Stone Maidens

Cannibalism among Indigenous tribes in Papua New Guinea has been historically misunderstood and often exaggerated by outsiders. While some groups practiced ritualistic cannibalism, these customs were deeply tied to spiritual and social beliefs rather than senseless violence. In certain cases, consuming the flesh of enemies was believed to transfer power or serve as an act of vengeance. Some groups, like the Fore people, practiced endocannibalism, consuming small portions of deceased relatives as part of mourning rituals. This tradition unintentionally contributed to the spread of kuru, a fatal prion disease linked to the consumption of human brain tissue, leading to the widespread abandonment of the practice by the 1960s.

Throughout the 20th century, western explorers, missionaries, and colonial administrators often sensationalized reports of cannibalism, using them to justify missionary interventions and colonial control. Early European narratives framed Indigenous peoples as “savages,” and later ethnographers sometimes misinterpreted or exaggerated cultural practices, reinforcing persistent stereotypes. Today, anthropologists emphasize the importance of understanding these practices in their historical and cultural contexts rather than viewing them as markers of barbarity. However, throughout Stone Maidens, protagonist Christine Prusik—a professional anthropologist working with the FBI—repeats harmful stereotypes suggesting that the practice of cannibalism reflects the supposedly “savage” nature of Indigenous people. In reality, it is unlikely that Prusik would have encountered violent tribes practicing cannibalism as a graduate student in Papua New Guinea in the late 20th century. Richards’s use of sensationalized language related to cannibalism among Indigenous tribes contributes to the stigmatization of Indigenous people in Papua New Guinea.