Towards an Ontological Understanding of Relationships

This chapter summarises the analysis provided in the book and suggests how an anthropologist might conceptualise relationships in ontological terms. It argues that what distinguishes ‘relationships’ ontologically from the epistemological forms of relational practices — such as connection, association, resemblance, comparison — are necessity and transcendence, which give ‘relationships’ the character of an infinite being. This has been shown in Iatmul ethnography, outlined in this book through the ontology of brotherhood.

Naming and Necessity in Iatmul

This chapter discusses the process of naming amongst the Daribi, Iqwaye, and Iatmul societies in Papua New Guinea. Amidst the discussion on the Daribi and the Iqwaye is a philosophical discussion of naming and necessity. The theoretical intention of the chapter is to suggest how the category of relationships can be conceptualised as a metaphysical necessity in ontological terms. It attempts to concretise this in terms of naming practices.

Nyamun Shambu: An Ontology of Brotherhood

This chapter focuses on the Iatmul notion of nyamun shambu — the elder brother and younger brother — to articulate an Iatmul version of the ‘fractal person’. Situating this idea of personhood in an Iatmul context provides an analytical perspective to compare the nature of the naming system in Iatmul with that of its immediate neighbours, the Manambu.

From Tourism to Bandi and Naven Rituals

This chapter first describes the kinds of interaction between people in Kanganamun, tourists, and tour operators, and then discusses a mock ritual display enacted as a spectacle for tourists. This mock ritual provides a context not only to engage with Harrison's most influential essay on ‘ritual as intellectual property’, but also serves as a prelude to a description of men's initiation (bandi) and ritual moieties in Central Iatmul. Finally, the chapter compares naven and bandi rituals, and considers the notion of ‘ritual condensation’ proposed by Houseman and Severi (1998).

Two in One: Houses and Moieties

This chapter focuses on two types of house within an Iatmul village: ngeko (the ceremonial men's house) and ngeio (the dwelling or residential house). The kinds of relationships and activities that revolve around these two types of house provide not only a picture of social life but also illustrate different spheres of ownership which are concomitantly associated with each of these two types of house. There is also an interesting gender dimension to these two architectural forms, which is brought into clear relief. The chapter begins with the organisational form of Iatmul moiety systems.

A Sense of People and Place

This chapter provides a general sense of the geography and economic livelihood, as well as an example of the sorts of (clan) relationships that prevail, in Iatmul villages. Topics discussed include canoes and the riverine economy; the physical geography of the Sepik River basin; and the Kanganamun village. The chapter concludes with some remarks about the nature of research methods and the kinds of problems the author encountered in the gathering of ethnographic information.

Names and the Temporal Life of Ownership

This chapter examines some aspects of totemic names and the connection to kinship and marriage practices. It attempts to conceptualise relationships in ontological terms by identifying and employing four Western philosophical concepts — immanence and transcendence, necessity and contingency — and concretizes the nature of this conceptual approach by introducing further ethnographic material from neighbouring societies. The chapter opens with a discussion of Iqwaye and Iatmul, showing how the ontological issues of immanence and transcendence are located in social relations. It then considers the issues of necessity and contingency as they appear in the context of kinship and clan organization amongst the Iatmul and the Manambu. A theoretical dimension of this discussion concerns the manner in which time and relationships function in affecting and coordinating the behaviour of ownership. Since Iatmul names are generally considered as abundant in stock, and since they serve as vectors of integral relationships, another theoretical interest of the chapter relates to the question of the connection between relationships and infinity.

Introduction

This introductory chapter sets out the book's purpose, which is to present an ethnographic study of the nature of personhood, name and marriage systems, gender, kinship, and concomitant issues of ownership — all of which provide a vantage point to rethink the anthropological presumption of social relations. The book looks into the modes and behaviour of ownership as it is instantiated through items of cultural heritage, ritual action, and a system of personal names in Kanganamun, an Iatmul-speaking village on the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea.