Nama in Papua New Guinea

The Nama have only been reported in Papua New Guinea
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Nama people live in three villages – Ngaraita, Mata and Daraia. They live in an area of about two hundred square kilometers on the plains near Morehead River in the southern part of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The Nama people cultivate gardens, which produce taro, sweet potatoes, yams, sago, and greens and also fruits, such as coconuts, bananas, pineapples and papayas. They also fish, hunt deer and wallaby, and raise chickens. They sell some of their garden produce at Morehead market, just a few minutes from Ngaraita.

Marriages are arranged through "sister exchange," where there is ideally an even exchange of brides between villages. New brides will typically move to the village of their new husbands. Marriages are celebrated with singsings, consisting of traditional style music and dance.

Most of the Nama people identify themselves as Christians, and they are very enthusiastic about reading God's Word in their own language. One woman in Mata village said, "Having the Bible only in English is like holding a cold glass of water that we can't drink."


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Nama in Papua New Guinea.


Profile Source:   Anonymous  

People Name General Nama
People Name in Country Nama
Alternate Names
Population this Country 1,400
Population all Countries 1,400
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 19557
ROP3 Code 115291
ROP25 Code 305840
ROP25 Name Nama (Papuan)
Country Papua New Guinea
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Australia
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Western province: Morehead district, Daraia, Mata, and Ngaraita villages.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Papua New Guinea
Region Australia and Pacific
Continent Australia
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country Western province: Morehead district, Daraia, Mata, and Ngaraita villages..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 22.00 %)
95.00 %
Ethnic Religions
5.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Nama (1,400 speakers)
Language Code nmx   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Nama (1,400 speakers)
Language Code nmx   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Nama

Primary Language:  Nama

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (2022)
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Nama Jesus Film Project
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source Anonymous  
Profile Source Anonymous 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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