The Ono Tribe

The One live inland from Sialum on the eastern edge of the Cromwell Mountains.  They were a mountain people and had connections with and also inter-married with other mountain tribes, that is the Hube and Komba peoples.  They participated in common hunts in the mountains with these people.

The Onos learned quickly of the Sattelberg people’s abortive punitive expedition against (p.177.GNM) the Gaeng Hube.  As a sign of their victory, the Gaeng sent the Ono people a basketful of flesh of the slain Sattelbergers and said that the Sattelbergers on the coast should be dealt with in the same way.  So the Onos were strengthened in their old ways. 

In 1919 the missionaries decided to move their station inland one and one-half hours from Sialum.  Six evangelist stations were already established among the Ono.  A church for eight hundred people was erected.  After a short time the church was full on Sundays.  Fighting soon ceased.  Sialum was also awakened to mission duty through an accident at sea in which four men were lost.  They started two new helper stations.  (p.178.GNM).

A great movement was begun.  Magical and sorcery articles were destroyed in all villages.  (p.179.GNM)  Two old sorcerers who tried to revive their sorcery in Kukupko started a fire in which both burned to death.  This was looked upon by the people as a judgment.  But the Balum secret cult was still present.  Pele from Kip village was very much opposed to giving up Balum.  But the young people could not be held back.  In September, 1920 thirty houses were destroyed by fire in Sialum.  The people were greatly excited.  They called to one another, “the darkness is gone, it has become light.  In our many discussions we forget to act.  God himself drives us by means of fire to action.”  So they then took the bull-roarers of the Balum cult and swung them before the women and so revealed the secret.  (p.180.GNM)

In 1921, at the Christmas service, 1200 people were present.  One hundred and two shilling were given in the offering and one hundred and seventy-five asked for baptismal instruction.  (p.181.GNM).