Bilas Peles: A Visual Expression of the Relationship with the Environment
Bilas Peles is an expression in Tok Pisin, a language widely spoken in Papua New Guinea and the primary means of communication among people from different language groups in many parts of New Ireland. The expression brings together two words: bilas, associated with ideas of adornment, decoration, and beauty, and peles, a local form of ples, meaning “place” or “land.” Bilas is also the word used for the ornaments and other elements that make up the attire worn during celebrations and ceremonies.
In this sense, Bilas Peles can be understood literally as “adorned land” or “decorated place.” In New Ireland, however, the expression is also used to describe the beauty of the place itself—its islands, forests, rivers, beaches, reefs, and the diversity of forms and colors found in the environment.
The photographs on this page draw on this expression to show some of that diversity. They were taken during different periods I spent in New Ireland and range from expansive landscapes to small animals, plants, and other elements that often go unnoticed in everyday life.
Horned sea star (Protoreaster sp.), commonly found in the shallow, sandy waters of New Ireland (Photo: da Silva, 2024)
New Ireland’s landscape is shaped by tropical forests, rivers, beaches, and extensive coral reefs across islands that are home to a rich diversity of animals and plants, including species endemic to the region. This diversity is also part of the everyday life of local communities, reflected in practices related to fishing, agriculture, and the use of plants, as well as in the knowledge and stories passed down between generations.
Land, Histories, and Ways of Life
At dusk, especially during low tide, fishers can often be seen walking across the reefs along the coast of New Ireland with their spears, searching for fish in the shallow waters. (Photo: da Silva, 2022)
Blue sea star (Linckia laevigata), commonly found in shallow waters around the islands of New Ireland (Photo: da Silva, 2019)
A skink of the genus Emoia resting on a branch at night. These small lizards are commonly found among the vegetation in villages and forested areas. (Photo: da Silva, 2023)
Jewel bug (Scutelleridae), with the striking metallic colors characteristic of this group of insects (Photo: da Silva, 2016)
During the period when I was conducting research with the Nalik people, I heard different accounts of how observing birds is part of everyday life. In conversations with community leaders and local residents, some species were described as timekeepers, or markers of time, because their calls are often heard at particular times during the night and in the early hours of the morning. Even before dawn, these vocalizations can mark the passing hours, something that, as people explained to me, has been observed across generations.
One example is the zizilipak, the Nalik name for the Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). During conversations in the villages of Madina and Luapul, residents mentioned that its call is often heard before dawn, frequently between three and four in the morning. A bird commonly found around people’s homes thus becomes a reference for telling time through the observation of its habits.
Male Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) photographed in New Ireland. The species shows pronounced sexual dimorphism: males have predominantly green plumage, while females are mainly red and blue (Photo: da Silva, 2014)
Timekeepers:
Telling Time through the
Rhythms of the Environment
Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). In addition to being considered a timekeeper, this bird also appears in local narratives and songs. In some of these songs, the Willie Wagtail is described as a messenger of the ancestors and the spirit world . [Photo: da Silva, 2023).
White-lipped tree frog (Litoria infrafrenata) resting beneath the leaves of a shrub during the day. One of the largest tree frog species, it is commonly found on the islands of New Ireland. According to people I spoke with in the local communities, seeing one of these frogs can be interpreted as a sign that an important message is about to arrive. (Photo: da Silva, 2016)
Environment, Stories, and Knowledge
Fissoa River, in Fissoa village. An important source of fresh water for local residents, the river is part of everyday community life and is used both for daily activities and as a place for gathering and recreation. (Photo: da Silva, 2022)
Animals, plants, and other elements of the environment appear in many of the stories, songs, and forms of knowledge shared within the communities. Some are connected to the names and histories of particular places; others refer to ancestors, clans, and the relationships people maintain with specific places. Some animals are associated with clan ancestry, just as trees, streams, caves, and other places feature in narratives told by community members.
Plants and animals are also part of the knowledge learned and shared in everyday life, through gardening, fishing, food preparation, and local ways of recognizing and naming what is found around the villages. Many of the conversations that enriched my fieldwork began precisely through these everyday encounters. A bird near the houses, a plant found along the way, a walk to a garden, or passing by a stream or beach could lead to a story, the name of a place, the memory of an ancestor, or an explanation of local knowledge. In these situations, the environment is not simply a landscape, but becomes part of the ways in which stories, memories, and knowledge about places are shared.
Flower of Barringtonia asiatica. The flowers of this tree open at nightfall and last only a few hours, long enough to be visited by bats, which are responsible for their pollination. Different parts of the plant contain saponins, toxic compounds traditionally used in some fishing practices. (Photo: da Silva, 2022)
Ienusa Island, in an area inhabited by the Nochi people. The island is associated with a traditional story about a pig named Luganga, which was included in the collaborative book Voices of New Ireland: Kun and Nochi Wisdom, developed during my doctoral research. (Photo: da Silva, 2022)
Cláudio da Silva
Research, Education, and Lived Experiences in Papua New Guinea
claudio@clausilva.eu
© 2026 Cláudio da Silva