What is a Trick? Relations and Possession in Misima, Papua New Guinea

This dissertation traces the history of colonialism, Christian missionization, and large-scale gold mining on the small island of Misima, Papua New Guinea. Situated on the southwestern edge of the Kula Ring, the island of Misima provides a fascinating case study of dramatic shifts in cultural change. However, most of all, it addresses how Misimans talk about mining as a form of trickery (kakauwi). Trickery, Misimans argue, is central to the efficacy of persuasion, political power, and productivity. I follow this theme of trickery in traditional Misiman models of magic, Kula exchange, mortuary feasting, millenarian “cargo cults,” Christian worship, schooling, the development and eventual closure of a large open-pit goldmine, and, lastly, the emergence of political parties on the island. The central argument of my dissertation is that Misimans’ instance on the opacity of others’ minds not only reflects particular ideas about Melanesian personhood and communication, but it also provides a model that challenges many commonly held assumptions in cultural anthropology, particularly the centrality and transparency of intersubjectivity in phenomenological approaches to ethical problems.I am exploring the discursive and performative aspects of trickery found throughout Misiman history and contemporary life. The problem of Misimans’ engagement with “trickery” is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the political nature of intercultural articulations (primarily between Misimans and white people) and intersubjective relations (in everyday Misiman life) as epistemologically uncertain. I argue throughout the dissertation that it is the very uncertainty of these relations, the opacity of others’ minds, and the capacity to “trick” others that make these interactions salient, productive, and recursive. In this dissertation, there is also a theme of trying to accurately describe Melanesian egalitarianism, and argue that taking Melanesian egalitarianism as an ultimate value in cultural life does a great deal to make sense of how “trickery” is not just a negative or antagonistic experience on Misima, but also has highly desired and positive connotations around the making and maintaining of egalitarian relations