Several hundred Japanese children sit enchanted as Justin Somi mimics a fluttering butterfly. Somi, a celebrated mime artist and musician, belongs to the Zia tribe that live along the Waria River Valley in Papua New Guinea. For two weeks this spring, he and five other Zia tribesmen visited schools in Niigata Prefecture, where they took their captivated audiences on imaginary journeys through the jungles of PNG with their native songs, drama and dance.
The event was the brainchild of two Niigata-based assistant language teachers: American Carlo Capua and Canadian Doug Brittain. They established the Niigata Papua New Guinea Association in September 2001 as a nongovernmental organization to support interpersonal and cultural exchange between PNG and Japan.
For the two JETs, this cross-cultural journey began in the Waria Valley in March 2001. With 17 other JETs from Niigata Prefecture, they participated in a Habitat For Humanity program to build houses for needy families. On a visit to the local school, Capua and Brittain were shocked.