Ancestral Lines: The Maisin of Papua New Guinea and the Fate of the Rainforest

by John Barker

More than a century of interaction with colonial and global agencies and forces have brought many changes to the lives of the Maisin people who live on the northeastern coast of Papua New Guinea. Yet ancestral traditions continue to strongly inform their way of life. Their beautifully designed tapa cloth, made from the pounded inner bark of the paper mulberry tree, most vividly connects the past with the present. Using the various stages of tapa cloth production to frame a broader discussion of changes and continuities in Maisin culture (economic pursuit, social arrangements, gender relations, religion, politics, and the environment) Barker offers a nuanced understanding of how the Maisin came to reject commercial logging on their traditional lands. Viewed in isolation, the decision appears to be a confirmation of tradition over "modernity." Yet the book shows that it is the most recent, and perhaps dramatic, instance in a long chain of improvisations and compromises that have allowed the Maisin to remain true to core ancestral values while participating in wider social, political, and economic systems. Ancestral Lines provides an important counterpoint to the stereotype of indigenous peoples as passive victims of impersonal global forces. While accessible to most readers, including those with little or no knowledge of Melanesia or anthropology, Ancestral Lines has been designed with introductory anthropology courses in mind. Each chapter opens with a description of succeeding stages in the creation and use of a piece of tapa cloth. These, in turn, lead into discussions of dimensions of Maisin life that correspond to the sections and order of most standard introductory textbooks.

Genres: Nonfiction, Anthropology, Textbooks

245 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

Reviews

[Samantha Frohring · Rating 3 out of 5]

good to learn about Maisin people … but kinda boring 😣 (for school)

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to help someone understand anthropological fieldwork, the sorts of questions anthropologists ask, and concepts we use to analyze our ethnographic data. Based on years of research with the Maisin of PNG, over several decades, Barker gives a really lucid and intricate account of life in the small community of Uiaku. Don't believe the notion that it's "repetitive." It's not. It uses themes of tapa cloth making to take the reader through the book, but it's engaging and instructive. As a prof of anthropology, I love that it gives me a way to engage students on anthropological topics in a compelling narrative, rather than just through textbook illustrations.

[Kelsey Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another round of applause for John Barker's book about the Maisin people. Such a great and dynamic read!

[Maddy Irvine · Rating 2 out of 5]

read for anthro. I don’t care for this sort of stuff so it was a painfully long read.

[Allison Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read this for a 1st year anthropology class - it was definitely an unpleasant experience. The book is dry, boring and repetitive. I would only recommend it to someone who is genuinely interested in learning about that tribe specifically, rather than "to grasp an idea of alternate cultures and anthropology."