Landscape of Peace: Mechanisms of Social Control on Lamotrek Atoll, Micronesia

240 Pages·2014·10.782 MB·English

by  Kerstin J. S. Werle (auth.)

Landscape of Peace
Kerstin J. S. Werle
Landscape of Peace
Mechanisms of Social Control
on Lamotrek Atoll, Micronesia
Kerstin J. S. Werle
Heidelberg, Germany
ISBN 978-3-658-05831-9 ISBN 978-3-658-05832-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-05832-6
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ForYenHansYatilug
Acknowledgements
I have written the following acknowledgements directly after com-
pletingmythesis,notknowingyetwhetheritwouldpass.SincethenI
havecompletedmyPh.D.,mysecondchildwasborn,Irevisedmydis-
sertation to produce a more reader friendly version of the subject
matter,andmythirdchildwasborn.Whilepreparingthetextforthe
publishingcompanyIhave(again)foundNinaPoneleitasalong-term
friend from Heidelberg. I wish to express many thanks to Alexander
Opitz who with great tact and care produced the final layout of my
book. Susanne Ullrich from Springer showed a good eye on the ma-
nuscript. For giving me the feeling of familiarity, affinity, and to-
gethernessIthankEricMetzgarwhosupportedmyworkonthehome
straight. I hope this book will be of value to my Lamotrekese friends
and I thank them for their patience. I can hardly express my thanks
tomyfamilywhoencouragedmethewholetime:Thankyou!
I would not have been able to write my dissertation without the
help and commitment of many people to whom I would like to ex-
pressmygratitudeinquasi-chronologicalorder.Iammuchobligedto
Professor Dr. Ute Hüsken who initially paved my way to Heidelberg.
Dr. Susanne Kühling generously shared her professional insights with
me,whilehersonLeonKegalaiKühlingwasadearfriend.Susannelet
me read her diary when I had not even started to write mine. Hope-
fully we will one day be on par professionally with each other as col-
leagues and can become friends. Professor Dr. Jürg Wassmann was a
very broad-minded doctoral thesis supervisor and I appreciated his
support. Professor Donald Rubinstein, PhD, encouraged me and inspi-
red my interest in Micronesia and ethnopsychology in numerous
ways, as visiting professor in Heidelberg as well as when he made
contact to Lamotrek for both me and my husband. Dr. Carmen Petro-
viii Acknowledgements
sian-Husa and PD Dr. Verena Keck were the first to guide my profes-
sional interest in the Caroline Islands area. Jeff Marck, PhD, sparked
my linguistic studies, and Sesario Sigam tutored my language lear-
ning.
I cordially remember the hospitality at Ngira Kautechang Bince
Blaiyok’sandDiraUcheliouJeanetteBlaiyok’shouseinPalau.Bedochel
Fleming’sprogressintheGermanlanguagemademefeelathome.
The Council of Tamol (Council of Chiefs) on Yap allowed my rese-
arch on Lamotrek, and Larry Raigetal facilitated my work on both is-
lands. My gratitude to the rei metau (people of the sea) can hardly be
put into words. Still I would like to address my friends:Sirowreimwa-
reimereimelap,sirowreimauwesh!GaangiuKerstinmefitiyeiJens,gamam
gaikaitefageoiugami!Gamigaigiula:Lamochegelaplansewbwabior?Yetai
mwel! Book we yai gitigiti. Tai yoore toulap fiyango. Bwe gaangiu i mangi:
Lamocheglanbunei–ila! I am deeply indebted to Elizabeth Leyaroferig
fortryingtomakeagoodLamotrekeseofme.SpecialthanksgotoPe-
tera Legagileisug for communicating the concept of reepiy to me. Xa-
vier Yarofalyango Yamada gloriously managed to translate culture,
talk and feelings between all research partners and friends – many
thanks for your commitment. My brother Robert Yetigral Yamada
wasthebestfieldassistantthatIhaveeverknown.
Manuel Rauchholz generously shared his intimate knowledge of
the Micronesian culture area with me. Katharina Stockhaus-White
was my dear colleague back in Germany, and she helped me out in
many ways. I will always remember her parcel which I received on
Lamotrek. Martin Schneider is my fellow doctoral candidate, and I
enjoyedBrittaTaragusogMansfeld’svisitsinPalauandYap.
IthankmyfatherAlfredMaelickeforhissubstantialfinancialsup-
port throughout my studies, for his contributions to my fieldwork
equipment and help during the final months of writing. His home li-
brary encouraged my interest in research ever since I can remember,
for it is a kaleidoscope of worlds with each book encapsulating a
world of its own. My parents-in-law are always there for me and my
family, thank you Margit and Emil Werle. I dearly appreciate the Co-
les’dependabilityandfriendshipandMaraGwenCole’scolleagueship.
Acknowledgements ix
It would go beyond the scope of these acknowledgements to ex-
pressallmythankstoCyrillaMaelicke.Shenotonlysupportedmefi-
nancially throughout my studies and fieldwork, but also cared for me
emotionally. My mother in my view is the godmother of my thesis:
shegavelifetomeandnurturedmydissertation.Mylanguage,there-
fore,isherEnglish.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Illustrations xiii
Figures,ListsandMaps xv
Introduction 1
PartI
WashingAwayOurLavalava?
Women,TraditionandPoweronLamotrekAtoll 19
TheImportanceoftheLavalavaonLamotrek 21
GenderRolesandPicturesofAgeing 28
TheMaternalRealm:likoa(babygirl)andsaugaaw(babyboy) 33
BeginningBeforeLifeStarts:
ThePracticeofAdoptiononLamotrek 39
“YouFirstLearntoStarttheFire”:Girls’ChoresonLamotrek 43
MovingDown,BecomingaWoman 48
TheValueofWomen 53
AWomanReports 58
TheValueofTeor(Lavalava) 60
SovereignShoabutTugufaiy(OldLadies) 70
PartII
ThePlaceofFaith:ALamotrekeseCaseofLandscaping 79
LandscapeasanAreaofUnspoiledNature 81
LandscapeasCultivatedNature 84
Lamotrek:TopographyandLandscape 89
xii Contents
Art,ScienceandLandscape 96
LandscapeandAnthropology 100
TheAnthropologyofLandscapeasReflexiveTheory 105
LandscapeinAnthropologicalPractice 107
Building(the)Place:LamotrekeseLandscape
andInitiationintotheAdultCatholicCommunity 110
DefiningSpaces 120
ContactsinSeclusion 122
EntryoftheInitiatedandReturntoSociety 126
Follow-up 129
PartIII
EmotionalLandscapes:TheConstructionofRealityinConflict 135
TheCultureofEmotions 136
EmotionswithintheFramework
oftheCultural-AnthropologicalConceptofLandscape 141
CultureasaProcessofCollectiveLocalisation 145
EmotionsasExpressionofSocialNorms 148
AnExtended-CaseonLamotrek 153
PlacesasTriggersforSociallyAdequateEmotionalConduct 165
NormsandIndividualAmbivalenceinPractice 170
PartIV
SocialControlonLamotrek:
PeaceasGender-andAge-relatedIssue 177
“TheChiefsAreWeak!”:TheFigureoftheChiefasaParadox 186
TheEconomyoftheClanSystem:PartnershipandProperty 191
KnowledgeasProperty 197
Conclusion 205
Glossary 213
Bibliography 217