The National Cultural Commission through the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies has launched a collection of traditional stories and legends documented by students from Central province.
The collection titled “’A Tale of Central Province” contains 26 stories and legends documented by Mainohana Catholic Secondary School students. The collection was launched over the weekend, September 04, 2026 with recognition given to the school as the major contributor of the publication.
The project began in 2023 through the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies (IPNGS) essay competition, aimed at encouraging students to document and preserve cultural knowledge from and within their communities.
Acting Director of IPNGS Christopher Puio, representing NCC Executive Director Steven Enomb Kilanda emphasised that culture could be preserved through many different platforms.
“Culture can be promoted in many ways in terms of live performances, filming, and archiving the other is through theatre arts and research publication and archiving,” Puio said.
He said publication such as “A Tale of Central Province” is important in ensuring cultural knowledge are documented for future generations.
Principal of Mainohana Catholic Secondary School, Nick Maino commended NCC and IPNGS for giving students an opportunity to preserve and share their cultural heritage.
“We sincerely acknowledge the National Cultural Commission and the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies for recognising the values of stories and the knowledge our students have collected from their communities,” Maino said.
“This publication gives our students a sense of pride because their stories have been documented and shared beyond the school.
