When asked about Sikini origins, some claim that there is no origin tradition for Sikini, but others say that he was one of the sons of Tsaka Pembe, the father of Yambatane, Pauakaka and Waimini, and his second wife from central Enga. Sikini developed ties to the south, east and west, obtaining a central position in the trade.
Sikini is said to have given birth to two sons, Lokai and Londeale, and one daughter. The daughter married a man from the northern Mendi area, and after living there for some time, both Sikini’s daughter and her husband came back and settled in the Tsaka Valley along with their kin.
Sikini itself was divided into segments, Lokai and Londeale. As Sikini expanded, two groups from Sikini Lokai, Lyonai and Wapai, acquired land in the Lai valley between Pina and Lakopena. The remaining Sikini clans stayed in the Tsaka until a fight broke out 4-5 generations ago between Sikini Londeale and Yambatane:
The story begins with four sons of Londeale, Wapo, Mangalia, Koepe and Kalipa. One day, they decided to hold a sing-sing at Tupisamanda, so Wapo and Mangalia clansmen went to Kandep to get some mambo oil, which was used for traditional body decoration during dances. They arrived back from Kandep with the containers of oil and were upset to find out that their brothers had held the sing-sing in their absence. Since they had missed the first, they started their own the next day.
Yambatane was annoyed by Sikini’s troublesome sons since a second sing-sing would attract more people and lead to more damage to gardens, theft, and so on. They fought with Sikini and drove them back to Kapetemanda and then on to Takenemanda where they took refuge. While they were at Takenemanda, a man from the Itokone Lundopa clan betrayed them. The Lundopa man made arrangements with Yambatane for a rope to be lowered down the cliff below the men’s house where the Sikini men were sleeping so that Yambatane men could climb up and attack at night. The plan worked, and two Sikini men were killed.
Later, the Anjo clansmen from the Kandawalini tribe told Yambatane that they had been betrayed by a Lundopa man and that they should kill a Lundopa man in revenge. Anjo was fighting Lundopa at that time and thus offered Sikini some of their land at Mapemanda in the Pina area of the Lai valley if they killed a Lundopa man. The Sikini Londeale men then did as Anjo asked and killed a Lundopa man both to get revenge and to obtain the land offered to them by Anjo. They then moved to their new land at Mapemanda where Koepa and Kalipa are today. Once settled at Mapemanda, Sikini Londeale clans got into a fight with Lyongeni and Waingini over a bird stolen from a trap, drove them out to Kompiam, and took over their land. They also drove out parts of Tinilapini and remaining clansmen from Aiamane and took their land.
Sikini Wapo and some of the Sikini Lokai clans remained in the Tsaka, although their brother clans moved to the Lai.
(Compiled from information provided by Gabriele Konge and Joseph Kambao of Sikini Koepa clan, Pina)
Although not directly stated, it is likely that the reason Yambatane drove Sikini Londeale clans out of the Tsaka was not for their land, but for political reasons. Sing-sings were not held for enjoyment alone, but to gather people to discuss some important upcoming event, usually, the Yae Tee exchange cycle. The fact that two Sikini Londeale clans held a sing-sing while their brother clans were away, and that they held a second one directly afterwards, suggests that they had different interests for gathering people. Yambatane might have been discontent with the arrangements which were made during the two sing-sings and thus drove Sikini out of the area so that they could no longer hamper Yambatane’s plans.
From the time that Sikini Londeale clans left the Tsaka, the history of Sikini was a troubled one of fighting in both the Tsaka and the Lai. After clearing the Pina area of Lyongeni, Waingini and parts of Aiamane and Tinilapini, Sikini fought and pushed back other neighbors as well, including Depe, Pumalini, Tinilapini and Kandawalini clans. Despite a long history of conflict, Sikini clans remained clustered in both the Tsaka and mid Lai and were very successful in warfare. As far as we could determine, only one fairly sizeable group from the Sikini Wapai clan left after being excluded from food sharing and migrated to the lower Lai some eight generations ago to establish the Lyakani clan near Yalesa. With a strong hold in both the Lai and Tsaka valleys, Sikini held a central position in the Yae Tee ceremonial exchange cycle.
members interviewed
Sikini
- Gabriele Konge, Joseph Kambao and Isaac Ikitale Diua of the Sikini Koepa clan, Pina;
- David Uu of the Sikini Lyonai clan, Lakopena;
- Sambai Kutingi, Yumbu Wapai, Wapulao Kongapu of the Sikini Waimbau clan, Saposa;
- Tumu Lapinyo, Kekeo Lapinyo and Kutingi Ipia of the Sikini Wapia clan, Milyatesa.
CLANS AND LOCATIONS
Sikini
| Clan | Location | Nearest school/aidpost |
|---|---|---|
| Yoko | Yokosa | Pumakosa |
| Mangalia | Pina | Pina |
| Koipa | Pina | Pina |
| Wapo | Poketamanda | Poketamanda |
| Kalipa | Paitapa | Pina |
| Waimbau | Saposa | Saposa |
| Palinau | Pumboloko | Saposa |
| Mamakini | Wambosa | Pumakosa |
| Lyonai | Lauanda | Lakopena |
| Wapai | Milyatesa | Lakopena |