Incorporation of Traditional Ways with Colonial Ways
The Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea were traditionally horticulturists who demonstrated and gained prestige and manhood through competition. These competitions included: skills at growing yams, ability to make good trades and obtain valuables, and strength as a warrior. However, when Western missionaries invaded the island, the Trobrianders were forced to give up their practices of warfare. By doing this they were deprived of a cultural outlet needed to maintain the political organization and balance of power among the Australasian islands. In order to supplement this loss, the missionaries introduced the sport of cricket to the islanders as a way to appease their competitive spirits. Even though this sport was meant to Westernize the Trobrianders, it was actually, in turn evolved into a sport that embodied Trobriander ideals. (Searles and Lee, 2002, p. 374).
The Trobrianders transformed many aspects of the game of cricket to fulfill their cultural identity needs. At the chagrin of the missionaries, the islanders gave up the Western uniforms provided by the British and Australian missionaries, and instead incorporated traditional battle dress and facial paint. To further incorporate their culture’s traditions, the Trobriands included traditional dance and music into the formation of the game. In order to maintain their religious ties to magic and rituals formerly associated with warfare, they preformed these rituals before and during the game for victory. (Haviland, 2002, pp. 376-381).
The Trobrianders also translated the game into symbolic warfare by increasing the competitive nature of the game and by modifying the European “bowling” style pitch, to one that resembled throwing a spear. Exchange patterns that they had previously had also revolved around kayasa feasts, when trade patterns were disrupted by Western invasion, the kayasa feasts were associated with cricket matches. (Haviland, 2002, pp. 376-381).
Finally in order to maintain customs of honor and respect, the host team always won as a way to pay tribute to the host chieftain. This courtesy was repaid when the host team traveled to the competition’s village and was in turn provided with a feast, celebration, and a game of cricket. (Haviland, 2002, pp. 376-381).
The importance of these transformations of the game of cricket was to maintain cultural identity in the face of colonial oppression and forced changes in lifestyles. In order to replace systems of power control, cricket was used as a symbolic warfare and avenue for trade. Arts like traditional music, tribal body art, and dance were incorporated into the game to preserve them, and to make the game more Trobriandish. Religious practices normally associated with warfare were also incorporated into the game. These practices of incorporating traditional ways with those ways of an opposing force is known as syncretism, and the Trobriander were one of the most successful people to use this adaptive behavior. (Searles and Lee, 2002, 376-381).
References
Haviland, William A. (2002). Cultural Anthropology. (10th ed.). Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers.Lee, Valerie L., and Searles, Richard T. (2002). Study Guide for the Telecourse Faces of Culture. (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
