The upe (or upi) is a traditional

headdress Headgear, headwear, or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, d ...

worn by men in parts of Bougainville (an autonomous region of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

) to symbolise their transition to adulthood. The term is also used to refer to the process of undergoing the transition and to the initiates themselves. The upe is the central figure of the flag of Bougainville and forms the crest of the emblem of Bougainville. It is made of tightly wound straw. According to the ''

Papua New Guinea Post-Courier The ''Papua New Guinea Post-Courier'' is a newspaper based in Konedobu, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It was established on 30 June 1969. Its parent company, The Herald and Weekly Times (later purchased by News Corp Australia), had acquired w ...

'', the tradition is practised on

Buka Island Buka Island is the second-largest island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, in eastern Papua New Guinea. It is in Buka Rural LLG of North Bougainville District, with the Autonomous Region's and district's capital city of Buka on th ...

and in the Bougainville Island districts of Selau, Wakunai and Teua. Upes spend as long as three years undergoing initiation rites in a "school" or "college", located in a remote region. They learn traditional customs including medicine, fishing, hunting, gardening, and singing. During this time women are forbidden to see them. During the 2019 independence referendum, upes were authorised to vote at special male-only polling stations to avoid being seen by women. Election officials "hiked for two hours into the jungle to collect the votes".

References

{{Hats Hats Autonomous Region of Bougainville