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pins are swa r shrunken heads. As I sat there, I thought about Einste prophesy that the fourth world war would be fought with stic. nd stones. These durable Dani would survive, free from an umbll ical attachment to the modern world's money line. In his book Walden, Henry David Thoreau speaks of "realometer," a raw, instinctive gauge to detect our individua rtainty. Regularly, during my time with the Dani, my realomete s pinned to the maximum. Just as I was amazed by the Danl, Dani are intrigued by western visitors. They got their first gl an outsider when an American pilot crashed in the 5,nnn "~~.+I high Grand Baliem Valley in 1938. Time remained irrelevant, ho ever, until a Dutch missionary settled in the Baliem in 1953-th eir isolation began to evaporate. While other forces over rs have inflicted religion and outside values on the Dani, I tri minimize my impact. I did however, introduce a toy. Upon entering a small village one day, I strolled into courtyard and spun my Frisbee so that it hovered, then graduaU descended into the huddle of people waiting to see what thl object would do next. Some ran to it, others ran away from it ~n kept on running. This neon-blue flying disk landed for the fl ime in their primeval frontier. Initially, I was concerned that introducing this game, I was further adding to the ruination of itional way of life that I felt desperately needed to be pr served. But the flying saucer captured their imaginations. were riveted by this exciting, simple thing that employs the basi principles of physics-a dandy pie tin meets UFO invention-a they really enjoyed flinging it. I threw the Frisbee with the Dani and played naked to first my gourd was a discomfort (some of us wage a continui ruggle against fashion). The string tied around my waist failed hold up the hardened vegetable case. It kept fumbling down rd and it itched. I don't like running barefoot across rocky flel nd I was paranoid about injuring my scrotum. The Dani laughed. hey also laughed when I attended church. A tennis-court-sized wooden cabin with a corrugate metal roof was packed with nude worshippers. Women and sma I hildren were on the left, men and boys on the right. A solitary battery-operated clock loomed above a makeshift wood altar Behind the altar, the rambling preacher was the only person othe an me wearing clothes. Seated beside me was a man wearin Iy a gourd, a band of chicken feathers on his head and a c igarette stored in his large earlobe pierce. ing prayer time, eyes were owe Dani cover both eyes with one hand during praye so they don't go bl ind. First came the peek-a-boo looks he funny white man, then the restrained library chuc ling. Their little girls were absolutely shocked by my p ence. After the service someone broke out a guitar a he real service began. I noticed that some of the women were missi digits. When someone in their immediate family d Dani women cut off a finger as part of the cremation emony. Men cut off a corner of their earlobe. This fadi custom continues, much to the chagrin of outsi What is it about "modern culture" that feels the need impose a foreign language, culture and religion on a people that living in communion deep in an impenetra ble forest? The voices of those interested in preserving this ancient culture is similar to that of an aspiring acto r a tree falling in the forest-you're never sure if a body's going to hear you. The Baliem Valley, one of the richest biomass the planet, is endangered by modern sorcery an craft such as mining, deforestation, govern intrusion and insensitive tourism. Many of the valley lages can now be accessed by road or prop plane. Indonesian government judges that the indigenous pie don't have a right to lay claim to land that's . being used. Evidently, farming, hunting and gatherm don't count. While Irian Jaya's mineral and oil resources a being exploited, the bleaching of native tradition i underway. Gourds have not yet given way to clothes