In the early part of the 20th century, Bronislaw Malinowski, an Anthropologist and Austrian national began his study of a group of people in the Kiriwina Islands of New Guinea. It was the time of World War I and since he was considered an enemy alien he was kept where he was within the British colony of New Guinea. This gave Malinowski the time and ability to fully immerse himself into the culture of the Trobrianders.
The Boyowans, as they call themselves, live in a group of islands just north of the eastern tip of New Guinea and speak a language called Kiriwinian, which is very similar to the dialects spoken on the Woodlarks, Marshall Bennetts, and Laughlin Islands. The population has remained fairly constant within 10,000 -11,000 since 1963. There are reportedly about 80 named villages throughout the whole of the islands and an average of 89 people per village.
The diet of Trobriand society consists of taro, yams, coconut, sugarcane, bananas, shellfish, fish, and Torres Straight pigeons. There is only one prepared meal of the day. This is prepared at night after the gardening has been finished. The dinner can include taro, yams and occasionally fish, fowl, pork or eggs. During the day, the islanders gather mangoes, bananas and breadfruit. During continuous crop failure there may be consumption of any food available including that which is commonly thought of as disgusting or non- consumable including the stingray or bush pig which is taboo and only the lowest classes will eat. Oranges, mandarins, nuts, maize, oysters, clams, prawns, and other shellfish is a secondary food source. Betel, chewed with lime, is the popular stimulant.
The highest ranks within Trobriand society are those of Chief, Sorcerer, and Garden Magician. The Garden Magician controls the work of the people and the forces of nature through hereditary complex magics handed down to him through his mothers line. He uses this knowledge to perform rituals that correlate with every part of the garden work. There is a predominant communal labor exchange which takes place and is an important element during the harvest. The person who is having their crop harvested will gladly pay the workers with food and be generous so that he yields a larger and healthier crop, gaining a higher status. This is because there is competition between all farmers to have the highest yield for their crop.
The houses of the Trobrianders are made of rectangular log frames covered with pitched, thatched roofs which can reach to the ground. Yam storage houses are commonly across from the dwelling, built on piles and are more complex than the individuals dwelling. The chiefs dwelling is situated in the center of the village and is usually decorated with painted boards. There is a community ceremonial area used for everyone within the village during important rituals. Adolescent and unmarried adult males and females live in bachelor houses away from their natal families.
There are between 30-50 sub-clans within the matrilineal Trobriand society. A sub-clan is tied together by a common ancestress who is thought to have come through a specific hole in the earth rather than being born. The original location of the sub-clan is where the ancestress is thought to have come out of the earth. The sub-clans are ranked and each dominant sub-clan runs a certain village or villages. The chief of a village is the oldest male of that sub-clan.
While the society is matrilineal, residence of a married couple is patrilocal. Wives are newcomers to their husbands village. When a man has reached maturity he goes to live in the village of his uncle, his mothers brother, who has been the one legally responsible for him throughout his life. The father has a warm and pleasant relationship with his children though he has no legal responsibility for them. A father is not thought to be the person responsible for impregnating his wife. There is a spirit that will come into the womb of his wife and find residence there, eventually being birthed, but males and sex is not seen in direct correlation of pregnancy.
The practice of the Kula Ring is seen as one of the more important traditions within Trobriand life. The ring is the series of islands that men from different villages visit to trade small trinkets and goods with those of distant islands. Arm shells and shell necklaces are seen as small worthless trinkets to many early Europeans, but they help maintain contact and friendships in distant places. During times of Kula trade, any animosity or war with other villages or sub-clans are suspended in respect for this tradition.
By Joseph Finn
Sources:
http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7877
Christensen, Alec. http://anthropology.about.com/science/anthropology/library/weekly/aa090400a.htm?terms=Trobrianders