By Francesca Lungarotti
The Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea is one of the world’s most culturally diverse destinations. The island is home to hundreds of indigenous tribes, each with its own language, beliefs, traditions, and customs. UIG is privileged to work with several contributors whose wonderful images provide a snapshot of some of the extraordinary tribes in Papua New Guinea – the Land of a Thousand Cultures.
Papua New Guinea is home to more than 900 different tribes. Approximately one-third of them are located in West Papua with the remainder in the more eastern sections of Papua New Guinea. Dozens of these tribes share similar customs, languages, and histories, while other tribes have their own, unique languages and customs.
Papua New Guinea is one of the most diverse countries in the world. This diversity is further accentuated by the fact that the tribes are divided into several thousand separate communities, most of which consist of a few hundred people each. While many of the tribes have long had contact with the outside world, many of them live in obscurity and isolation. The Huli, Bugami and Asaro are three of the most well-know tribes of Papua New Guinea.
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Huli Wigmen of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Huli Wigmen of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region
The Huli tribe is one of the largest tribes in Papua. They paint their faces yellow, red, and white. They are famous for their tradition of making wigs from their own hair. Huli men are known for their elaborate headdresses, costumes, and body paints that mimic the appearance of local animals and forest spirits.
The Bugamo tribe, also known as Skeleton Men (Omo Bugamo), is an indigenous people of the Simbu (Chimbu) province of Papua New Guinea, and are famous for their distinctive body paint depicting a skeleton. This custom, which uses black and white clay to simulate a human skeleton, originates from local legends that tell of how ancestors painted themselves to scare away spirits. The paintings are displayed during cultural events such as “sing-sing” festivals, where the Skeleton Men dance, sing, and tell ancestral stories.
The Skeleton Men from the Omo Bugamo tribe of Papua New Guinea paint their bodies with black and white paint emulating the human skeleton, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea 
The Skeleton Men from the Omo Bugamo tribe of Papua New Guinea paint their bodies with black and white paint emulating the human skeleton, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea 
The Skeleton Men from the Omo Bugamo tribe of Papua New Guinea paint their bodies with black and white paint emulating the human skeleton, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea 
The Skeleton Men from the Omo Bugamo tribe of Papua New Guinea paint their bodies with black and white paint emulating the human skeleton, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea 
The Skeleton Men from the Omo Bugamo tribe of Papua New Guinea paint their bodies with black and white paint emulating the human skeleton, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea 
The Skeleton Men from the Omo Bugamo tribe of Papua New Guinea paint their bodies with black and white paint emulating the human skeleton, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea 
The Skeleton Men from the Omo Bugamo tribe of Papua New Guinea paint their bodies with black and white paint emulating the human skeleton, Chimbu Province, Papua New Guinea 
The Huli Wigmen of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Huli Wigmen of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Huli Wigmen of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region 
The Moroma Tribe of Papua New Guinea, Highlands Region
The Asaro Tribe or Mud Men smear their bodies with mud to frighten their enemies and avoid open conflict. Legend has it that, after being attacked by a much more powerful tribe, they took refuge in the Asaro River, where they ended up covered in white and gray mud. The attackers caught up with them, but when they encountered strange, ghostly figures, they fled in panic. Since then, the Asaro have covered their bodies in mud, earning a reputation as fierce warriors, despite their friendly nature.
Image credits for all images in this post: Maria Cristina di Palma/VWPics/Universal Images Group
The images featured in this post and all across the Kaleidoscope site are available for licensing. Please contact us at info@universalimagesgroup.com
Sources:
Man vs Clock https://manvsclock.com/the-tribespeople-of-papua-new-guinea/
GreenMe; “Asaro Mudmen” by Laura De Rosa June 13, 2023 https://www.greenme.it/lifestyle/costume-e-societa/asaro-mud-men-uomini-fango-papua-nuova-guinea/