Authorities are notified of a man having been ritualistically killed in a highlands village in remote New Guinea. Australian and New Guinean police, and a doctor, set out on foot to investigate. The case then takes a bizarre turn when the murderer seeks a reward for his actions. 

This episode is a case from the archives of the APJ – a 1972 article concentrating on the strange phenomenon known as ‘cargo cults’ and how they emerged in some Pacific Island communities who were keen to enrich themselves with western consumer goods.

It’s a compelling story which shows how – just one lifetime ago – Australia was a colonial power with an international mandate to govern other cultures who were facing the challenges of rapidly adjusting to modernity.

This episode includes a narration of an abridged version of the article, using artificial intelligence (AI). On occasion, the article’s author used the word ‘primitive’ in a way which was widely acceptable at the time it was written, but which is now culturally insensitive. Listener discretion is advised.

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