Please try to remember you are copying a significant cultural idea from another country, and the penultimate statement that you make "At this time, you can only NAB bilum bags in Paris" is a farce. Bilums are available anywhere in Papua New Guinea, and they are the genuine article...not some commercial tool for you guys. If you want a proper Bilum, I will send you one Gratis, so you can see how much personal effort goes into the creation of one.

Thanks,

Rick Brittain
(an expatriate working in PNG)
Cairns, Qld, Australia

I totally agree with Mr Rick Brittain. I am a Papua Niu Guinean, and I find it offensive that you are trying to steal this bilum idea from us. We have been making bilums of all types for a long time in the traditional way, and now you are making money from these plastic things. Please come to Papua Niu Guinea and buy real bilums from us if you want to sell them in Paris..or anywhere..these are the genuine bilums here.

Tenkyu tru, na lukim yu

Manu Isaac.

i dont understand the problem here, these are nothing like bilums, the name has simply been used. all these are are shoulder bags - which are not even woven... dont really understand the problem, im currently attempting to make a real bilum as a uni project an am finding it rather difficult so if any one from Papua New Guinee is reading this and could help with emailin me the techniques it would be very much appreciated!! x
-Sarah Barlow-
barlow_5arah@hotmail.com

Sarah,
My original concern was that the name "bilum" has basically been monopolized now, Internationally, and has been removed from it's PNG roots.
I actually met with Helene earlier this year, and found out that the company she operates is a predominently non-profit, recycling centre, using people with special needs to manufacture her bilums. Good luck to her, and I have no problem with that, and she is a genuine lady with genuine concerns for our planet.
I donated a couple of PNG bilums for her use, and she reciprocated with her bilums, which are certainly unique...but not genuine bilums as anyone who has spent time in PNG will tell you.
PNG stands for Papua New Guinea by the way..not Guinee. Some OZ universities obviously still have a lot to answer for.
Good luck with getting patterns/techniques for making your bilum...but it still won't be the genuine article. You cannot mimic culture...it's developed through centuries of trial and error.
Cheers,
Rick Brittain

OMG, NO WAY; not only do u guys wana steel our ideas, but u wana take the name with it!! Im from papua new guinea and i jus learnt how to make a bilum ( im quite young btw) and itz was soo difficult!!! I find it sooo wrong that u feel that u can just barge in like this and take our tradition for a light fashion accecsory which is in fact something with it's own SPECIFIC prupose. if ur going to take our idead at least tell the whole world about us and how u got ispired by our originality!!!!!! O yeh and giv us money too.hahaha
xoxoxox i hope u think about it ALOT

Hi I'm Johannah (12 years old) and I lived in Papua New Guinea for 3 and a half years, my Dad just went back and I'm at boarding school, and I know all to well about bilums.

These things that are supposedly bilums, are probably the biggest joke I've ever seen.Tthey don't at all look like bilums and they should have gotten their own name.

I'm currently doing an assignment on bilums and discovering this has really annoyed me.