SAMBIA

The making of boys into men

Papua New Guinea

The Rite of Passage: Sambia

Sambia starts when boys are about 7 years old
At this time they are taken away from their mothers and
taken to an aloof location.
When they get to this withdrawn community they are
surrounded by just men
Once there they are beaten and punished repeatedly so that
they become strong men
After all of this the young men are required to preform oral
sex on boys maybe not much older than themselves (13-21)
The semen that they will drink will make them strong
warriors, but also fill their tingu they themselves can one
day produce semen

The Rite of Passage:

Sambia; Continued
It is also believed that semen has a masculine spirit so by
ingesting it you will become more masculine
The boys are told that it is acceptable for them to be
providing oral sex to others because everyone has eaten
the penis
Once these boys reach an age where they can produce
semen they will now have boys younger than them preform
oral sex on them
When they get a couple years older (around 20) they will go
out and get a wife

The Rite of Passage:

Sambia; Continued
When having sex with their wifes, the young men must insert
mint leaves into their nostrils and chew on bark so the dont
smell the odor of female genitals
After sexual intercourse has expired the male must bathe in
mud so that anything undesirable that his wife may have
given to him will be washed away
He is encouraged not to insert his penis to deep into his wife's
vagina during sex or he will become polluted
Finally when he has children he will be fully recognized as a
man
Must of his time will still be spent with men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
feature=player_embedded&v=7hQEJIaciRM

Papua New Guinea

Geography's Impact
Geography has influenced how the Sambia people act and
overall their everyday lives
Due to their location they grow a lot of their own food
Since they are in a secluded location their way of life can
continue to go on without questioning from the general
public
What they do is seen as a norm and no one is around to
question or change their norms

Family
The Sambia people live a very segregated lifestyle
In their communities there is segregated parts of the village
where both men and women will reside
In one part of the village women will live with their
daughter(s) if they havent been married yet and their sons
if they have not gone through the rite of passage yet
In a completely different part of the village the men will
live together in huts alongside the older boys who have gone
through the rites of passage

Gender Roles
The gender roles in a Sambin community are strong
Women are seen as being polluted and have limited contact
with men
Women must walk on different paths than men throughout
the village as not to pollute them
Women are also not allowed to touch men or any of their
possesions
Men are seen as warriors and carry around weapons like
axes made of stone and bow and arrows
Women tend to the children until they are taken away (if
males) and will work in the garden

Marriage
Marriage is very important in the Sambia culture because
once marriage had occurred then couples can have kids.
Once the child is born the farther is now seen as a full man
in Sambia culture, thus completing the rite of passage
Marriage is usually planned by parents and elders of the
tribe
Polygamy is the norm in Sambia villages, but monogamy
does occur
Divorces are allowed but rarely arise

Clothing

Social Institutions
Government System- There is a tribe or clan leader
Educational System- There is no formal educational system,
information would be passed down from generation
Religion- Different tribes would have different ways of
interpreting religion, but all tribes share their common
discrimination against women