Sene and Yokasa

Sene-Yokasa groups today are spread out widely over the Kompiam area. In Kompiam they are usually known by the names of the sons of Sene-Yokasa, or as Kungu and Tiaka, a name which they took on when they migrated to Kompiam. As with other groups who came to Kompiam within the span of oral history, no origin myth is remembered for Sene and Yokasa. Their oral traditions begin in the ninth generation, when they were already tribes of considerable size settled in the lower Ambum valley. Their early history is fragmentary, but it appears that:

From their early historical traditions, Sene and Yokasa were pressured by the expansion of surrounding groups who sought the fertile land of the lower Ambum. Malipini and Yanaitini were overflowing from the upper Lai valley into the lower Ambum and Yakani Tambukini clans were moving into the Ambum from Lenge to the southeast. The situation in the upper Ambum was similar. The tribes of Lyaini and Sakalini, who were then based in the high country of the Sirunki plateau, were seeking land in the lower altitude areas of the upper Ambum. Thus Sene-Yokasa and their brother tribes Pumane and Aiele were in the difficult position of occupying land desired by surrounding tribes.

In approximately the six to seven generation, a fight broke out between Lyaini and Sakalini and Pumane and Aiele in the upper Ambum over a bundle of sugar cane. Lyaini and Sakalini clans came down in full force from Sirunki and began the war that eventually drove Pumane and Aiyele to Kompiam.

Around the same time, the Makamuni clan in the Yakani tribe started a fight with the Kukune clan of Sene-Yokasa over the collar of a hunting dog. It began when Makamuni’s hunting dog returned home without its collar and Makamuni suspected Kukune of having stolen both the collar and the possum the dog had killed. The incident occurred at a time when Makamuni and other Yakane clans were expanding into the Ambum, so they took the opportunity to start the conflict that eventually drove Sene-Yokasa groups out of the lower Ambum.

Little is remembered of these wars although two large rocks at Wakumale were named Kukune and Kalyimbi in memory of the Sene-Yokasa tribes who used to reside there. According to Yanguna of the Awaini Kaealu clan, the Kukune clan took their last stand at Powasa, just east of Wabag, where the remains of their fortified camp were recently dug up when building a new garden. The last of Kukune fled Powasa, crossed the Lai below Landemanda, and retreated to Kopamemandaka on the ridge between the Lai and Ambum valleys in the territory of the Yanaitini tribe. Yanaitini, seeing that there was a chance to gain land in the Ambum, joined forces with Yakani and attacked the remaining Kukune group. A large battle ensued in which Yanaitini warriors slaughtered most of the remaining Kukune. It is said that the skeletal remains from the massacre near Limanda creek could still be found until recently, as there were no Sene-Yokasa left in the area to bury the dead.

The remaining Sene-Yokasa clansmen fled to Tilyaposa on the north side of the Ambum where they became squeezed between expanding Lyaini-Sakalini clans to the north and Yakane and Yanaitini clans to the south. Seeing that they had no other choice, they moved on to Malomanda near Saoanda in the Kompiam area. There is a song which commemorates this event, saying that at Tilyaposa (literally the grassland of the fleas), the fleas were biting Sene-Yokasa so they moved on. Only Yokotini remained behind at Tiakamanda above Kundisa until they began to feel isolated from their other tribesmen and joined them at Malomanda.

The combined efforts of Lyaini-Sakalini and Yanane-Yanaitini to drive Pumane-Aiele and Sene- Yokasa groups out of the Ambum is the largest scale coordinated effort in Enga oral history to obtain land. After their departure, Yakane and Yanaitini and Malipini clans moved into the lower Ambum and Lyaini, Sakalini and Kunalini into the upper Ambum.

From the time they moved to Kompiam, Sene-Yokasa tribes took on the name Kungu-Tiaka, the names of Sene and Yokasa’s sons. From their original settlement site near Malomanda, they spread as far north as Yangisa and as far east as Labalama and beyond. At this time the Kompiam area was very sparsely populated. To the north of Malomanda were the tribes of Kulya and Kapato (Lakani and Waitini) who were the only Enga tribes originally settled in the Kompiam area. Somewhat further to the east in the areas north of Kompiam station, were sparsely settled groups who were most likely Wapi or Lembena or Bulae speakers (see Ingi and Nenge history). These people were said to be hunter-gatherers who possessed neither stone axes nor fire before they had contact with Enga groups expanding from the Ambum valley. All known human populations have control of fire – this is most likely a way of describing people regarded as less developed. They were gradually pushed eastward by expanding Enga groups from the Ambum valley. It is not clear if they gave over their land with or without conflict, but some of these peoples such as those of the Ingi and Nengi tribes became assimilated into Enga culture.

The first wave of Sene-Yokasa migration into the Kompiam area left most clans settled around Wapai and Pakililyama, an area similar in altitude to the lower Ambum. Yokotini, Liua, Tipa, Kukune and Kalyimbi remained there, while Kaimane left the Pakililyama area for Labalama some 4-5 generations ago after a fight over a garden with Kalyimbi. Other Sene-Yokasa clans moved northeast into the rugged Yangisa area seeking new land at lower altitudes. Here is one account of the Sene-Yokasa Yopone clan and its brother clans leaving the Ambum and migrating to Yangisa:

Once Sene-Yokasa clans were driven out of the Ambum valley, their fight with Yakane did not cease. It was fought repeatedly for the next three to four generations in the form of a great tournament fight, the Great Ceremonial Wars (Wiessner and Tumu 1998; Chapter 10). Initially, Sene and Yokasa clans were hosted by Aiele groups at Soaonda as well as Potealini groups at Paipu to fight Yakane. Yakane was hosted by Aiele Tiakai groups at Sauanda where the battles were fought. Sene-Yokasa clans from as far away as Labalama and Yangisa would send men and trade goods for the fight and compensation. Over the generations, the emphasis of these Great Ceremonial Wars shifted from fighting to the exchanges that followed. During the last episodes of this fight, the actual battle took place for only a few weeks while months and even one or two years of exchange and feasting followed, speeding the trade between the Ambum and Lai valleys. Subsequently, the exchange routes formed by the Great Ceremonial Wars were replaced by the Yae Tee. Through the Tee, Sene-Yokasa clans kept contact with both groups in their area of origin and other members of their tribes who had dispersed in the Kompiam area.

As with other tribes that moved to Kompiam and fragmented, Sene-Yokasa tribal organization became much weaker than among central Engan groups, and many activities took place only at the level of individual clans or sub-clans. Sub-clans held their own rituals for the ancestors, as well as the Sangai and Yae Tee.

CLANS AND LOCATIONS

Sene Yokasa (Kungu-Tiaka)

Yuai and Kipia also in the Yangisa area are said by some to be Sene-Yokasa clans or sub-clans.