Paper short abstract:

Non-human entities strongly frame identity in Papua New Guinea. One such often malevolent entity is the Masalai. This paper explores whether Masalai and other sprits provide some means of mediating peoples' responses to climate change in a wet tropics environment.

Paper long abstract:

In Papua New Guinea, traditional knowledge and ritual provides a strong source of identity in the everyday lives of many Papua New Guineans. The Masalai are one such spirit, inhabiting places often signified by natural features such as swamps and marshes, water holes, rivers, waterfalls and creeks. They generally are thought to be malevolent. They are often linked directly to kinship structures and therefore are part of a very complex web of relations. Other spirits, often benevolent, also occupy similar features and locations and are part of this web of relationships between non-humans and humans. Rising sea levels and strong rain events, key aspects of climate change in Melanesian countries, are impacting the areas where Masalai roam and spirits live. This paper explores whether or not Masalai and other sprits provide some means of mediating peoples' responses to climate change in a wet tropics environment.