Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the cultural policy through which the government aims to benefit from tabu traditional money as cultural property used by Tolai in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.

Paper long abstract:

Pacific countries have often presented particular objects as cultural properties for the formation of national identity. This paper explores another approach to cultural property, which relates to economic benefit, rather than identity formation. My focus is on tabu shell money, which is used by Tolai people in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. In the province, as I will outline, the Local Level Government has been accepting tabu shell money for fines, taxes, and school fees. The Provincial Government, moreover, has attempted to legalize tabu shell money as secondary money in the province since 1999. In this paper, I will show how both levels of government have redefined tabu shell money as cultural property or 'legal tender,' which benefits not only the constituents, but also the government. I argue that convertibility and a 'Shell Money Bank' are key concepts in appropriation of tabu shell money as cultural property by the government.