Bongu is a language group and village name that is one of hundreds in the Papua New Guinea half of the South Pacific island north of Australia. Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia in 1975 and is a Commonwealth nation.
Bongu hugs the coast at the southern part of Astrolabe Bay, Madang Province. From Madang, the provincial capitol, it is about 10 km by boat or 18 km miles by seasonal road.
As coastal villagers, fishing via dugout canoes with outriggers day or night. Families tend their gardens daily for staple crops like cassava, sweet potato, taro, and sago flour. Green vegetables and chiles are grown. Gathered are papayas, coconuts, and various leaves. local chickens and pigs run free. Some wealthier farmers have cattle and fish ponds. Infrequent trips to the Madang market can yield livestock and a greater variety of vegetables. Social gatherings will be facilitated by betel nut and the obligatory spitting of red juice.
Scripture Prayers for the Bongu in Papua New Guinea.
Bongu is notable for being the focus of Russian ethnographer Nicolai Miklouho-Maclay https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Miklouho-Maclay in the 1870 's.
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