Gillespie, Kirsty (2011) Breaking the tikol?: code-switching, cassette culture and a Lihirian song form. In: Abels, Birgit, (ed.) Austronesian Soundscapes: Performing arts in Oceania and South-East Asia. University of Amsterdam Press, Amsterdam, pp. 193-204.

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Abstract

[Extract] In New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, there is a group of islands known as Lihir, which can be seen on a clear day with the naked eye from the northeast coast of ‘mainland’ New Ireland. The Lihir island group is made up of four islands: Aniolam (by far the biggest in the group), Malie (consisting of the island of Malie plus two smaller islands, Sinambiet and Mando), Masahet and Mahur, in order from south to north.

Lir, or Lihirian as it is known in English, is classified as an Austronesian language. It is spoken throughout the island group, though there is a dialect difference between the large island of Aniolam, where the majority of the population live, and the three other islands (which are referred to locally under the collective name Ihot, meaning ‘stone place ‘in Lihirian, as the islands are very rocky). There are currently approximately 14,000 speakers of the Lihirian language (Bainton 2008b: 291), however, Lihirian is not the only language spoken in the island group. There has always been an interaction with neighbouring language groups–Lihir has never been an isolated place, being part of a network of exchange. However, the nature of the interactions with other groups of people has altered over the course of the20th century, as Lihir has become increasingly engaged in commercial industries, such as copra plantations and, since 1995, gold mining (see, for example, Bainton 2008a; 2008b). The employment of workers from other parts of Papua New Guinea, and beyond, in these industries, has altered how languages are spoken on Lihir. Consequently, this multiplicity of language usage–and the social experience behind this multiplicity–has had an impact on Lihirian song forms.

Item ID:	47854
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-90-8964-085-7
Date Deposited:	30 Aug 2017 01:40
FoR Codes:	16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1601 Anthropology > 160104 Social and Cultural Anthropology @ 60% 19 STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING > 1904 Performing Arts and Creative Writing > 190409 Musicology and Ethnomusicology @ 40%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9503 Heritage > 950304 Conserving Intangible Cultural Heritage @ 50% 95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9503 Heritage > 950306 Conserving Pacific Peoples Heritage @ 50%
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