What function does a Moka serve in Kawelka society?

Answer 1

05.10.2012

History of Anthropology

Reflective essay by Michael Moshchenko

"Ongka's Big Moka" & "Kula trade"

It is hard to imagine a tribe or a country without any trade or exchange systems. Many years ago, when people did not have a stable system for trade it was hard to live and develop. So people developed a trading system or some sort of exchange of goods. Every country has its own way of trading that has been developed from a simple one. For example the Trobriand Islanders of the east coast of New Guinea have developed a sort of trade system that helps people of every island to be united and friendly to each other. The unification is not the only outcome of this trading system. For example in the Kawelka tribe of Papua New Guinea, big Moka is a very organized system to show the superiority of one tribe to others. Although people of those systems know the importance of it by what they observe, system by itself develops into something big, beyond their understanding. These two systems are very different but also very similar to each other because of their outcomes and core ideas. It is easier to find the differences by first covering each one of these two systems and finding their greater idea in the societies where they appeared.

Kula exchange system have been describes as system of exchange involves annual inter-island visits between trading partners who exchange highly valued shell ornaments and other goods. First description about the Kula exchange system has been given by Bronislaw Malinowski in 1922 when he went to the Trobriand Islanders of the east coast of New Guinea to constitute the subjects of one of the earliest works of ethnography and economic anthropology in that area. First of all Kula is the form of exchange between islands of the east coast of New Guinea that incorporates the exchange of necklaces and bracelets. These things are used for rituals and ceremonies.

• Arm-shells are cone-shaped shells without the top and bottom.

• Necklets are small discs of red spondylus shells.

They were using Arm-shells and Necklets mostly on big occasions such as ceremonial dance or big gathering. It is very important for participants of Kula festival or big ceremony to wear arm-shells and necklets. And It also interesting that if you ask them, is it your arm-shell or necklets, big percentage of people will say "no" because when they go to a big occasion they don't have to decorate themselves but actually parents or friends should decorate them using their arm-shells and necklets.

Kula is a ceremonial object for all people who involved in it. For participants of the Kula this occasion exist only for the sake of rituals; they have no idea about how it all works, rules which they follow, and that it is an institution that is less of sociological function. It is really interesting that Kula is a sort of economical institution and that we cannot call it primitive. Kula concerns on exchanging of wealth and utilities and supports the main ideas of its existence.

Unlike Kula big occasion Moka is proving the idea of superiority through these rituals. When Big Man like Ongka receives an advertisement to the ceremony to receive big amount of pigs, money and other goods he becomes less superior. So he starts his own Moka and replies them by giving much more pigs and money then he received. As Ongka said in reply to his ceremony "Now that I have given you these things, I have won . . . I have knocked you down by giving so much". What we see here is not only traditions and customs to conduct this ceremony but a big meaning. To show their power among everyone else they give their help to others which is great. If we use this way of showing the power in our urbanized countries and cities we will be more tolerant proving that we are more powerful. America shows its power through commercials and other sort of media which is bad, because it's a "show off".

Moka and Kula have a lot of similarities and also have very distinctive meanings too. People of these two cultures could be characterized as similar in their intentions toward other people. They want to conduct a very close relationship and not by "show off" but through big coalitions that gather people. Kula gathers even island and not just people.