Cultural Anthropology_ Film Sheet.pdf - Austriana...

Austriana Podeszwick
“The Kawelka: Ongka’s Big Moka” Film sheet
1) Ongka prepares for the big Moka by gathering pigs. “Pigs are their strong things and it’s
pigs that keeps them going.” They feel they need pigs for everything. Pigs are used for
numerous things including, moka, to pay for troubles, to get wives. If you don't have pigs
you’re considered “rubbish” or ”a nobody.” Another way in which Ongka gets ready for the
big Moka is by going off to the Jimmy Valley two days walk away to get new feathers for his
headdress and to chase up a forty pig investment. The Moka is important to Ongka because
only by giving his big Moka can he enfame and status for his tribe and for himself. It’s also
important to him because according to him, he has to make gifts a given and some years later
they shall be repaid with interest. Ongkha uses different skills such as speechmaking to
prepare for the Ongka. At one stage of his speech Ongka said, “Mens house had fallen down,
young girls breast fallen, young man's beard grew long.
2) Small moka ceremonies included them actually receiving the pigs. There are many rituals
present during the small Mokas. The first small moka that took place was to feed pigs into the
system. While the pigs are tied up into the shade, the donors put on their bird-of-paradise