THE DAWN HAS FINALLY COME TO THE TORRICELLI MOUNTAIN RANGES

Torricelli Mountain Range as a legislated Protected Area- and the Torricelli Mountain Range Communities Inherent and Intrinsic Connection to the Land

This article analyses the Tenkile Conservation Authority’s 2016 Annual Report objectives accessed from www.tenkile.com. The two main objectives analysed are:

1.       Objective 3 “Establish the Torricelli Mountain Range as a legislated Protected Area to ensure the protection of all biodiversity and culture.”

2.       Research & Benefits- Research has been conducted in the name of the protection of Tenkile (Scots Tree Kangaroo) by researchers and experts from overseas in association with the TCA in the Conservation areas.

The Tenkile Conservation Authority (TCA) in its Annual Report 2016 stipulates in the Objective 3 to “Establish the Torricelli Mountain Range as a legislated Protected Area to ensure the protection of all biodiversity and culture.”

While this is a good direction towards conserving the flora and fauna, other questions have to be properly answered. Questions such as whether ‘all’ (where the Tenkile/Rengile [Tree Kangaroo] and other endangered species are found) Torricelli Mountain Range communities’ ‘informed consent’ is taken. On this note, in the Melanesian culture, ‘informed consent’ in this light does not merely refer to an individual making a decision which is the concept in the Western world. Rather, it is a communal thing as the ownership to the land is a clan thing, thus, a communal consensus has to be reached.

 

The second question is whether the Torricelli community is prepared to accept the change and development. In regards to the later, development does not merely relates to the changes that happens in the communities rather it is holistic in nature. It also applies to the people themselves whether they have been prepared to undergo change and embrace the change. On this note, the activities and the moratorium agreement is now affecting the normal livelihood of the people and this has to be supplemented. In the meantime, TCA has provided basic services such as water tanks and has supplemented the people’s protein diet by introducing farming of Rabbits, Fish, Chicken and so forth, although the success is  minimal. On that note, the idea on Conservation is very good; moreover the conservation has to be sustainable in terms of providing alternative ways of income to the people and showing them how to survive without hunting and doing activities that disturbs the habitat of the endangered species.  

The majority of the people in the Torricelli meanwhile are illiterate and have no other ways of making ends meet without their land. Besides, in the Torricelli context and in Melanesia, the Land is the people’s heritage, it is their life. Thus, in this light, to take away the life of the people (their land) and impose conservation is simply destructing to the intrinsic value of the people who very much have a strong connection to their land. Henceforth, the TCA regardless of whatever form of business it engages in for that matter must be able to communicate this effectively to the people. In addition, no companies, no amount of money, whatsoever, is able to compensate the value of land and what it means to the Torricelli people. To the people, land is simply the extension of their life, it is their life. Furthermore the Conservation, its partners and the government must be prepared to provide alternative means for the people to continually sustain their living once the land is gone and some of their traditional and cultural rights that are inherent are taken away from them once Torricelli Range becomes a fully protected area.

Research and Benefits

The Tenkile Conservation Authority for some time now has collaborated with overseas researchers or permit overseas student researchers to do research within the Torricelli Mountain villages according to their Annual reports. On this note, whether ethical clearance has been given by the National Research Institute or the Environment and Conservation institutions within the country is not known. Moreover, it is evident from the TCA publications that research has been going on in the Torricelli Mountain range. This now pose a concern that has to been questioned from all possible angles in the context of research itself.

First of all, research is very important because it establish facts and new conclusions to make the world a better place to live. However, there are also darker sides to research as far as the history of this country is concerned. In this regard, history has demonstrated that key governmental research institutions within the country lack facilities, capital and logistics to effectively protect the interest of the people. A typical example of the darker side of research that gained world-wide attention in 1995 was the Jenkins saga (Taubes, 1995).

Thus research also has a darker side even in this modern world if code of conduct is not adhered to. Within this perspective, research in Melanesia is characterised by giving and getting. According to (Trompf, 1991, p.64) “Melanesian social life is a constant give and take”. Therefore, the researcher and research institutions must take into account the ‘giving and the getting’ and this should be experienced in tangible terms not merely by research participants but the communities as a whole because land is a communal asset. The Belmont Report specifically enjoins researchers to have regard for the beneficence of participants (National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioural Research, 1979; National Health and Medical Research Council, 1997, 1999; Sieber, 1992). In the context of the Belmont Report, while this is true for the biomedical research on human participants, it is also very true in the Melanesian context where land is life and giving of land for something is the giving of life as it is intrinsic in nature and comes with serious consequences if not managed properly.

In addition according to Togolo (2002, p.214), “one distinct difference between Western and Melanesian understanding is summarised by the holistic epistemology of the Melanesian, such that single causes are unlikely and effects are caused by the conjunction of disharmony or harmony between communities, people, and natural elements of the world.” Thus in this notion, research should not be conducted just to be conducted without any obligations to the participants and their rights to the land, the animals and the environment.

Further Thoughts

In conclusion, Tenkile Conservation Authority is a major conservation programme that is happening in West Sepik Province and the country at large. It is paving the way forward for the West Sepik Province and the country to engage in sustainable development projects that is environment friendly as opposed to the country’s development norm of engaging in non- sustainable projects (projects that destroys the environment).

Yes, for the Torricelli people, it is a dawn to a new era with a promising future. However this future is also fragile and is vulnerable to extrinsic factors that can break and destroy the future. Hence, more support is needed from every professional from the Torricelli area and those of the government and the nationals who have the patriotic feeling to ensure benefits to the people is maximised. Altogether, this is needed to ensure that holistic sustainability is achieved in the project before the dawn truly becomes the day.

REFERENCE

All images are assessed from www.tenkile.com

National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1979). The Belmont Report: Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. USA.

Taubes, T. (1995, November 17). Scientists Attacked for ‘Patenting’ Pacific Tribe. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 270, 1112. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/2890331

Tenkile Conservation Alliance. (2016). 2016 Annual Report. Retrieved from www.tenkile.com 

Togolo, M. (2002). My land my place: the times they are a changing: The Melanesian philosophy of land and development in Papua New Guinea. In N. Sullivan (Ed.), Culture ad Progress (pp. 214-228). Madang: DWU Press.

Trompf, G. W. (1991). Melanesian Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.