Indigenous peoples of New Guinea

The diverse peoples native to New Guinea and nearby islands, including Papuan-speaking groups and Austronesian-speaking communities, with distinct languages, histories, and cultures.

Papuan languages: A geographically defined grouping of non-Austronesian languages, not a single language family. Most of New Guinea’s indigenous languages belong to this diverse, internally unrelated grouping.
Human migration to Sahul: The prehistoric movement of humans into the ancient continent of Australia and New Guinea. It places New Guinea’s earliest ancestors within the first settlement of Sahul.
Dani people: An Indigenous people of the Baliem Valley and surrounding highlands in Indonesian Papua. Dani communities illustrate the distinct societies of the central highlands.
Customary land tenure in Papua New Guinea: Landholding systems in Papua New Guinea grounded in customary relationships and community authority. Customary tenure underpins many communities’ claims to land and resource decisions.
Papua New Guinea bilum: A handwoven string bag used across Papua New Guinea for carrying goods and expressing local identity. Bilum weaving links everyday work, exchange, and community identity.
Austronesian languages: A major language family spread across island Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and parts of Madagascar. Austronesian-speaking communities are especially prominent along New Guinea’s coasts and islands.
Sahul: The Pleistocene landmass joining Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania when sea levels were lower. New Guinea’s early settlement took place within this connected continental landscape.
Asmat people: An Indigenous people of southwestern New Guinea, known for communities along rivers and coastal wetlands. Asmat histories and artistic traditions represent the island’s lowland diversity.
Indigenous land rights in Indonesia: Legal and political claims by Indigenous communities in Indonesia to customary territories and resources. These claims affect Indigenous communities in the western part of New Guinea.
Asmat art: Sculpture and other visual traditions created by Asmat communities of southwestern New Guinea. Asmat works show how artistic practice carries social and ancestral meanings.

Linked from 2 pages