the Adventure Lifestyle magazine

ungsters wea lothes. When th seniors pass on, that gourd apparel legend will be gone forever The Dani's traditional currency, the cowrie shell, has been deval ued into oblivion by the Indonesian rupiah. One result is peopl donning torn, soiled clothing. Their perpetual smiles are a nheard ripple. These evils are exacerbated by an influx ndonesians coming from other islands as part of the ma transmigration project, similar to China's resolve to water d Tibetan culture. The Irian Jayan highlands, one of the few places on Ea ere the human touch enhanced nature, are now importin lIite dishes. Let the final refuge be. May the Dani highlanders ive one more rallying cry for their wondrous, environmentally iendly, indigenous ways. The real crown jewel is fading. Stuck en two worlds, lacking economic resources, they can neither ce nor can they go back. Frisbees may someday rival the importance of pigs in this uiet corner of the world. Pigs are central to a man's economic nd social status. Safety pins, which have become an all-in-one box-surgical implement, fishhook, necklace ornament, wood r, earring-are popular. Velcro is also making a splash. No, Dani don't need petrochemical playthings, but the hammer- ing corruption of an alien government, religious missions and nvironmental exploitation make the Frisbee the lesser of evils. Toward the end of my sojourn in Irian Jaya, I entered a Ilage and tossed the disc into a group of people. The village ief had difficulty catching and throwing it. His discontent with game grew when the disobedient 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 win ing down when the chief reappeared. Marching erect, bow a arrows slung across his back, he walked into the center of the vi lage where he stopped and gathered an arrow. Unhurried, he aimed skyward at the airborne disc. One second later the Frisbee heart was pierced. Crippled, it wobbled top earth . The ch

• Cover