We live in complicated time, where we are bombarded by a lot of contradicting ideologies about the same issue maybe. For Papua New Guinea in particular sexuality is a taboo in a sense that it can not be openly discussed. Papua New Guineans, we are very conservative when it comes to sexuality. Because, we believe that it is against our custom or our indigenous rule of law. What I will be writing about and present is my own understanding of sexuality in the olden days.
Now the question to pose here is, Is it true to say that to talk about a person's sexuality is against the cultural law in Melanesia?
I for one do not believe in that because if my people have myths and legends centered around sexuality of beings then it is contradicting to the beliefs we claim to be taboo. These myths and legends were handed down from generation to generation and are still encouraged to be passed on. Take for instance one of the belief Trobriand Islanders of Milne Bay province of Papua New Guinea "spirit invade the body through the head of a sexually mature woman (Where do babies come from, 1982) and in Nasioi of Bougainville there is
a myth about a cutting of the female' s stomach to remove the baby because it cannot be allowed to come out through the vagina. The vagina is seen as the holy place for the men alone and not the baby.
Now if you look carefully into the philosophy of sexuality in the traditional communities of Melanesia.The subject of sexuality was openly discussed, because if it was a taboo indeed like what we claim today it will never be passed on orally.
If that is the case wasn't sexuality an integral part of the lives of our ancestors?
I believe that if it was a taboo it could have never be preserved in a form of stories told today. The reality of sexuality could have been left for the people to discover for themselves.Myths and legends were there as indicators for the people to get the clue about how to go about sexuality.
Today, we as Melanesians do not openly discuss sexuality in the families, homes and communities.So, what are we experiencing now?
We are experiencing a lot of marriage break-up, abortion, pre-marital sex, unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. This depicts that there is a high level of sexual illiteracy compared to the pre-colonial era in Papua New Guinea.
Many of us say that the pre-colonial era was a primitive era for Melanesians. To my understanding, it was not the case. That era had the robust management in place. Every body live the rule of law and sexuality was an area of importance in all aspect.
I believe that the taboo extreme of human sexuality came into the minds of the people came in with coming of the missionaries in the Melanesia. Because the teachings of the church stated that premarital sex is morality wrong. This I believe is where the misconception we have today emerged.Because pre-historic cave paintings indicates that more than thirty thousand years ago sexuality was the important part of the culture (Greenberg, Oxford University).
Many parents are very secretive nowadays because they think that sex education encourages sexual experimentation (Mullen 1998)that mentality should done away with because how can you as a parent educate your child about the pros and the cons of sexuality? You never know that if you are to teach your child about the disadvantage of sexuality you may help the child to control his or her sexual drive because that child will remind oneself about disastrous it may turn out from the insights given by you.
Educate your child to face the reality!!!!!!!
Progress or regress
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