Nake in Papua New Guinea

Introduction / History

The Nake are a small people group of Madang Province in Papua New Guinea, in the Hansemann Range area of the country's north coast hinterland. They belong to the wider Madang cultural region, where many small village communities developed with strong local identity, close kinship ties, and relative separation from neighboring groups. Their language is Nake, a Papuan language of the Hanseman branch within the Madang family, and outside linguistic sources place it among the Central Hansemann languages alongside Bagupi.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Nake likely live in the kind of inland village setting common to the Hansemann Range of Madang Province, where daily life is usually centered on small-scale gardening, local food gathering, and close clan and family obligations. In this kind of hill and mountain environment, communities often depend on root crops and other garden foods, with walking along local paths remaining important for movement between settlements where road access is limited. Homes are typically simple village houses built from local materials suited to a humid tropical environment. Because public ethnographic material specific to the Nake is limited, it is safest to place them within this broader Madang highland village context rather than claim narrow details that are not well documented. Their language in ordinary life is Nake.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Nake are identified as Christian, though some traditional ethnic religious influence may remain. Scripture portions are available in their language.

What Are Their Needs?

The Nake need spiritual depth so that Christian identity is matched by genuine repentance, biblical conviction, and obedience to Christ. Where there is a strong Christian base, the need is for healthy churches, faithful shepherds, sound teaching, and families that live out the gospel clearly. They need protection from nominal Christianity, compromise, and any lingering attachment to older spiritual loyalties. They also need renewed zeal to carry the gospel beyond their own community and to serve other ethnic groups with faithful witness.

Prayer Points

Pray that the Nake would grow in genuine repentance, biblical clarity, and joyful obedience to Jesus Christ.
Pray that pastors, elders, and other local leaders would teach Scripture faithfully and lead with humility and courage.
Pray that any remaining attachment to older spiritual practices would be fully surrendered to the lordship of Christ.
Pray for strong Christian families, healthy churches, and enduring discipleship among the Nake.
Pray that the Nake would actively reach out to other ethnic groups with the gospel and become a faithful witness beyond their own community.

Text Source:   Joshua Project