the Adventure Lifestyle magazine

seniors pass on, that gourd apparel legend will be gone forever. Dani's traditional currency, the cowrie shell, has been deval- ued into obl ivion by the Indonesian rupiah. One resu lt is peopl donning torn, soiled clothing. Their perpetual smiles are a unheard ripple. These evils are exacerbated by an influx Indonesians coming from other islands as part of the ma ra nsmigration project, similar to China's resolve to water down betan culture. The Irian Jayan highlands, one of the few places on Earth ere the human touch enhanced nature, are now importin satell ite dishes. Let the final refuge be. May the Dani highland give one more rallying cry for their wondrous, envi ronmenta l riend ly, ind igenous ways. The real crown jewel is fading. Stu between two worlds, lacking economic resources, they can neithe advance nor can they go back. Frisbees may someday rival the im portance of pigs in th quiet corner of the world. Pigs are centra l to a man's economi and social status. Safety pi ns, which have become an al l-in-on olbox-surgical implement, fishhook, necklace ornament, woo etcher, earring-are popular. Velcro is also making a splash. No, he Dani don't need petrochemical playth ings, but the hamme i ng corruption of an alien government, religious missions an environmenta l exploitation make the Frisbee the lesser of evils. Toward the end of my sojourn in Irian Jaya, I entered a village and tossed the disc into a group of people. The village chief had difficu lty catching and throwing it. His discontent with he game grew when the disobed ient aircraft landed in the pig­ pen, spooking the priceless swine. The chief abruptly disappeared into the men's hut. The sun was setting and the game was wind­ ing down when the ch ief reappeared. Marching erect, bow and arrows slung across his back, he walked into the center of the vil­ lage where he stopped and gathered an arrow. Unhurried, he aimed skyward at the airborne disc. One second later the Frisbee's heart was pierced. Cri ppled, it wobbled top earth. The chief I:J�Ⴀ-------------------�----'

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