Comments on: The return of tradition in plastics http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/ a community of critics committed to putting people first Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:59:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: michel fanton http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/comment-page-1/#comment-175 michel fanton Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:29:59 +0000 http://themelanesian.org/?p=164#comment-175 Hello from Byron Bay australia we are about to arrive in POM and have only the Comfort Inn in Boroko lined up. We would be after accommodation in POM with melanesian if possible. that is for two weeks. we are the founder of a small ngo seedsavers.net. we condider renting a flat or a room. or share. we come to POM to present our film/meetings with NGO and GO and shoot some more We produced a documentary for the people of the Pacific exclusively with a dubbed version in Pigin, that was released late 2008. Let me know if you are interested to use it. PLEASE SEE THE FIRST THREE MINUTES ON YOUTUBE.COM/SEEDSAVERS or http://masalai.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/a-seedy-movie/ we are due to leave for PNG on Feb 15th to present the film to gov and ngo civil societies. Michel Fanton Hello from Byron Bay australia
we are about to arrive in POM and have only the Comfort Inn in Boroko lined up.
We would be after accommodation in POM with melanesian if possible. that is for two weeks. we are the founder of a small ngo seedsavers.net.
we condider renting a flat or a room. or share.
we come to POM to present our film/meetings with NGO and GO and shoot some more

We produced a documentary for the people of the Pacific exclusively with a dubbed version in Pigin, that was released late 2008. Let me know if you are interested to use it.

PLEASE SEE THE FIRST THREE MINUTES ON YOUTUBE.COM/SEEDSAVERS
or http://masalai.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/a-seedy-movie/

we are due to leave for PNG on Feb 15th to present the film to gov and ngo civil societies.

Michel Fanton

]]> By: James http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/comment-page-1/#comment-85 James Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:04:16 +0000 http://themelanesian.org/?p=164#comment-85 Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James. Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.

]]> By: Andrew http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Andrew Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:35:55 +0000 http://themelanesian.org/?p=164#comment-84 Josh, Thanks for extending this discussion along another intellectual trajectory and for the interesting references as well. The original news article indicated that it was for economic reasons that is compelling Solomon Islanders to resort to the use of these plastic shells. I do not know if the reasons for the use of these shell money is same or different. But we hope that appropriate legislative mechanisms are put in place to secure the interest of the local people in Solomon Islands. And certainly Vanuatu has been very very examplary in many of those things deal with kastom. I was reading the Vanuatu Daily Post over the weekend I learnt alot from one of its articles written about kastom wok there. I think I will take it up at some point as a matter of discussion here. Josh,

Thanks for extending this discussion along another intellectual trajectory and for the interesting references as well. The original news article indicated that it was for economic reasons that is compelling Solomon Islanders to resort to the use of these plastic shells. I do not know if the reasons for the use of these shell money is same or different. But we hope that appropriate legislative mechanisms are put in place to secure the interest of the local people in Solomon Islands. And certainly Vanuatu has been very very examplary in many of those things deal with kastom. I was reading the Vanuatu Daily Post over the weekend I learnt alot from one of its articles written about kastom wok there. I think I will take it up at some point as a matter of discussion here.

]]> By: Joshua http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Joshua Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:43:59 +0000 http://themelanesian.org/?p=164#comment-81 Andrew - thanks for this post, it couldn't be more timely. I completely agree with you about the manifold issues at play with Chinese manufacturing plastic shell beads, the resilience of the tabu and what you and others have said about the power and value - emotionally, morally, socially, culturally and spiritually - of locally made valuables from and locally derived materials. Pei-yi Guo (http://idv.sinica.edu.tw/peiyiguo/English/indexen.htm), who has done extensive work on Langalanga clear demonstrates the importance of these forms. Without wishing to undercut the urgency of the situation, it is useful to remember Nick Thomas' comment in Entangled Objects that 'Just because black bottles were given, does not mean that black bottles were received.' One wonders how these plastic beads are seen and evaluated locally, whether they have the same value as the shell beads and how they as materials will play out in the long term (plastic after all cracks and splits). Another issue here also seems to be our, and their definitions of the local or what Strathern would frame as the extent or rather where they cut their network. My comments are not meant to undercut the tangible economic and social issues at play with the Chinese undercutting local processes of shell valuable manufacture but rather to say that Solomon Islanders, and Pacific communities more widely, have historically been resilient and continue to be so when faced with foreign introductions. Perhaps this is overly an optimistic view engendered by my Euroamerican academic perspective, but I take some hope out of the reliance of the tabu, and the fact that in the past Solomon Islanders knowingly used ceramic copies of their valuables without losing the pre-existing system in which they played a fundemental role. Steven Becks, a maritime archaeologist, has this useful website - http://www.faess.jcu.edu.au/homepages/staff/SteveBeck/index.htm - which gives images of ceramic copies of dog's teeth and shell vaulables from a 1893 ship wreck, which was returning 84 Islanders to the Solomon Islanders. See also this article: Gesner, P. (1991). "A Maritime Archaeological Approach to the Queensland Labour Trade." Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology 15(2): 15-20. These ceramic items entered into circuits of exchange through the labour trade, and as these maritime materials suggest were willingly introduced by islanders. In colonial Papua people bought and sold shell valuables in Moresby, which they then used in coastal networks up into the Purari Delta of the Papuan Gulf. One wonders what local hierachies these returning labourers were trying to displace or rather enter into through their introduction. At issue is what relationships these objects engender. So, while the logic of these plastic beads are different in their imposition, my hope is that communities local manufacture will not collapse, and that Solomon Island legislation will be enacted to help stem the influx of these materials. The Vanautu Cultural Center provides a wonderful example of what can happen (http://www.vanuatuculture.org/trm/index.shtml). Em tasol! Andrew – thanks for this post, it couldn’t be more timely. I completely agree with you about the manifold issues at play with Chinese manufacturing plastic shell beads, the resilience of the tabu and what you and others have said about the power and value – emotionally, morally, socially, culturally and spiritually – of locally made valuables from and locally derived materials. Pei-yi Guo (http://idv.sinica.edu.tw/peiyiguo/English/indexen.htm), who has done extensive work on Langalanga clear demonstrates the importance of these forms. Without wishing to undercut the urgency of the situation, it is useful to remember Nick Thomas’ comment in Entangled Objects that ‘Just because black bottles were given, does not mean that black bottles were received.’ One wonders how these plastic beads are seen and evaluated locally, whether they have the same value as the shell beads and how they as materials will play out in the long term (plastic after all cracks and splits). Another issue here also seems to be our, and their definitions of the local or what Strathern would frame as the extent or rather where they cut their network. My comments are not meant to undercut the tangible economic and social issues at play with the Chinese undercutting local processes of shell valuable manufacture but rather to say that Solomon Islanders, and Pacific communities more widely, have historically been resilient and continue to be so when faced with foreign introductions. Perhaps this is overly an optimistic view engendered by my Euroamerican academic perspective, but I take some hope out of the reliance of the tabu, and the fact that in the past Solomon Islanders knowingly used ceramic copies of their valuables without losing the pre-existing system in which they played a fundemental role. Steven Becks, a maritime archaeologist, has this useful website – http://www.faess.jcu.edu.au/homepages/staff/SteveBeck/index.htm – which gives images of ceramic copies of dog’s teeth and shell vaulables from a 1893 ship wreck, which was returning 84 Islanders to the Solomon Islanders. See also this article:

Gesner, P. (1991). “A Maritime Archaeological Approach to the Queensland Labour Trade.” Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology 15(2): 15-20.

These ceramic items entered into circuits of exchange through the labour trade, and as these maritime materials suggest were willingly introduced by islanders. In colonial Papua people bought and sold shell valuables in Moresby, which they then used in coastal networks up into the Purari Delta of the Papuan Gulf. One wonders what local hierachies these returning labourers were trying to displace or rather enter into through their introduction. At issue is what relationships these objects engender. So, while the logic of these plastic beads are different in their imposition, my hope is that communities local manufacture will not collapse, and that Solomon Island legislation will be enacted to help stem the influx of these materials. The Vanautu Cultural Center provides a wonderful example of what can happen (http://www.vanuatuculture.org/trm/index.shtml).

Em tasol!

]]> By: fijinut http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/comment-page-1/#comment-80 fijinut Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:34:01 +0000 http://themelanesian.org/?p=164#comment-80 A very interesting conversation here. It is worrying that the exploitation of indigenous cultures is obviously rife in the Pacific but there is no regional or even national mechanism in place to keep track of what’s going on. Adaptations of the model laws to local situation should at least provide assurance that grievances can be addressed through legal channels but more should be done to create awareness. In the meantime, outsiders are really taking advantage. A very interesting conversation here. It is worrying that the exploitation of indigenous cultures is obviously rife in the Pacific but there is no regional or even national mechanism in place to keep track of what’s going on.
Adaptations of the model laws to local situation should at least provide assurance that grievances can be addressed through legal channels but more should be done to create awareness.
In the meantime, outsiders are really taking advantage.

]]> By: Andrew http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Andrew Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:52:48 +0000 http://themelanesian.org/?p=164#comment-77 Tavurvur, Thank you for your comments and it is comforting that it should come from a Tolai as yourself. The Tolai tabu is a very curious piece of cultural object. I think there hasnt been any conclusive study of this object as yet. I often think that a radical alternative to market economics could come out of understanding the tabu carefully. I hope that Solomon Islanders will sooner or later come to realise the counterfeits they are buying and be decisive enought to abandon the use of these counterfeits. Tavurvur,

Thank you for your comments and it is comforting that it should come from a Tolai as yourself. The Tolai tabu is a very curious piece of cultural object. I think there hasnt been any conclusive study of this object as yet. I often think that a radical alternative to market economics could come out of understanding the tabu carefully.

I hope that Solomon Islanders will sooner or later come to realise the counterfeits they are buying and be decisive enought to abandon the use of these counterfeits.

]]> By: Tavurvur http://themelanesian.org/2008/05/08/the-return-of-tradition-in-plastics/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Tavurvur Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:20:03 +0000 http://themelanesian.org/?p=164#comment-76 I find the term "economy of sentiments" very appropriate when you use it to describe the resilience of tabu over the decades. It's very true - there is an intrinsic cultural connection to the creation, passing, and acceptance of tabu. Something that no machine on Earth will ever be able to reproduce or recreate. From the very beginning when one finds, splits, skins, dries, and sizes the kanda, to the process of threading the param shell by shell - a physical connection is established. And when the shells you are threading came to be in your hands in the first place by means of a wedding, funeral or other cultural matter from your very own people - there is an emotional connection. And when you see certain tabu and understand the traditional knowledge that is entrenched within it - for good or for bad, and when you know the origins and the history, and the path it has traveled to be where it is at that moment in time - there is a spiritual connection. Which is why I find it extremely difficult to understand as to why some Solomon Islanders are able to use the counterfeit plastic shell money. I can not comprehend it. P.S The reason why we could tell the Germans were trying to counterfeit our currency was simple: their shell money was too clean! Their tabu was never threaded, sized, cut, given, bought, broken, whipped, nor touched by the hands of our ancestors. There was never any value in it to begin with. I find the term “economy of sentiments” very appropriate when you use it to describe the resilience of tabu over the decades.

It’s very true – there is an intrinsic cultural connection to the creation, passing, and acceptance of tabu. Something that no machine on Earth will ever be able to reproduce or recreate.

From the very beginning when one finds, splits, skins, dries, and sizes the kanda, to the process of threading the param shell by shell – a physical connection is established.

And when the shells you are threading came to be in your hands in the first place by means of a wedding, funeral or other cultural matter from your very own people – there is an emotional connection.

And when you see certain tabu and understand the traditional knowledge that is entrenched within it – for good or for bad, and when you know the origins and the history, and the path it has traveled to be where it is at that moment in time – there is a spiritual connection.

Which is why I find it extremely difficult to understand as to why some Solomon Islanders are able to use the counterfeit plastic shell money.

I can not comprehend it.

P.S

The reason why we could tell the Germans were trying to counterfeit our currency was simple: their shell money was too clean!

Their tabu was never threaded, sized, cut, given, bought, broken, whipped, nor touched by the hands of our ancestors. There was never any value in it to begin with.

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