The Trobriand Islanders

1. The Trobriand Islanders Island Exchange

2. Geography • Off the coast of Papua New Guinea • Composed of Four larger main islands and a large number of smaller satellite islands • Largest and most populated is Kiriwina • About 1200 people divided amongst 60 separate villages • Referred to as ‘Atolls’ • Means that the foundation of the island is composed of coral • Means the islands rise very low out of the water and are quite flat • May also refer to a full or partial lagoon being formed and surrounded by the island as well • Environment: • Hot and Humid constantly • Islands composed of and surrounded by coral reefs • Make for great fishing • Rise out of the water as well and extend out to around 6 miles from the gorgeous sand beaches

3. Contact • First contact occurred ~200 years ago • Whaling ships from the US visited as well around ~1850 • Big business at this time • Germans also interested as well • Wanted to purchase yams for shipment back to Europe • Up until 1975 the Trobriand Islands were governed by Australia until Papua New Guinea gained its independence • Now part of Papua New Guinea’s government • Allowed a great deal of freedom and independence though

4. Village Life • Houses are constructed in a rough circle in a large clearing • Living quarters consist of thatched huts • More modern ones may have metal roofs • Have a nice porch out front used for a multitude of purposes • In the center of all the huts are the large Yam storage huts • In the center so everyone can keep an eye on this precious commodity

5. Village Life • Village Attire: • Alternates between western wear and traditional skirts and cloths • First activities of the day are centered around gathering for women • Men hang out and chew Betel • A nut that contains caffeine

6. Village Life • For most of the year gardening and planting compose the rest of the day for both men and women • The evening is used as a relaxing social time for talking and gossiping • Actual nighttime is avoided as it is believed to be much more likely that you will become the victim of sorcery if out and about in the dark

7. EATS!! • Most important foods are Pork and Yams • Pork is only consumed as a ritual meal during important events • Yams eaten often and with almost every meal as well as during ritual occasions

8. EATS!! • There is also a great deal of variety as well because of the diverse environment: • Taro • Planted and harvested by both men and women • Corn • Squash • Tapioca • Bananas • Cassava • Beans • Breadfruit • Much of this other food is primarily grown or gathered by women

9. EATS!! • However, the largest quantity of daily protein comes from Fish • During calmer seas that occur at certain times of the year open sea fishing is practiced • During other times the calmer lagoons and bays that are present on many of the islands offer plentiful fishing • Large fishing parties of 30 canoes or more go out at a single time • Much of their catch will be sold or traded to others who cannot fish or live in the interior of the island

10. Yams • Very important part of Trobriand daily life • Tool for political and economic gain and serves a trading and wealth mechanism that allows individuals to rise to a higher status • Only raw yams are used for trade and exchange • Cannot be used in this manner after they’ve been cooked • Can be stored for a long time • ~6 months

11. Yams • There are different gardens used for yams that will be traded and yams that will be consumed • Amount planted is carefully planned out so that there will be enough for both uses • Stored in large Yam Houses in the center of the village

12. Yams • Planting and Harvesting • Very hard labor and lots of upkeep required • Typically only done by men • To start out boys must work for an older guy in his yam garden • As a reward the younger guy is given seeds to start his own garden • Then the harvest is given to the ‘Sponsor’ • Sometimes another garden will also be planted • The harvest from this garden will be given to the boys father • Allows the younger guy to claim and use parts of his fathers land

13. Yams • All of this hard work that is put into yam production is centered around women • Women are the ones who receive yams • They are the true owners of the yams throughout the entire process • After a harvest the yams will be shown off in the garden for a period of time • Then they are given to the woman the guy has been growing them for all this time • Small children will deliver the yams in baskets to the woman and her husband

14. Yams • They will be displayed in front of the couples yam house for a time before the guy who grew them comes to stack them in the hut • The size of a yam hut is representative of how important and wealthy you are • Larger hut means you have more surplus yams • The gardener is then repaid for his growing services with either pork or taro

15. Yams • This ritualized activity is a system of public exchange and is symbolic of the relationship between the two guys • The woman's husband and the guy who grew the yams • The two guys are linked together by the woman • The one who actually owns the yams • Great way to maintain social bonds in the community

16. Yams • Important notes!: • No guy can build his OWN yam house • It must be built by his wife's brother • It is a symbol that his wife's brother respects him • Not a universal rule, some men never get to this point • Men can only gain political influence and social power through his wife’s family • Because the wife is the one who owns the yams

17. Social Organization • Children: • Created as a spirit child that then enters a woman and grows • Naming: • Mother • Usually after a deceased relative • Helps to perpetuate the memory of her lineage • Father • Gets a name from his sister that is derived from her lineage as well • This is the common name that will be most frequently used

18. Social Organization • Children (cont) • The raising of children is a priority for everyone in the village • Elderly enjoy caring for babies while everyone else is off working

19. Social Organization • Fathers • A fathers responsibility includes making sure that the child has enough to eat and everything they will need to survive and grow, both in a materialistic sense and a social sense • Very involved in child rearing • When the child is weaned they start sleeping with their fathers rather than their mothers

20. Social Organization • Death • With all illness and death there is ill intent suspected • Someone wishes to hurt or damage the sick persons family • No concept of accidental death • Always murder • Upon death the village is separated into two ritual groups: Owners And Workers

21. Death • Owners • Part of the matrilineage • Cant touch the body • No public display of grief • Must take care of the logistical side • Distribution of possessions and repayments

22. Death • Workers • All others who may be associated • Before the actual death occurs the women of this group prepare the individual by bathing and ritually painting them • The women cry during this whole procedure • These workers wail and cry when death occurs • Very formalized and occurs throughout the day until the mortuary ceremonies

23. Death • Upon death: • Men sing and tell stories of the family history • Spouse goes into isolation for several months • After a number of offerings are brought to the Owners group from the spouses lineage the strict mourning rituals are gradually loosened • These taboos also apply in some way to the Worker group as well…not just to close family

24. Death • Workers will also be paid a small sum by the Owners for their participation in the ceremony • This is done with yams

25. Yam Competitions! • After the harvesting work is done for the year a small break is taken by the villagers • A series of contests takes place in some instances when there are enough resources (yams) available for the event

26. Yam Competitions! • Highly structured events that allow a villages chief to become more well known and to increase his standing/prestige amongst the other villages • These competitions are called Kayasa • The chiefs success in the competition directly reflects upon his family

27. Yam Competitions! • How it works: • The gardeners of each village compete with one another • Rewards are presented to those gardeners who produce an abundant crop • As the gardeners are rewarded they carry yams, pigs and betel nuts to other chiefs • Helps in maintaining good relations because it is expected that the other chief will reciprocate at some point in the future

28. Yam Competitions! • Alternatives: • If the harvest is not large enough or if there is some other reason that yams cannot be used for this then another type of competition will take place

29. DANCE COMPETITION!! • Nightly dances hosted by the chief of a village • All the single people from the island come to the party and find a sexual partner • Takes place for months • Culminates in a display of a variety of traditional dances • On this final night many other Trobrianders come to the party as well to watch

30. Women and Wealth • Women control a very special type of wealth in Trobriand society • They manufacture bundles and skirts out of banana leaves • These products are intricately related to both yams and the woman's lineage • These products are used as currency between women • Especially important when a woman dies • A great many of them will be distributed to the mourners (workers) • Men will receive these products only indirectly through their mothers or sisters

31. Women and Wealth • How are these bundles related to yams? • When someone dies in a woman's matrilineage she has to produce a great many bundles to distribute to the Workers • She cannot produce them all herself

32. Women and Wealth • Her husband must help her secure enough bundles • In exchange for the yams he has given his sisters (and their husbands) throughout the year, the sisters give the husband (and his wife) bundles that they have made • Other related females may also contribute as well • Men must also use other resources to secure enough bundles if necessary • Pigs or other family valuables are common • If the husband does not help his wife sufficiently then he will not receive as many yams the next year from her brother, who will not respect him as much as a result of his failure to provide for her

33. Women and Wealth • This is what instigates, in many respects, the massive yam production that takes place • Very intricate economic and social system of exchange and reciprocity • Must give in order to receive

34. Kula Ring • Very well known system of exchange within anthropology • Described by Malinowski in his pivotal ethnographic work entitled: Argonauts of the Western Pacific

35. Kula: How it Works • Centerpiece is the ritualized exchange of two different types of shells: • White Armshells • Called Mwali • These move in a counterclockwise fashion between villages and islands • Red Shell Necklaces • Called Bagi • These move in a clockwise fashion between villages and islands and take the exact same route as the Mwali, only in reverse

36. Kula: How it Works • This is a type of exchange that occurs regularly between all of the islands occupied by the Trobrianders • Takes around 2-5 years for the Kula shells to make it back to where they started from • The exchange is initiated when a group of men is organized by the village chief • This group will then sail to the closest neighboring island to continue the exchange

37. Kula: How it Works • IMPORTANT: They are not setting off to GIVE a Kula shell, but to RECEIVE one from the other village • Then other Kula partners will come to receive the shells • Can be as much as six months in between Kula expeditions • Its not a constant process…takes a long time

38. Kula: How it Works • There are many different Mwali and Bagi shells • Each one is evaluated for its history and beauty • You can gain prestige for having held a particularly awesome Kula shell

39. Kula: How it Works • Young men can begin to gain prestige by being asked to come on Kula expeditions • Get out there and make some contacts! • Have to be tutored and trained in the proper way to conduct Kula • Need to know the right routes and which way to go, etc.

40. Kula: How it Works • Also serves an important economic function: • Maintains close ties between trading partners and allows individuals to get supplies or other goods that they may need during the expedition

41. Modern Issues • Cricket • Introduced by missionaries as a way to divert the Trobrianders attention away from sex • Failed….obviously • Recognized as a fun game but they incorporated their own traditional sexuality into the game • Used either as a replacement for or as a compliment to the Yam Competitions

42. Modern Issues • Bronislaw Malinowski • One of the first to observe a particular group of people for an extended period of time over several years • First visited in 1914 • Some guiding principles: • Had to have a good rapport with the people you are studying that must be built up over a long period of time • Must interact in the language of the people as well • Some of Malinowski’s conclusions have fell by the wayside in modern anthropology • Particularly about the degree of importance women have in Trobriand society • But he still remains as a towering figure that helped anthropology evolve into a truly effective science

43. Modern Issues • Many Trobrianders have resisted change • Even under the pressure of WWII • Used to have a vibrant tourist economy in the 70’s but that has lessened to a degree • To some extent the traditional economy has been disrupted by the introduction of a cash based economy and the smaller amount of tourism that still persists • The Kula Ring has been disrupted to some extent with the introduction of new forms of transportation (motor boats, planes, etc) as well as new technology that allows for instant communication • Not as much of a need for long Kula expeditions to maintain relations when you can just call or send an email • Modern Trobriand Rejection of Tourism: • Trobrianders create songs and dances that are specifically designed to entertain foreign visitors • Sometimes mock the unaware visitors in their own language and through song during the performances • Interesting method of maintaining control and pride in a very difficult cultural situation