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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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'Bloodthirsty' New Guinea Tribesman Sues New Yorker

Tribe complains they were wrongly portrayed as murderous rapists and pig thieves

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(Newser) – A Papua New Guinea tribesman portrayed as a bloodthirsty, revenge-driven killer in a New Yorker article is seeking payback from the magazine, Forbes reports. A $10 million lawsuit charges that the story wrongly accuses Daniel Wemp and another tribesman of rape and murder when they had only been recounting traditional tall tales. A New Yorker spokeswoman said the magazine stands by the story.

"When foreigners come to our culture, we tell stories as entertainment," said a tribesman advising Wemp on legal issues. "Daniel's stories were not serious narrative, and Daniel had no idea he was being interviewed for publication. He has never killed anyone or raped a woman. He certainly has never stolen a pig."

A Papua New Guinea tribesman wears a mask during an initiation ritual.
A Papua New Guinea tribesman wears a mask during an initiation ritual.   (©tarotastic)
Rhonda Roland Shearer, director of the New York City-based Art Science Research Lab, dispatched researchers to Papua New Guinea who found the New Yorker article appeared to be untrue.
Rhonda Roland Shearer, director of the New York City-based Art Science Research Lab, dispatched researchers to Papua New Guinea who found the New Yorker article appeared to be untrue.   (©jurvetson)
A New Yorker story described a blood feud in Papua New Guinea's highlands leading to the death of 47 people and the theft of 300 pigs.
A New Yorker story described a blood feud in Papua New Guinea's highlands leading to the death of 47 people and the theft of 300 pigs.   (Shutter Stock)
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4 comments
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NutsInNY
Apr 22, 09 6:06 AM CDT
Those Manhattanites at the New Yorker have never understood the people of the outer boros. Reply
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Nwambe
Apr 22, 09 7:36 AM CDT
LOL! Well-played!
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Anonymous
Apr 22, 09 12:18 PM CDT
Yeah, it seems that most New Yorkers are ignorant idiots about anything outside of New York or any thing inside of the rural
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 22, 09 10:49 AM CDT
Okay Nuts,,, I like that. Reply
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