book chapter
'I am very sorry I cannot kill you any more': war and peace among the Kapauku
studying war : anthropological perspectives • 2 • Published In 1993 • Pages: 113-126
By: Pospisil, Leopold J..
Abstract
In this article, Pospisil analyzes the cause for war in the New Guinea highlands. The research is based on informants' accounts of 12 wars fought in the Kamu Valley in the twenty years prior to the author's arrival, and two wars he himself witnessed during his field work. Pospisil claims that in-laws living in different confederacies are the cause for both the instigation and termination of war. In-law relationships between poor families are unstable and fighting can easily erupt over bride price disputes. If in-laws live in different confederacies the only recourse is to go to war. In-law relationships among wealthy families are more stable because they are butressed by various economic relationships. It is these in-laws who usually step in as peace makers to stop hostilities. The article includes a good description of Kapauku warfare.
- HRAF PubDate
- 1998
- Region
- Oceania
- Sub Region
- Melanesia
- Document Type
- book chapter
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Ian Skoggard ; 1996
- Field Date
- 1954-1955
- Coverage Date
- 1935-1955
- Coverage Place
- Kamu Valley, central Highlands, Irian Jaya, Indonesia
- Notes
- Leopold Pospisil
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-126)
- LCCN
- 93032710
- LCSH
- Kapauku (New Guinea people)