After a week on the road, I’m
finally within sight of my destination.
A small village
deep in the hills
where I’ve been told
the traditions are still strong.
Is that it?
Yeah.
Is that your village?
My hope
is that I’ll be able to spend a month
living within the community
and experience
the Adi
way of life
firsthand rather than just observe it.
Yeah.
Tadjia had got permission
for me to come to the village
some weeks before,
but I’m still not sure
how I’ll be received.
Can I shake your hand?
Hello.
I am the first westerner.
Most of the villagers I’ve ever seen.
The children are intrigued,
but the adults aren’t so sure.
I´ve just been summoned
to to
meet the GAM or the village chief
because for the last few hours
he’s got the, the village elders together
and they’ve been discussing me
and what I’m doing.
So now I’m going to go and see him
and I’ve got to tell him
who I am, what I want to do,
why I’m here and all that sort of stuff.
I want to live
as part of the community.
But the Adis are subsistence farmers
and I don’t want to be a burden.
So I’ve bought more than enough
provisions to pay my way.
The meeting goes on long into the night.
They’ve agreed to everything.
They’re very happy for us to film here.
They’re very happy for me to live here.
And in fact,
the Gamma has asked
if I would live with him in his house,
which is great.
But what is also suggested
is that we build a little hut
outside his place,
which is where I should live.
And I think that’s what we’re going to
be doing this morning to
Leading by example
is Tamaki Moyal,
the village chief, or Gam?
He’s the elected head of the village,
but he’s not in charge.
Everyone has an equal say
in the running of an ad community,
and however rich someone may be,
they still help their neighbors
to build their houses.
Every Adi man is a carpenter,
a builder, a roofer.
And the only tool they need to make a
house is a long, sharp knife.
