Marind people


Marind or Marind-Anim are people living in South New Guinea.

Geography

The Marind- anim live in Papua province of Indonesia.
They occupy a vast territory, which is situated on either side of the Bian, from about 20 miles to the east of Merauke up the mouth of the Moeli in the west.

Topography

The territory of the Marind tribe consist of a low-lying, deposited coastal area. This area is for the most part flooded in the wet season. The hinterland, which is situated somewhat higher is intersected by a great number of rivers.
Originally, either sago or coconut palm trees were planted, though stretches of bamboo could also be found.

Culture

Traditionally the social structure of the Marind was characterised by a clan system. Marind-tribe was divided into moitiesm, each consisting of patrilineal clans. These clans are subdivided into subclans.
The people lived spread in several extended families. Such an extended family derives its origin from a mythological ancestor. Ancestor veneration has a characteristic form here: these mythological ancestors are demon-like figures, they feature in myths, and act as culture heroes, arranging the ancient world to its recent state, introducing plants, animals, cultural goods. They have often the form of plants or animals; there is a kind of totemism, but it is not accompanied by a regular food taboo of the respective animal or plant. Totems can appear both in artefacts and myths.
The word for such an ancestral spirit being is dema in the Marind languages. The material similarity of this word to “demon” is incidental. Each extended family keeps and transfers the tradition, it is especially the chore of the big men of the respective family. The influence of these big men does not go beyond their extended family.
In the past, the Marind were famed because of headhunting. This was rooted in their belief system and linked to the name-giving of the newborn. The skull was believed to contain a mana-like force.
From the 1870s to around 1910, the Boigu, Dauan and Saibai people, along with the neighbouring Papuan peoples, were being harassed by thugeral "warriors" from the Marind-anim. In literature dealing with the period, these people are generally termed 'Tuger' or 'Tugeri'.
The Marind-anim are also notable for their sexual culture. Ritual intercourse with women would take place on the day of a girl's wedding, when after the ceremony she would have sex with her new partner's male kin before having sex with her husband. This ritualistic intercourse would take place during other times as well, such as after the woman has given birth.
Marind culture was researched by several ethnologists and missionaries. For example, the Swiss Paul Wirz, the German Hans Nevermann, and the Dutch cultural anthropologist Jan van Baal, who was the Governor of Netherlands New Guinea from 1953 until 1958.
The Marind languages form a small family of the Trans–New Guinea language phylum.

Citations

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