Yatapaki, like other groups in the Minamba, claim to have migrated to Enga from the high country of Kola in Western Highlands Province. Many Yatapaki interviewed knew little of their historical traditions other than that their origin place was somewhere in Western Highlands Province, and we were only able to get more specific information from a few persons.
Yatapaki’s forefathers are said to have come from Kaputepa and Akilyakai clans of the Kuingitani tribe who live in Togoba along the Napu valley. They occupied land around Tomba along the Painame grassland, which included Naputesa and Amala and extended almost to Walya in the Minamba valley. It is said that Yatapaki young men still grow tall like the Napu trees at Naputesa, their land of origin.
During a time of severe frost, which caused starvation in the high country in the tenth to eleventh generation, the forefathers of Yatapaki sought suitable garden land that would be sheltered from the frost. Kasala (also called Sani), who is said by some to be Yatapaki and by others the son of Yatapaki, migrated to the lower reaches of their land in the upper Minamba valley and settled at the foot of Mondamu peak near Walya. He came with Palyamuni and Sasipakuni, his first and second-born sons. His other descendants were born in the Minamba Valley. There is a well-known comic legend that tells of how Palyamuni’s son, Pyakau, tricked a Nenaini woman, raped her, and then obtained her as a bride. This legend is similar to that of Yandamani at Yalisa and Ima Kano of Kandepe:
When Kasala Yatapaki first came to Walya, they were alone, for the land was uninhabited. They formed only a small group and were interested in recruiting new members. According to some, Palyamuni returned to his homeland and adopted a child, Aielekini, for whom he paid with a bag of salt. It is not certain if this refers to an actual adoption or is a metaphor for recruiting some members who could provide links to the trade network. Then, Yoponda became involved in a serious fight in the Tambul area with Tendopa and Aiakane, in which their houses, gardens, and pig stock were totally destroyed by what was said to have been the longest war in memory (see Yoponda origins). The grandson of Sasipakuni, Kulumbai, who was married to a Yoponda woman, went with his relatives to the Tambul area and persuaded Yoponda to come and join Yatapaki in the Minamba. They brought possums, pigs and other food stuff to help Yoponda pay compensation to their allies and gave Yoponda part of their land when they brought them to the Minamba (see Yoponda origins). Kulumbai apparently intended to bring down his wife’s lineage only, but soon many other Yoponda families joined them. As a result, Yoponda greatly increased in size and, after some time, the land at Walya became overpopulated. Yoponda took over the head of the land, near Walya where Yatapaki first settled, and forced Yatapaki further down the valley, breeding animosity between the two groups. Yatapaki settled in the area around Unda and Yaramanda, while Yoponda remained at Walya.
Kumbi
Kumbi, which today is a small group with only two clans in Enga, it is said to have come from the Hagen area (Kombotae), although we were unable to find any Kumbi elders who knew their exact place and tribe of origin. It is not known if the group founder came with Yatapaki or joined it later. Whatever the case, Kumbi and Yatapaki settled together, and two creeks in the lower Minamba bear the names of Kumbi and Yatapaki in memory of their settlement. Yatapaki chose the higher land at Yaolimanda, and Kumbi made his home below at Takaimandisa When Yatapaki men became involved in a war against Waimini and Pyapini and asked Kumbi to come and help, Kumbi men were busy clearing forest and making gardens in the flat land around Takaimandisa. They had no interest in fighting at that time and so ignored Yatapaki’s request. Yatapaki, feeling let down by Kumbi, drove them off the land.
Kumbi fled down towards the Lower Lai and settled at Kapesali. At this time there were two Kumbi clans descended from the “sons” of Kumbi, Sisapuni and Alyipuni. In approximately the seventh generation, an internal quarrel in Kumbi resulted in people leaving for the Baiyer region. The following legend of the quarrel concerns one Kumbi clansman tricking another while out hunting. However, at the time Kumbi may have also felt a shortage of land, for it did not have much room to expand and had little choice but to move on into the Baiyer.
Two men of the Alyipuni and Sisapuni lines of Kumbi went to the forest. Their names were Lengene Sisapuni and Tembelyane Alyipuni. They lived in the forest at Kopa where pandanus grew. In this area, there was no drinking water, so when Tembelyane and Lengene returned to their hut in the forest, Lengene asked Tembelyane to bring some water in a bamboo container to drink while he went through the forest hunting possums. He also asked him to carry some sweet potatoes for him. On his way home, Lengene cut a length of bamboo and filled it to the brim in the Kupi River. When he came within the vicinity of the hut, he hid the bamboo container in a bush. Then he continued on to the hut where he and Tembelyane roasted the possums Tembelyane had killed. They ate plenty of possum meat and became very thirsty.
“Did you fetch some water as I told you to?” asked Tembelyane.
“Oh no, I did not,” answered Lengene
“All right, then we will have to go to bed thirsty,” Tembelyane said rather abruptly.
Later, Lengene quietly slipped out of the hut and brought in the water. He drank with a gulping sound, quenching his thirst.
“Where did you get something to drink?” asked Tembelyane, hearing the gulping sounds.
“I urinated on some spongy moss from the forest to quench my thirst,” Lengene answered.
Tembelyane believed these deceptive words, urinated on moss and drank. Then they slept throughout the night.
The next morning, Tembelyane saw the bamboo container and knew that he had been deceived.
“You have tricked me. Now you may stay here on your own,” said Tembelyane and left. Tembelyane got his wife and went to the Baiyer where he settled. He had two children named Mape and Kumbao. Their descendants increased in number and now are large clans.
Sisapuni and Alyipuni lived here, while Mape and Kumbao lived down there in the Baiyer. Together Mape and Kumbao are known as Kumbi, and they make up a very big group there.
(Pyasia Kote of the Kumbi Sisapuni clan, Mape (Yaramanda))
The early traditions of Yatapaki and Kumbi describe small groups that migrated from Western Highlands into Enga seeking land and recruited new members to enlarge and strengthen their groups. In the face of other incoming groups and population expansion, conflict with those they had recruited led to Yatapaki being pushed down into the lower Minamba and Kumbi towards the Lower Lai and Baiyer.
members interviewed
Yatapaki and Kumbi:
- Lundu Tungu and Tangua Kopa of the Yatapaki Sasipakuni clan, Unda;
- Nyingi Kototo of the Yatapaki Palyamuni clan, Yaramanda;
- Pyasia Kote, Lai Napyo and Gote Pyaso of Kumbi, Yaramanda.
Clans And Locations
Yatapaki
| Clan | Location | Nearest school/aidpost |
|---|---|---|
| Sasipakuni | Momdomanda | Unda |
| Palyamuni | Yaramanda | Yaramanda |
Kumbi
| Clan | Location | Nearest school/aidpost |
|---|---|---|
| Sisapun | Mape | Yaramanda |
| Alyipuni | Potopama | Yaramanda |
| Mape | Baiyer River | |
| Kumbao | Baiyer River |