Turning the Tide

One of the people most horrified by new of the July tidal wave that ripped through Papua New Guinea, drowing thousands and destroying several villages, was visiting professor of anthropology Robert Welsch, a longtime researcher of life and art in the area hardest hit. As soon as he wrapped up his summer-term courses, he departed or the long journey to see what was left of the once-thriving village of Aitipe and to help survivors, "it's not going to be easy, "he said before departure, referring to Aitipe and to help survivors. "It's not going to Among his goals was arranging for Tucker Foundation fellow Chrisanthy Menkhaus '00 to \ spend a term doing relief work at an Aitipemission.

The National Research Institute of Papua New Guinea has asked Welsch to return in January to help with one of their long-term relief efforts recording the life narratives of survivors. Getting people-to talk about their lives before and after tragedy is a technique Papuans used successfully elsehelp survivors come to terms with a deadly eruption of New Guinea's Rabaul volcano The government plans to publish the tidal-wave narratives as a memorial to the victims and a balm to survivors.

Reciprocating old favors, anthropologist Robert Welsch returned to Papua New Guinea to help tsunami survivors.