Download a PDF of this paper - Trobriand Islands

1 The Yam Haus, Ensisi Valley, P O Box 395, UNIVERSITY POST OFFICE, National Capital District,
Papua New Guinea. Cell phone: (675) (675) 76092367; Email: digimrls@yahoo.com.au or,
dlinusk@upng.ac.pg
2 This paper is derived from an original draft that had a greater depth and comparative discussion on
election-related ‘politics’ in the region.
3 Dinnen (2001) describes such as ‘materialstic’, been one of the three tendencies contributing towards
election related violence in PNG.
4 There was widespread speculation during the elections that NA party had sponsored two candidates for
the Kiriwina-Goodenough seat, and that one was official while the other was through furtive financial
assistance.
5 The ‘support base’ strategy did not escape censure either. The style generated a good measure of scorn
amongst voters as it smacks of arrogance, which is contra to the Massim-wide decorum on humility and
regard of others.
6 Experiences from the Kiriwina-Goodenough Seat in 2007, registered candidates misappropriating the
cultural contexts of mortuary rituals like Khatuvivisa. After the death of a person a place/village is
generally under some modest prohibition from major formal gatherings and ceremonies until such time that
the kin of the deceased formally release the place from such terminal interdiction through a modest feast.
Whether oblivious to the procedure or not, some uncouth candidates who were unrelated to the deceased
proceeded to publicly present cash with verbal invocation of khatuvivisa context over say a big man’s
death. Whether this was a blatant ‘invention of tradition’ or, privately communicated and compelled by the
kin of the deceased, who are the voters themselves, remains speculative. What was clear however was that
the candidate operated out of cultural context and hence the cash was merely to please listeners and/or buy
votes. A particular candidate nonetheless got it right, as he was directly related to two recent deaths of two
of his relatives in two separate villages. He was in the right as per his kinship obligations by proceeding
with khatuvivisa prior to his campaign presentation.
7 Loani Henao, a well known lawyer with several attempts in the national elections as a candidate gave an
enlightening paper on the role of the Church during national elections. He cited several cases of overt
manipulation by the Church to influence voters and candidates alike and even demand cash payments for
votes from candidates (Wagani Seminar, August 2008, University of Papua New Guinea).
8 Ms. Rudd is a successful young entrepreneur on the island with a thriving trade store business at the main
entrance to Losuia government station. She is of a mixed parentage between a naturalized citizen of
Australian origin, and a local mother from Pari village in the Central province. Ms. Rudd however gained
her primary education on the island of Kiriwina, speaks the local language fluently, and audaciously
displays herself a very passionate Trobriand Islander.
9 Half/quarter blood or, naturalized are convenient categories used to assist us explain and understand a
developing phenomenon. Strictly speaking however, no one is pure blooded, so to speak. We all are half
here, quarter there, and perhaps third over there. For our purpose, skin color and historical vicissitudes have
played a part in defining our personhood and images held by others. This is indeed no slight, certainly with
no malice and innuendos intended rather terms introduced merely as tools of observation over a particular
perspective. Deep down a lot of these people so described are as good Milne Bays as are the so-called full
blooded autochthones.
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