Enga Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Enga Culture - Research Paper Example The Enga community connotes as one of the diverse communities, which follows the arrangement of its belief, kinship, gender and values. In spite of influence from the western society, the primary mode of subsistence has remained remarkable and unchanged. The science of plant cultivation remains the paramount subsistence activity whereby they prepare the soil for tubers, seeds and propagated plants. The community dominates Enga province located in the highlands of New Guinea (Trompf, 2006). Like people living around, they have unique body paintings formulated from oil pants, mud, clay and animal oil. They dance and sing, as well as face paint in cultural festivals and social traditions. Contrary to other cultures, the Enga community has woman managing community resources including exchange items and livestock. Consequently, there is Enga’s belief on putative, agnatic ancestry with a shadowy past related to their clansmen. The main sedentary horticultural crops include sweet potatoes and pig raisers since they use pigs as their most significant aspect in exchange system. Over the years, the Enga community has been considered an indigenous as well as a diverse society, which gives emphasis on values, beliefs, kinship and gender relationship. The adaptations present in the land enable the Enga people live in their environment peacefully with a population of between 6000 to 9000 people. The impact of agricultural subsistence on the Enga community has been diverse as, starting from their ancestors up to present generations, they believe the working at land is the best treatment (Bonnemere, 2004). As a primary means of subsistence, men perform most heavy work including clearing, ditching, fencing, deep tilting and general farming. Women, on the other hand, remain with other family chores including maintaining the lands, ensuring round planting, harvesting the food and products, not forgetting processing of coffee after harvesting. The primary mode of subsistence for the Enga community has, therefore, transformed the community defining roles for all the community members. This is imperative as the current world encourages specialization and division of labor. Horticulture, which is the main mode of primary subsistence for the Enga people, has promoted varying societal and environmental changes. This is due to the ever-changing and dynamic world which imposes limitations upon all resources. For instance, the community has developed mechanisms of controlling population as well as means of reducing various risks (Rosman, Rubel & Weisgrau 2009). Horticulture remains the main subsistence of the Enga culture; however, due caution, the community realized it could not work under perceived risks such as potato diseases. The community developed various ways such as traditional methods of preservation to help in furthering stability of horticulture. This allows the Enga people to live within the environment full of constraints. Consequently, they are able to regulate performance of societal rituals, as well as share resources