Kiki: ten thousand years in a lifetime;: A New Guinea autobiography

by Albert Maori Kiki

The decorative dustjacket adds much to this vintage hardcover. The jacket shows wear along the edges from shelving. Book is like new inside, free of markings, bright and clean. NEVER a library book, NOT priceclipped, Not a worthless book of the month club edition. /lh

Genres: History, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fascinating life story of Albert Maori Kiki, who was born into a semi-nomadic “stone-age” (as per the jacket blurb) Papuan tribe, and later became Papua New Guinea’s first native pathologist and a politician who helped move the country towards independence. Over the course of Kiki’s lifetime he experienced massive changes across Papuan society as it was molded by Australian colonizers (the cruelty and injustice of whom he chronicles repeatedly in this book). For example, he witnessed the destruction of the eravo, the men’s house that had been the center of Papuan society before western colonization. He completed his first initiation ceremony in the eravo as a young boy, but by the time he was old enough to undergo the second initiation, the eravo no longer existed.

I've written a longer review of this book (which is less a review and more of a summary of the salient parts of the narrative) on my blog, Around the World in 2000 Books.

[Sol Canny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cool book transcribed, from the oral history of a man that truly lived a transition after initial contact with the colonizers. This opens up another world truly! I have learned many things about life Papua New Guinea then and now while reading this pages and by further investigating many topics. Thinking of discussion about the colonization of my own people from college, I can tell that Kiki was quite a visionary! Reading this book in 1968 must have been mind blowing! Haure!

[Steve Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was largely transcribed from tape. It is the story of how a boy who began in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and grew to become one of its prominent leaders before the nation gained independence from Australia. Through the story I gained a better understanding of his beliefs and racism.

[Kathrynia Songoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beutifully written about the life of a native during colonial time in PNG. Inspiring to read about the founding fathers of the country sharing the same vision for independence and freedom in their land. Highly recommend

[Yank Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten thousand years in a life time

[Andy Mathew]

I like it