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Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows the betelnut trade in Papua New Guinea. Jane and Lucas travel from a market in PNG to a coastal village to visit Jane’s aunt, who grows betelnut (buai). Lucas chats with Jane’s aunt while a boy is shown climbing a tree to harvest some betelnut. Lucas tastes the betelnut before purchasing some to take with him. The clip ends with Lucas and Jane’s aunt walking through the village. The clip features English subtitles.

Educational value points

• The betelnut plant (Areca catechu) seen in this clip is a single-stemmed, slender palm tree reaching up to 30 m high. It has large, feather-shaped leaves measuring 1–1.5 m in length and its acorn-sized fruit is oval-shaped and contains one seed. The betelnut palm is suited to tropical climates and is commonly found in East Africa, South Asia and the Pacific Islands.

• The betelnut palm is used for a variety of purposes besides chewing the nut, as seen in this clip. The palm heart is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked and the flowers are sometimes used in salads. The leaves are used to make baskets and hats and the fruit husks can be used as household fuel. The nuts, shoots, leaves and rhizomes (underground stem) are commonly used in traditional medical preparations.

• Lucas is from a town in the eastern highlands of PNG called Goroka, and is seen visiting a coastal village for the first time in his life. He has travelled to the coast to see betelnut being harvested directly from the tree and to purchase some quality betelnut with the intention of selling it when he returns home. The climate in the PNG highlands is too cold for growing the betelnut palm, whereas it flourishes in coastal regions.

• Lucas tastes the freshly harvested betelnut and comments on its excellent quality. The major adverse long-term health effects of betelnut chewing are considered to be similar to those caused by nicotine, such as oral cancer, particularly when betelnut is mixed with tobacco. People who chew betelnut regularly may become dependent and can suffer mild withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings, lethargy and sleep disturbance.

• The clip shows Lucas chewing betelnut, the fourth most consumed legal substance in the world after tobacco, alcohol and caffeine, according to the World Health Organisation. To chew it, users traditionally wrap the nut in leaves of betel pepper vine with slivers of lime. Tobacco and other spices are sometimes added. The concoction stains the lips, mouth and saliva bright red and increases the production of saliva, causing the user to spit frequently.

• Lucas is shown counting his money to pay Jane’s aunt for a quantity of betelnut. The growing and selling of betelnuts is an important PNG industry, but one that is hard to measure as it falls largely outside the formal cash economy.

• Towards the end of the clip, Jane’s aunt takes Lucas on a tour of her small village. She points out the houses of her extended family, and Lucas comments on what a wonderful house one of them is. Although Lucas has visited to complete a business transaction, he is treated as a guest by Jane’s aunt who is clearly proud of her home and wants to show it to visitors. This short scene provides a brief insight into typical coastal PNG village life.

• Tok Pisin, the PNG form of Melanesian Pidgin, is spoken during the clip. Pidgin languages are usually based on English, Spanish or Portuguese. The language employs reduced grammar and vocabulary. It is relatively easy to learn and enables effective communication between speakers of different dialects or languages. Buai is the word for betelnut in Tok Pisin.

• The documentary Betelnut bisnis was written and directed by Chris Owen, an Australian expatriate who is a permanent resident of PNG. Owen also directed The Red Bowman (1983) and Man Without Pigs (1990) and has served as the director of the National Film Institute of PNG.

This clip starts approximately 34 minutes into the documentary.

Jane and Lucas travel along the road in the back of a ute.
Narrator Jane met Lucas in the Madang market and invited him to visit her Aunt’s place to buy some betelnut there. There was a possibility of getting a special price. For Lucas, this was a new experience. He’d never been inside a coastal village before, let alone having a chance to actually see betelnut being harvested direct from the tree.

They arrive in the village where Jane’s Aunt lives. The background is filled with the sounds of village life – children playing all around. They stop outside one of the houses. Jane makes the introduction, Auntie and Lucas shake hands. They are taken to where the betelnut is at the back of the house. They speak in Tok Pisin, the English subtitles read.
Jane Auntie, this is Lucas, a neighbour of mine from up near Goroka. He’s down here to buy betelnut. I saw him at the market and told him about your betelnut plantation. So I invited him to come and buy direct from you.
Lucas I was lost until she spotted me. Now here I am.
Auntie Afternoon.
Lucas A very good afternoon.

A boy climbs the tall betelnut plant.
Jane Will another boy help us later?
Auntie Yes. This is Benedict. After he comes down, Simon can climb up.
Lucas He can harvest those up there. It’s very good buai. It’s nice and firm.
Auntie Normally I’ve sold out before midday.

Lucas is sampling the betelnut.
Lucas That’s very good.
Auntie I don’t leave buai too long, only until it’s just right.
Lucas That’s excellent. This is terrific quality. The kernel is really strong.

The boy hands Auntie a branch with many betelnut. She passes it to Lucas.
Auntie Here, what about these?
Lucas Great, this is number one betelnut!

They move back to the side of the house to complete the transaction. Lucas coughs as he walks away with the branch. Auntie follows him.
Jane So we’ve finished on this side?

Lucas counts out money in coins and notes.
Woman Look at this guy. His head’s like a computer! He calculates faster than I can write.

We follow Auntie as she shows Lucas around the village. The houses are raised from the ground and are surrounded by plants and trees. We hear bird calls and talking in the background.
Auntie These are all extended family.
Lucas All these along this side?
Auntie This one is the elder brother’s and his wife’s. This here is the younger brother’s. Ours is the corrugated iron one. My husband built it. That’s the young men’s house for my boys.
Lucas On this side?
Auntie Yes, it belongs to the younger one.
Lucas It’s a very good house. It’s a wonderful house.