990
Final Figures, Census UnitPopulations. West Sepik Province. National Statistical Office. Port Moresby

Simet, Jacob and Joseph Ketan 1992
Trans-Pual Study. Vanimo local group structures and territorial claims, for Hassall and Associates Pty Ltd (Australia). An NRI Report. Boroko.

Wurm, S.A. and S. Hattori 1981
Language Atlas of Papua New Guinea. Canberra.

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