Face to Face with the Skeleton Tribe of Papua New Guinea

Deep in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, the Chimbu Province hides the Skeleton Tribe. They are one of the most notorious and recognizable tribes in the world. The tradition of painting themselves with organic paint originated with a legend involving a monster in the jungle that killed many of their ancestors. For my visit, I opted to stay at the Skeleton Tribe ecolodge so I would have direct access and more time with them. It was fascinating to live amongst them and interact throughout the day. With the heat of the day, performances typically happen in the early morning or evening. Today, they told me their legend and reenacted parts of the story. Afterwards they permitted time for an extended photoshoot that I had been looking forward to for months. Check out the video for the surprises that unfolded. Would you stay at the ecolodge? -Nate 00:00 The Skeleton Ecolodge 00:14 The Hike 00:32 The Legend of the Skeleton Tribe 01:31 The Performance and Photoshoot 02:16 A Baby Python?? 02:50 The Cultural Impact and Preservation