IDNO

N.132207.MST

Description

On Strathern's listing: Councillor Kowa (with badge) dancing: singsing (pidgin for a dance) and final moka. … Kawelka Membo and Mandembo wua peng (pigs) ….

Place

Oceania Melanesia; Papua New Guinea; Western Highlands Province; Mbukl moka pena

Cultural Affliation

Kawelka Kundmbo

Named Person

Kawelka Kundmbo Kowa (Councillor)

Photographer

Strathern, Marilyn (later Prof., Dame)

Collector / Expedition

Date

14 August 1964

Collection Name

Strathern Collection

Source

Strathern, Marilyn (Prof., Dame)

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

N.132206.MST - N.132224.MST were identified by Marilyn Strathern as Set 15.

Related Archive: Marilyn Strathern lists for this series “Final display for wua peng moka, Kawelka to Tipuka.” [Strathern's word document file]

Named Person: "Kowa (Councillor), Kawelka Kundmbo M." [Information provided by Marilyn Strathern on 'List of Personal Names', JD 23/11/2016]

Context: moka = 1. General term for ceremonial exchange between partners coordinated in a single set of events, involving gifts of pigs and / or shells according to certain formulae, and in several stages, with the sequences eventually reversing so donors become recipients.
2. Term for the occasion of a ‘final’ gift in such a sequence, at which people – especially and often only the donors -- dance and decorate. The rationale for the gift payments may be in terms of warfare exchange, e.g. for enemy-compensation and ally-reparation payments (in 1970s, esp. N Melpa) or as ‘pure moka’, which includes pig-moka and shell-moka (pp3,48; MS word document “Order B (3) 1967”, p1) where payments to kin or allies may be made under all kinds pretext (1970s, esp. C Melpa). The size and significance of the moka will determine whether or not a festive occasion is made of the final gift. (Melpa). [Strathern's Glossary word document, JD 4/24/2017]

Context: peng = head (p86) (Melpa). [Strathern's Glossary word document, JD 4/27/2017]

Context: singsing = Pidgin term for a dance. [Strathern's Glossary word document, JD 4/18/2017]

Context: wua peng = ‘men’s head’ payment = war death compensation (MS word document “Order B (3) 1967”, p.1). [Strathern's Glossary word document, JD 4/26/2017]
Bibliographic Reference: See generally Andrew Strathern, The Rope of Moka (CUP 1971), and specifically for this prestation pp.123-29.

A grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program supported the documentation and preservation of the Strathern photographic collection. [JD 6/11/2017]