Cultural protection: a big win for the honest citizens

PHIL FITZPATRICK

ON 6 NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, Julius Violaris, the owner of Nawae Constructions and President of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby, gave a speech.

“It is a sad fact that the Museum has been on a downhill slide for the last decade or more,” he said. “The people that were running it did not care about it and its functions. They were more interested in what they could get out of it, steal the money and some of the artifacts and sell them.

“They have no shame, no compassion for the customs and traditions of this country and its future generations. For a few kina, they allow the export of national treasures, irreplaceable artifacts that will never be made again”.

The minister responsible for the museum, Charles Abel, had earlier joined with Julius and the other board members to try to remedy this appalling situation.

It was a hard road. “At every step of the way, we have been blocked by the crooks and thieves both inside and outside the Museum,” Julius explained. “They use the legal system to tie the hands of honest people and they have succeeded in stopping us from appointing a decent director, to manage the NMAG”. 

“We as trustees have been threatened with arrest, jail and all sorts of things, and this from very senior policemen,” he added.

It all looked pretty bleak but the board never gave up. “We will prevail. We have taken on the task and we aim to complete it” Julius said last November.

And last week the Board achieved its aim and appointed a “good and honest man” as the new director.

Dr Andrew Moutu is from a village located on the mountains along the west coast of Wewak and received his education at the University of Papua New Guinea and completed his Masters and PhD Degrees in Social Anthropology at Cambridge University.

For his doctorate, Andrew carried out field research in Kanganamun village on the Sepik River during which time he was also inducted into the men's initiation ritual.

PNG Attitude and its readers followed the drama at the museum last year with a mixture of incredulity, anger and disappointment. 

However some stories have a happy ending.

Comments

[Julius Violaris]

Thanks for the supportive article Phil and all the support from PNG Attitude in the past.

Although my name gets mentioned often, I am only one of the Board of Trustees and as the President, a lot more "visible" than the other Trustees.

We have all been very focused and supportive of each other during the last 3-and-a-half years it took us to get Dr Andrew Moutu installed as the Director of the NMAG. Charles Abel, when he was the minister, specifically chose us and tasked us with "sorting" the NMAG out.

Getting Dr Andrew installed is really only the first step. While we enjoyed full support from Charles, it was another two ministers later, after Charles was stripped of the Ministry, and Hon Boka Kondra came along, that the good doctor got appointed.

Boka Kondra is a man of the people and his actions are to support Papua New Guinea and not necessarily the Trustees or the director wanabees. The fact that the Trustees and the Minister have convergent views is a win for the country.

Trustees come and go, Ministers come and go and Directors will hopefully stay long enough to make a difference. The other Trustees - Andrew Abel, Nora Vagi-Brash, Peter Loko, Dr Michael Mel, and up until recently Maria Kopkop hope that we can sort issues at the Museum to make it a viable and effective scientific institution for the current and coming generations, well into the future.

So, to correct your small mistake, this story has not had a happy ending - it is a happy beginning!

Thanks again for all your support.

[David Wall]

John, yes, you are right -- my confusion!

[John Pasquarelli]

The Haus Tambaran at Angoram not to be confused with the GREAT Haus Tambaran at Kanganaman - I was there when the Angoram one was built as a tourist attraction - alas it's construction was not up to scratch and it soon developed an ominous list!

[David Wall]

John, where is the Haus Tambaran in Angoram today? Alas, no more! For those who would like to be reminded of it, see the film La Vallee. You will also see a famous past Angoram identity, Bob Mackie. For a quick look-see go to this link: http://deberigny.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/masta-bob-lives-on-in-la-vallee-1972/

[John Pasquarelli]

It should not be forgotten that it was John Pasquarelli MHA (Angoram Open 1964-1968) who had the Haus Tambaran declared National Cultural Property.
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We're delighted to add that historical footnote - KJ