Paper short abstract:

I investigate the life histories and agency of leader figures who combine roles in Western-derived institutions and the customary ritual realm. How do they help to transform these domains, adapting them, keeping them up-to-date and effective? How does this change their concepts of leadership?

Paper long abstract:

Focussing on biographies and personal experiences of a number of leader figures on the Anir Islands, I explore how developments related to modernisation, (post-)colonialism and globalisation have shaped their lives and influenced their actions and aspirations, the perception of their role in their community, and of leadership in general. What consequences has this had? How have they, in turn, influenced and changed the set-up of the socio-cultural system they were born into and live in?

It has been argued that in the context of cultural change, Melanesians have come to regard spheres such as gavman (government), lotu (church) or bisnis (cash cropping, wage labour) as separate and, ideally, non-overlapping with kastam, and that this may result in a reduction of the influence of customary leaders (Foster 1992, 1995). On Anir kastam is primarily associated with a cycle of mortuary rituals which is the 'traditional' realm of bigmen, who gain and consolidate their status through successful feast giving. Tracing the life histories, views and agency of senior as well as younger, upcoming bigmen, I investigate how various persons have used and combined their part in modern Western institutions with roles in the customary ritual realm. I will examine how these individuals critically engage with foreign as well as indigenous concepts and practices and provide examples of how they use their experiences to reconcile seemingly antithetical domains. This, finally, will bring me to the changing concept of leadership and the way my interlocutors portrayed the new, 'ideal bigmen'.