At a mere three degrees south of the equator, in the Pacific Ocean, lies the village of Lesu. Just north of Australia, off the coast of New Guinea lies the island of New Ireland, which contains the small village. New Ireland's widest area is less than one mile. The island lies at an oblique angle coursing northwest. The highest altitude on the island is located on a small mountain range running through the center of the island and reaches to 3,000 feet. The citizens of New Ireland are of Melanesian descent, with tall, muscularly built body structures. Bearing black hair and dark skin the people have some African features. In the past, men wore no clothes at all and the women wore mere straw aprons, but as westerners influenced their culture, men and women have begun to wear loincloths and women often wear a blouse of some sort, although not always.
When the day begins, each person emerges from their house, families coming out of their own houses, men leaving the men’s house on the beach, and the women from theirs. After a bit of household cleaning and interaction the women head to the gardens. At the gardens they harvest taro and pull weeds. The men often stay home during this time to look after the babies. The men of the colony often act as handy men building new houses and repairing old ones, as well as, the repair of many other things in the village. The elderly stay at home and take care of grandchildren. Beginning from 10 years of age, young girls can help their mothers in the gardens, while boys mostly watch and learn from their fathers before working themselves, although, young boys often help in small repair jobs when they can.
After a day of work both men and women go back to the village and wash themselves in the sea. Afterwards, they prepare themselves for the evening meal by combing and powdering their hair, as well as, often adding face paint. The preparation is left to the women, as the men take care of the kids. Then as the sun begins to set everyone heads back to their homes, and feeds their pigs and chickens; chickens were introduce by european contact. Then as night falls the families come together, all with their own fires, and share in consuming the evening meal. The elements fundamental to the structure of the society are the way each group of people is set up. As far as kinship, locality, and sex goes. Individuals have a place in the society based on who they are related to, where they live and whether they are male or female. The people of Lesu are a secluded group of people, who have been influenced lightly by western contact.
References:
New Ireland Bilas Peles. New Ireland Tourist Bureau: 1999 http://www.discovernewireland.org.pg/
Powdermaker, Hortense. Life in Lesu: The Study of a Melanasian Society in New Ireland. Toronto: 1933
by, Josh Hoogland