Haewenai opens Day 2 of ‘Sel Kambang’ festival in Ningerum

The Haewenai dancers from North Awin tribe in the North Fly district of Western Province opened day two of the Sel Kambang Festival on Tuesday with a performance about one of the most important traditions in Wai Maeri River communities called the 'welcome home dance'.

Performed at the headwaters of the Wai Maeri River, the dance shows a traditional ceremony for receiving family members returning home after spending years away. The custom is especially observed for relatives who married into other villages and are now visiting or resettling with their own family.

Traditionally returning relatives are first greeted with songs and dances before families share meals together. Community members say the ceremony represents more than just performances as it represents unity, acceptance, and reconnecting families apart for years.

“It’s our way of saying you are still part of us, no matter how long you’ve been away from us,” an elder from the group explained during the festival.

Spectators at the festival watched as dancers used movement and song to portray the emotion of their reunion,the hesitation, the recognition, then the embrace.

Cultural leaders say such customs are becoming rare as younger generations move to towns for work, making the festival stage important for keeping them alive.

Cultural groups from across North Fly district will continue to present their distinctive traditions throughout the week-long festival.