To Change or Not to Change

As Smithsoinian magazine reporter Paul Raffaele takes us on one of his many journey, he shows us the ways and lifestyle of the Korowai people in his 2006 article Sleeping with Cannibals and how it may or may not differentiate with past perceptions of the culture. 

Changes:

The perception of the groups image of being one of if not the last group of humans to practice cannibalism has come under scope and research once again. After visiting the tribe Raffaele went on to note that, "Cannibalism was practiced among prehistoric human beings, and it lingered into the 19th century in some isolated South Pacific cultures, notably in Fiji. But today the Korowai are among the very few tribes believed to eat human flesh." (Still under questioning...)

...about those outsiders

It was most noted that the culture was at once most outraged by outsiders coming into their land and their territories. Mostly because most of their people never knew anything outside of their rain forest world. Which is understandable because if a purple two legged man standing at 6'4'' with my body structure and not a lick of English came rolling through I'd be throwing him a nice hell-marry! 

Raffaele states, "Some clans are said to fear those of us with pale skin, and Kembaren says many Korowai have never laid eyes on a white person. They call outsiders laleo ("ghost-demons")." Though he shows a caption picture showing some of the tribe's men's change of mind.

- "I see you're just like us," Lepeadon (right) told the author after receiving him in the Letin clan treehouse.

Not so Changed....

Their mechanism of defense is not as advanced as their ancestors although they still got a good system. I guess they figure If it's not broke don't fix it! The author reveals that, "a dozen Korowai men hoist our packs and supplies and trudge toward the jungle in single file bound for the river. Most carry bows and arrows."

As well as their standards of living, he notes that they still live in houses that are built to sustain the lives of 5-12 and even sometimes 18 persons! Most notably A husband, his wife or wives and unmarried daughters and young children.

Raffaele, Paul. "Sleeping with Cannibals." Smithsonian Magazine. N.p., Sept. 2006. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/cannibals.html>.