article

In the court or in the village?: settling disputes in Yap: 1950-1979

Journal of Pacific history • 26 (1) • Published In 1991 • Pages: 74-93

By: Lingenfelter, Sherwood G..

Abstract

In this article, Lingenfelter examines two institutions of dispute settlement, one traditional, the other modern. Traditional disputes within a village are handled by a council of village elders and disputes between villages, by a council of chiefs from allied villages. In 1950, the U.S. administration established a District Court and High Court. Lingenfelter presents several cases and discusses which kind of case is likely to be found in which venue. He also analyzes the distribution of cases by village, rank, and caste of the litigants. He notes an increase in court cases over time, especially in the towns. According to Lingenfelter, the main consideration in choosing between the two venues is whether or not the plaintiff wants to see an offender punished or continue to maintain a personal or political relationship with the defendant. Traditional village settlements maintain social harmony whereas court settlements threaten to breach social relations.

HRAF PubDate

2000

Region

Oceania

Sub Region

Micronesia

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 2005

Field Date

1967-1980

Coverage Date

1950-1979

Coverage Place

Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia

Notes

Sherwood G. Lingenfelter

Includes bibliographical references

LCCN

73200598

LCSH

Yapese (Micronesian people)/Yap (Micronesia)