The arrival of a tribe from Papua New Guinea in Europe is an exceptional event. This Oceania country is home to some of the world’s most isolated peoples. Organizing their trip represented an enormous logistical challenge: the first step was to establish birth certificates. This project is supported by the Swiss association Mekeo Tendances, founded by three sisters from Valais of Papuan origin.

The Mekeo tribe is an indigenous ethnic group whose society is organized into patrilineal clans. Mekeo culture is based on a rich oral tradition in which rituals and ceremonies play a central role.

The spectacular Papuan headdresses, made of parrot, eagle, yellow-crested cockatoo, kingfisher and bird-of-paradise feathers, symbolize the link between heaven and earth.