The Kaluli are a clan of indigenous peoples who live in the rain forests of the Great Papuan Plateau in Papua New Guinea.

Their numbers are thought to have declined precipitously following post-contact disease epidemics in the 1940s, and have not rebounded due to high infant mortality rates and periodic influenza outbreaks.

The origin of the name with the addition of the suffix -li the word Kaluli directly translates to “real people of Bosavi.” The Kaluli has a population of 2,000 to 12,000 people that reside in the tropical rainforest in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, on the Great Papuan Plateau near Mt.

Enemies on the attack were on unfamiliar turf, with no knowledge, of which ridges and trails might be well-suited for a defender to hide behind in ambush.”[3] Longhouses are used to demonstrate their connection to their land, which is a big part of their culture.

The first group of Europeans traveled to Papua New Guinea in 1934, bringing trade goods such as knives, mirrors, beads, and pearl shells.

An ongoing threat regardless of public health programs, infant mortality and influenza epidemics sweeps the lowlands.

The interior of a longhouse is not separated by gender whereas the women, children, and piglets are not co-signed to a specific space, they sleep in the passageways down the sides.

Everyday life of the Kaluli people has been characterized by ethnolinguists as overtly centered on verbal interaction (in comparison to middle-class Anglo cultures).

[2] Spoken language is used as the primary explicit method of communicating desires, expression of thought, control and appeal.

to describe the difficulty of meta-pragmatic-analysis in linguistics—in that many ethnographers, linguists, and anthropologists are biased towards their own culture—and to lobby for a more comparative approach.

The Kaluli trade with both other tribes and in their community, which revolves primarily around life-cycle and political activity.

[3] Long-standing trade with people in the north, and recently established in the east, different regions of Papua New Guinea provide different goods.

From the west came hornbill beaks and strings of dog's teeth, the south brought tree oil.

Their main trade partners were the Huli in the highlands, which provided salt, tobacco, and aprons from woven net.

"The forest provides materials for constructing longhouses and fences...most elaborate items of manufacture are the extravagant costumes for ceremonial occasions.

The male relationships are based on reciprocity and obligation in order to accomplish demanding tasks, such as hunt large forest game, cutting down trees, clearing plots for the gardens, and building dams and fences.

Marriage is a lifelong exchange with a gift or bridewealth and brings food and hospitality across clans.

[8] The Kaluli are intimate with their land, giving unique names to their trees, rivers, and streams.

Fish are in abundance, and a small number of pigs are domesticated; however, their dependence on forest foods contributes to their low population density.

Food is key to making this element work; it is a primary way of relating to children and showing affection.