A Primer for Teaching Pacific Histories: Ten Design Principles by Matt K Matsuda (review)

Abstract

That said and recognizing that Petrou writes as a human geographer rather than as an anthropologist, we would wish for a thicker description of Paamese experience in urban and rural settings. What was “Paamese” about those from Paama living in Port Vila? More specifically, was being a Paamese primarily a matter of geographical origin, or were there also diacritical cultural factors? If the latter, have markers of Paamese cultural identity, whether in town or on the island, changed over time? Correspondingly, we would want to know more about Paamese cultural ideas, past and present, that underpin sorcery and leadership. Perhaps, we wonder, these ideas have become less elaborated and culturally distinctive in town and village. Our Chambri friend, John, would surely recognize that the demands for sharing, described by Rasmussen and Petrou in their valuable studies, have long been significant for Pacific Islanders. (Many social scientists working among these Islanders, we venture, have considerable experience of singaut.) Both aggravating and gratifying for the successful, remittances ensured that someone would be there if you did something big. And, for those just getting by, remittances ensured that someone would be there to help, lest you go under.