ANTH 203
October 15, 2015
Ongka’s Big Moka
(abridged by N. Hayashi)
Let’s watch this video as if you are visiting Ongka’s village.
Setting
: The
Kawelka
tribe of the highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Characters
:
Ongka – Main character, ‘Big Man’ i.e., the head of the
Kawelka
tribe
Rumbicore – Ongka’s favourite wife
Perua – A member of the Papua New Guinea National Assembly, a Big Man of the
Tongka
tribe
Raima – Ongka’s rival, an aspiring Big Man in the
Kawelka
tribe (does not appear in this abridged
version.)
What is happening in the video
:
Ongka is trying to arrange a
moka
– a festive ceremony. The guests will
be the neighbouring tribe,
Tongka
, who hosted a
moka
10 years ago and gave the
Kawelka
400 pigs. So, this
time, Ongka wants to give away more pigs and other valuables, including a motorbike. Originally, Ongka’s moka
had been planned for the year before; however, his plan did not come to fruition. The video shows how exacting
and nerve-wracking it is to persuade people to gather pigs. In this type of community, a leader like Ongka is
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- Summer '19
- Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Papua New Guinea, New Guinea, Ongka, Port Moresby, big moka, Moka
