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The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World
What is it like for a native people of the rainforest to confront features of a modern world? In 1980-82, the Gebusi of Papua New Guinea held elaborate ritual dances and spirit seances, practiced alternative sexual customs, and endured a very high rate of violence. By 1998, however, most Gebusi had been willingly transformed by Christian conversion, schooling, market activity, disco music, sports leagues, and local government. This book vividly portrays both the traditions and the dramatic changes of Gebusi society and culture. Written especially for students, the account uses personal stories and ethnographic examples to connect developments among Gebusi to topics that are widely considered in anthropology courses, including comparative features of subsistence, kinship, economics, politics, religion, gender, ethnicity, and nationalism.
The author lived among the Gebusi for several years, on two occasions. His account of his experience with these fascinating people aims to illustrate issues and topics prominent in undergraduate anthropology courses; provide a dramatic, personal, and well-written story of cultural transformation; and unfold the relation between so-called traditional customs and so-called modern ones. His goal in publishing the ethnography is "to let the Gebusi come alive to readers, to portray their past and their present, and to connect their dramatic changes with those in my own life and those in contemporary anthropology."
229 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2004
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December 29, 2017
I am not the intended audience for this book; I read it looking for something set in Papau New Guinea from which I would learn a bit about the country and its people, while the book seems intended for assignment in undergraduate anthropology classes as a supplementary textbook. It did fulfill my goal of learning about the lives of the Gebusi, a small tribe living in the rainforest of Papau New Guinea’s huge Western Province. On the other hand, it’s a shame that academic texts aren’t written or edited with the goal of satisfying the reader; the author’s goal seems to be more about teaching students about anthropology and the realities of ethnographic work than answering the reader’s curiosity. In other words, the gulf between this and popular ethnographies like $2.00 a Day or City of Thorns is huge.
Knauft is an anthropologist who initially lived with the Gebusi for two years, from 1980 to 1982, accompanied by his wife Eileen (whether she is also an anthropologist is unclear; though he discusses his feelings about developments among the Gebusi and relationships with individuals among them, this is definitely not a memoir). Despite sporadic contact with Australian officers, during the time that they colonized the country, the Gebusi at the time retained a very traditional culture, including a tradition of spirit mediumship, all-night dances and séances, and elaborate initiation rituals for young men. They were easily able to provide for their material needs with crops that require little effort in cultivation, and enjoyed leisure time and “good company,” along with a cultural flourishing that resulted from the Australians' subduing a nearby tribe with a habit of raiding their longhouses and massacring their people. But it wasn't an ideal life: while they had enough to eat, nutrition was poor, illness rife and few people made it to the age of 40; the society was patriarchal and women excluded from many aspects of it; and execution for sorcery was rampant. The Gebusi believed that all deaths were caused by humans, so deaths by sickness or accident led to sorcery inquests and often more death. Nevertheless, they weren’t the stereotype of a cannibalistic rainforest people (though there is cannibalism in their past): due process was important, including a waiting period after the death and finding a neutral spirit medium to preside over the inquest.
After his initial stay, Knauft returned to the Gebusi in 1998, at which point their culture was transformed: many had moved to a nearby town with an airstrip and government services. They converted to various forms of Christianity, sent their children to school, and gave up sorcery inquests and executions entirely. Men’s leisure time now revolved around local soccer leagues, while women sold produce (usually with little success) in the local market. The several tribes inhabiting the town mocked their own traditional cultures in Independence Day celebrations, and Gebusi practices such as dancing and initiation rites seemed to be dying out as young people attempted to embrace the modern world.
But then in 2008, everything had changed again: loss of funding meant government services had largely vanished, and the Gebusi were reviving their traditional culture, including building longhouses and conducting initiation rites; as they retained their land and ability to sustain themselves, they didn’t seem to miss the government or markets much. But spirit mediumship had died out, so that despite lingering suspicions of sorcery they were no longer able to conduct inquests, and many of the Gebusi continued to attend Christian services.
It is fascinating material, and the author seems to have made personal friends with many of the Gebusi and to respect them and their culture. He is aware of his own fallibility and works to distinguish unique incidents from those typical of the culture. And he spends enough time with Gebusi to get to know them and to be able to tell stories in context about incidents that occur in the community.
However, for all the author’s talk about how this is intended to be less formal and more personal than typical academic writing, and for all that the writing is clearer and more engaging than in most textbooks, the content is still basically that of a textbook. Sometimes its information is incomplete, as if the author has made his point and is ready to move on, regardless of whether readers have more questions. For instance, for all that Knauft mentions sorcery executions frequently, I still don’t know how most of these deaths occurred. Both in the book and on his website (which for some reason includes entire stories in pictures that aren’t in the book but deserved to be), he describes instances in which the accused is killed in the forest by a relative of the deceased, which the community accepts because of the “spiritual evidence” against the accused. How common is this, as opposed to public or formal executions? Is everyone given the opportunity to exonerate themselves via trial by cooking, or only some people? In one case described, the sorcerer purportedly comes from another village and the searchers lose the trail; is this unusual, or common?
In other cases, it can be vague in a way typical of academic writing, obscuring specifics behind general language. For instance, a boy and later young man with whom the author is close leaves his community due to “a dispute” and travels to the nearest city, where he works for two years. This is after he and his younger brother are orphaned when he’s about 12. Who raised the boys after that, and what was the dispute? These are human interest questions, but their answers also speak to Gebusi culture. And despite telling us about their terrible life expectancy in the early 80s, the author has nothing to say about how having and then losing a local medical clinic affected the Gebusi. Their lifespans are still much shorter than Americans’, but were there improvements?
And bizarrely, he mentions only on his aforementioned website, in a caption to a longhouse diagram, that rigidly separate sleeping areas for men and women mean that sexual relations happened in the rainforest rather than in bed. Doesn't this deserve to be in the book, rather than only the "alternative sexual practices" (i.e. adolescent boys giving blowjobs because swallowing semen was supposed to help them become men)? But in the book he does mention a couple caught having an illicit affair in a house, so maybe the rainforest sex only applies to those few families who actually live in the longhouse? Knauft isn't too shy to include a scene of a young man propositioning him, so why isn't this in the book?
Overall, I learned from this book, but I think it would be a little off-base for most non-academic readers (the “Broader Connections” bullet point summaries of key ideas in anthropology at the end of each chapter, with much bolded text, are definitely eyeroll-worthy). While it’s not as short as the page count would have it – there’s a lot of text on each page – it was worth my time.
Knauft is an anthropologist who initially lived with the Gebusi for two years, from 1980 to 1982, accompanied by his wife Eileen (whether she is also an anthropologist is unclear; though he discusses his feelings about developments among the Gebusi and relationships with individuals among them, this is definitely not a memoir). Despite sporadic contact with Australian officers, during the time that they colonized the country, the Gebusi at the time retained a very traditional culture, including a tradition of spirit mediumship, all-night dances and séances, and elaborate initiation rituals for young men. They were easily able to provide for their material needs with crops that require little effort in cultivation, and enjoyed leisure time and “good company,” along with a cultural flourishing that resulted from the Australians' subduing a nearby tribe with a habit of raiding their longhouses and massacring their people. But it wasn't an ideal life: while they had enough to eat, nutrition was poor, illness rife and few people made it to the age of 40; the society was patriarchal and women excluded from many aspects of it; and execution for sorcery was rampant. The Gebusi believed that all deaths were caused by humans, so deaths by sickness or accident led to sorcery inquests and often more death. Nevertheless, they weren’t the stereotype of a cannibalistic rainforest people (though there is cannibalism in their past): due process was important, including a waiting period after the death and finding a neutral spirit medium to preside over the inquest.
After his initial stay, Knauft returned to the Gebusi in 1998, at which point their culture was transformed: many had moved to a nearby town with an airstrip and government services. They converted to various forms of Christianity, sent their children to school, and gave up sorcery inquests and executions entirely. Men’s leisure time now revolved around local soccer leagues, while women sold produce (usually with little success) in the local market. The several tribes inhabiting the town mocked their own traditional cultures in Independence Day celebrations, and Gebusi practices such as dancing and initiation rites seemed to be dying out as young people attempted to embrace the modern world.
But then in 2008, everything had changed again: loss of funding meant government services had largely vanished, and the Gebusi were reviving their traditional culture, including building longhouses and conducting initiation rites; as they retained their land and ability to sustain themselves, they didn’t seem to miss the government or markets much. But spirit mediumship had died out, so that despite lingering suspicions of sorcery they were no longer able to conduct inquests, and many of the Gebusi continued to attend Christian services.
It is fascinating material, and the author seems to have made personal friends with many of the Gebusi and to respect them and their culture. He is aware of his own fallibility and works to distinguish unique incidents from those typical of the culture. And he spends enough time with Gebusi to get to know them and to be able to tell stories in context about incidents that occur in the community.
However, for all the author’s talk about how this is intended to be less formal and more personal than typical academic writing, and for all that the writing is clearer and more engaging than in most textbooks, the content is still basically that of a textbook. Sometimes its information is incomplete, as if the author has made his point and is ready to move on, regardless of whether readers have more questions. For instance, for all that Knauft mentions sorcery executions frequently, I still don’t know how most of these deaths occurred. Both in the book and on his website (which for some reason includes entire stories in pictures that aren’t in the book but deserved to be), he describes instances in which the accused is killed in the forest by a relative of the deceased, which the community accepts because of the “spiritual evidence” against the accused. How common is this, as opposed to public or formal executions? Is everyone given the opportunity to exonerate themselves via trial by cooking, or only some people? In one case described, the sorcerer purportedly comes from another village and the searchers lose the trail; is this unusual, or common?
In other cases, it can be vague in a way typical of academic writing, obscuring specifics behind general language. For instance, a boy and later young man with whom the author is close leaves his community due to “a dispute” and travels to the nearest city, where he works for two years. This is after he and his younger brother are orphaned when he’s about 12. Who raised the boys after that, and what was the dispute? These are human interest questions, but their answers also speak to Gebusi culture. And despite telling us about their terrible life expectancy in the early 80s, the author has nothing to say about how having and then losing a local medical clinic affected the Gebusi. Their lifespans are still much shorter than Americans’, but were there improvements?
And bizarrely, he mentions only on his aforementioned website, in a caption to a longhouse diagram, that rigidly separate sleeping areas for men and women mean that sexual relations happened in the rainforest rather than in bed. Doesn't this deserve to be in the book, rather than only the "alternative sexual practices" (i.e. adolescent boys giving blowjobs because swallowing semen was supposed to help them become men)? But in the book he does mention a couple caught having an illicit affair in a house, so maybe the rainforest sex only applies to those few families who actually live in the longhouse? Knauft isn't too shy to include a scene of a young man propositioning him, so why isn't this in the book?
Overall, I learned from this book, but I think it would be a little off-base for most non-academic readers (the “Broader Connections” bullet point summaries of key ideas in anthropology at the end of each chapter, with much bolded text, are definitely eyeroll-worthy). While it’s not as short as the page count would have it – there’s a lot of text on each page – it was worth my time.
April 17, 2018
The Gebusi was a rich and entertaining ethnography, and I enjoyed learning about people so different from my own. It earned three stars for me because it simply wasn't something I could love as much as other books I've read. If you're looking for a new perspective on real people, pick up The Gebusi
March 30, 2020
‘The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World’ by cultural anthropologist Bruce Knauft is a descriptive and well-written book about the life of the Gebusi tribe in Papua New Guinea. At the beginning of the book, Knauft explains that his main mission was to go into Papua New Guinea to explore an unknown group of people and try to give a perspective about this unknown group of people from his experience as a foreign American and try to debunk any misunderstandings. In his book, Knauft illustrated the initial lifestyle of the Gebusi people, and the process of cultural changes that happened through globalization, modernization, and the western influence, he set to collect all these pieces of information through observation, informal conversations, informal interviews and oral histories in addition to this, he explained that as a cultural anthropologist he appreciates cultures, and sets aside his biases to better understand the cultures that he is working with.
As a way to show his work, Knauft breaks down the details of religion, rituals, social order, social organization, sexuality, gender roles, gardening and etc through time, and puts them into three parts; 1980-82, 1998, and 2008 and after. By doing so, Knauft did a great job to try and illustrate the changes happening over time within the Gebusi people and gave his readers the chance to walk through the cycle of changes through time with him.
In Chapter One, Knauft shares the experience of the warm and unique welcome that he and his wife got when they visited the Kukudobi village for the first time. He describes the experience in full detail, explaining the confusion and happiness that he felt when first encountered the Gebusi people and saw the large pile of steamy starchy bananas offered to them as a welcome gift. He also describes the village, community, food, and the Gebusi’s physical features, accompanying this introductory chapter, Knauft gives his readers a snapshot of history about the Gebusi people and explains his role as a cultural anthropologist to his readers.
In Chapter Two, Knauf sets into his fieldwork notes and shares them with his readers, he dives into explaining and showing in great detail the lifestyle that the Gebusi hold, such as living in a rainforest and knowing their way around it, the hunting and gathering that they do, and how it is divided based on gender, he also explains their unique method of gardening and avoids calling it agriculture, he describes how the men take down needed trees with low labor and the “new” trees are beneath the leftover trees they took down (14) he also describes that the Gebusi are and Affluent society. In addition to this, Knauft explains the health issues that the Gebusi face due to their starchy diet.
Chapters Three and Four go into detail about death, gender relations, gender roles, and marriages. For example, in chapter three, Knauft explained that it is the women’s responsibility to mourn the dead. He also explained that sorcery is used to explain the reason behind someone's death, especially when death is caused by sickness, suicide, and accidents. And in chapter four, Knauft explained how clans are important and how marriages work within the clan structures, for example, he explained clans don’t marry within the same clan and the role kinship plays when it comes to marriages. He also explained how levirate marriages work and sister exchanges. Knauft described that sister marriage, and kinship marriages are closely tied with the death spirits. He also mentioned in detail, that the failure of a full sister exchange can lead to resentment, violence, and accusations of sorcery. In chapters five and six, Knauft elaborates on the Gebusi peoples’ sexuality and gender identities and how these sexual relations between men and women and man to man demonstrate the cultural construct of the Gebusi tribe. He also mentions how sexuality is linked to rituals, religion, and sorcery and how it shows the collective diversity of the Gebusi. In addition to this, he describes the process of becoming full adults specifically for boys and some women.
Part two starts with chapter seven, and Knauft sets off to explain the changes that have happened in the year of 1998. He describes the cultural changes that have happened due to globalization, western influence and moderation, he explains how the Gebusi have become modernized and how schools, churches, and markets have become a part of their life. In addition to this, he mentions that the Gebusi has increased their interactions with the outside world. Another aspect he explains is the cultural loss that the Gebusi has felt, and how they have lost some of their original traditions due to their new lifestyles, and how they practice selective drawing when it comes to traditions. He also explains the change in women’s status and how they are able to work in markets, ad how they have a choice when it comes to marriages, and how marriages have changed to the basis of mutual attraction rather than arranged marriages or kinship marriages.
Part three is when Knauft visits back in 2008 and sees the decline in civilization, and the increase of poverty and inequality. He also mentions the decline in schooling and education. At the end of the book, Knauft reflects on his work and his life experience with the Gebusi people and how his fieldwork has impacted him outside of his title as an anthropologist.
As a way to show his work, Knauft breaks down the details of religion, rituals, social order, social organization, sexuality, gender roles, gardening and etc through time, and puts them into three parts; 1980-82, 1998, and 2008 and after. By doing so, Knauft did a great job to try and illustrate the changes happening over time within the Gebusi people and gave his readers the chance to walk through the cycle of changes through time with him.
In Chapter One, Knauft shares the experience of the warm and unique welcome that he and his wife got when they visited the Kukudobi village for the first time. He describes the experience in full detail, explaining the confusion and happiness that he felt when first encountered the Gebusi people and saw the large pile of steamy starchy bananas offered to them as a welcome gift. He also describes the village, community, food, and the Gebusi’s physical features, accompanying this introductory chapter, Knauft gives his readers a snapshot of history about the Gebusi people and explains his role as a cultural anthropologist to his readers.
In Chapter Two, Knauf sets into his fieldwork notes and shares them with his readers, he dives into explaining and showing in great detail the lifestyle that the Gebusi hold, such as living in a rainforest and knowing their way around it, the hunting and gathering that they do, and how it is divided based on gender, he also explains their unique method of gardening and avoids calling it agriculture, he describes how the men take down needed trees with low labor and the “new” trees are beneath the leftover trees they took down (14) he also describes that the Gebusi are and Affluent society. In addition to this, Knauft explains the health issues that the Gebusi face due to their starchy diet.
Chapters Three and Four go into detail about death, gender relations, gender roles, and marriages. For example, in chapter three, Knauft explained that it is the women’s responsibility to mourn the dead. He also explained that sorcery is used to explain the reason behind someone's death, especially when death is caused by sickness, suicide, and accidents. And in chapter four, Knauft explained how clans are important and how marriages work within the clan structures, for example, he explained clans don’t marry within the same clan and the role kinship plays when it comes to marriages. He also explained how levirate marriages work and sister exchanges. Knauft described that sister marriage, and kinship marriages are closely tied with the death spirits. He also mentioned in detail, that the failure of a full sister exchange can lead to resentment, violence, and accusations of sorcery. In chapters five and six, Knauft elaborates on the Gebusi peoples’ sexuality and gender identities and how these sexual relations between men and women and man to man demonstrate the cultural construct of the Gebusi tribe. He also mentions how sexuality is linked to rituals, religion, and sorcery and how it shows the collective diversity of the Gebusi. In addition to this, he describes the process of becoming full adults specifically for boys and some women.
Part two starts with chapter seven, and Knauft sets off to explain the changes that have happened in the year of 1998. He describes the cultural changes that have happened due to globalization, western influence and moderation, he explains how the Gebusi have become modernized and how schools, churches, and markets have become a part of their life. In addition to this, he mentions that the Gebusi has increased their interactions with the outside world. Another aspect he explains is the cultural loss that the Gebusi has felt, and how they have lost some of their original traditions due to their new lifestyles, and how they practice selective drawing when it comes to traditions. He also explains the change in women’s status and how they are able to work in markets, ad how they have a choice when it comes to marriages, and how marriages have changed to the basis of mutual attraction rather than arranged marriages or kinship marriages.
Part three is when Knauft visits back in 2008 and sees the decline in civilization, and the increase of poverty and inequality. He also mentions the decline in schooling and education. At the end of the book, Knauft reflects on his work and his life experience with the Gebusi people and how his fieldwork has impacted him outside of his title as an anthropologist.
March 28, 2020
Bruce Knauft´s “The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World” is an ethnographic research on Gebusi people of Papua New Guiana split up in three different parts. His research is significant because it captures in detail the development of a culture over a longer period of time that showed despite failing at western industrialization, a strong social connectedness can be enough to have a well-functioning society. The author uses an ideographic approach.
The first time the author visited the Gebusi was for two years from 1980-1982. Confronted with a language barrier, it took time and patience to learn how to communicate with Gebusi, at first by sign languages or gestures, and only later verbally. However, Dr. Knauft benefited from the high level of approachableness, the Gebusi had a “desire for contact with outsiders (p.16)”. The wish for contact was matched by the high level of adaptability shown by the researchers, especially when it came to eating local food, attempting to learn the language to simply live amongst them and learn, rather than attempting to change anything about them.
During their first visit, Dr. Knauft discovered already Kogawayay, however, he struggled to make sense of it. It was already back then central to their culture and described their emphasis on close social relationships and a strong community feeling. (21) However, a close observation showed that Kogawayay was heavily shown by men rather than women which highlighted the gender inequality of the Gebusi. Even though predominately accepted “Gebusi women often lived in the cultural shadow of Gebusi men” (25). Besides gender inequality, Dr. Knauft also learns about agriculture, nutrition and the impact it has made on the life expectancy of the Gebusi people. While he explains the role of sexuality and the specific details about their religious belief and spirituality, the most important takeaway seems to be learning about societal structures. Their religion and tradition which is based on spirits and sorcery is the fundamental base of the society. The Gebusi separate into different clans that are a “permanent social group whose members pass down membership through descent from one generation to the next. (66). Interestingly enough, even though not technically always blood-related, clan members were not allowed to marry each other. Their perception of who to consider and class close relatives is extended to everyone who is part of their clan. Power relations of and between clans were strengthened by marriages between different clan members to create alliances. As a result, “Gebusi villages are “multiclan” (71). By writing about the simple usage of women as a tool for an alliance by marrying them off shows once more the gender inequality in the villages. Even though the emphasis in the communities is on Kogawayay, there is a lot of potential conflict because of the exchange culture. Especially close relatives are very likely to accuse one another of sorcery.
However, it did not cause significant issues in society as one might think. With the diagram given constructed by Dr. Knauft the concept of kinship within the societies helps understand the social dynamics of clans. But how does the society distinguish between its members when all of them are of kinship? Growing up in a clan, young men only become full members of society by getting initiated. It elevates their status in their clan. The Gebusi initiation “brings together sexual, social, economic, and political dimensions of their society and asserts and affirms the cultural value of “good company” (Kogwayay) (109)”. The example of two teenagers in the fifth chapter shows that if you break societal rules as a young man growing up, a punishment could be to lose the opportunity for the initiation. Young women are mostly excluded showcasing once more their lower standing in society.
The second time Dr. Knauft visits the Gebusi is in 1998 where he observed cultural changes that happened throughout the last 8 years. When he left, it was a patriarchal society, Due to a very decentralized political order, and no authoritarian leadership position, decisions are made collectively, with very strict gender roles. Now the predominant religion was Catholicism. 8 years late especially women's rights in society have developed. Due to the shift to the catholic church women and men were now living along with each other. Also, marriage was no longer something they had to simply endure but were able to make choices. Instead of being bystanders in society, they were able to access education and participate in public markets. Overall, it became from a western perspective more civilized, not just clothing-wise. Accusations of sorcery were put aside. However, the author notes that the ideas of sorcery were not fully eliminated but rather merged with the now predominant Christian belief. Nevertheless, just as women benefitted from the new opportunities given to them, the gender dominance of men increased. Every new opportunity given to women was in comparison less to what men received. Overall, the new opportunities presented to them due to schools, an emerging economy and an actual government “reflected a growing sense of national identity” (152).
During his last visit in 2008, Dr. Knauft observed the challenges common for developing countries. The airstrip he would have usually arrived at the Gebusi was no longer working because the government ran out of money to pay for its maintenance. The development and maintenance of the infrastructure was therefore overall a challenge. Demographically, there was an increase in the population of 38% since 1998. Overall, Dr. Knauft observes that the developments he had seen on his second visit were no longer intact. Markets were closed, the government closed. Maybe because of the lack of western influence and guidelines, the past cultural traditions were reemerging. The level of violence remained low and sorcery did not cause further homicides.
All in all, the development Dr. Knautz witness over the years shows the transition of the Gebusi from its original traditional life, adapting to western influences and readjusting and merging back to old values when globalization and economic growth reaches its limit. Indeed, this ethnographic research shows the limits globalization has when it comes to developing countries. It cannot be assumed that they gradually develop their economy, infrastructure, and political system. In the case of the Gebusi, it showed that even though they were exposed to western influences, after all, it only resulted in them rediscovering traditions of their culture. Dr. Knautz does not seem to mind that too much since he seems to accept that western lifestyle, especially in emerging countries, does not necessarily have to be strictly beneficial to the society of the Gebusi.
The first time the author visited the Gebusi was for two years from 1980-1982. Confronted with a language barrier, it took time and patience to learn how to communicate with Gebusi, at first by sign languages or gestures, and only later verbally. However, Dr. Knauft benefited from the high level of approachableness, the Gebusi had a “desire for contact with outsiders (p.16)”. The wish for contact was matched by the high level of adaptability shown by the researchers, especially when it came to eating local food, attempting to learn the language to simply live amongst them and learn, rather than attempting to change anything about them.
During their first visit, Dr. Knauft discovered already Kogawayay, however, he struggled to make sense of it. It was already back then central to their culture and described their emphasis on close social relationships and a strong community feeling. (21) However, a close observation showed that Kogawayay was heavily shown by men rather than women which highlighted the gender inequality of the Gebusi. Even though predominately accepted “Gebusi women often lived in the cultural shadow of Gebusi men” (25). Besides gender inequality, Dr. Knauft also learns about agriculture, nutrition and the impact it has made on the life expectancy of the Gebusi people. While he explains the role of sexuality and the specific details about their religious belief and spirituality, the most important takeaway seems to be learning about societal structures. Their religion and tradition which is based on spirits and sorcery is the fundamental base of the society. The Gebusi separate into different clans that are a “permanent social group whose members pass down membership through descent from one generation to the next. (66). Interestingly enough, even though not technically always blood-related, clan members were not allowed to marry each other. Their perception of who to consider and class close relatives is extended to everyone who is part of their clan. Power relations of and between clans were strengthened by marriages between different clan members to create alliances. As a result, “Gebusi villages are “multiclan” (71). By writing about the simple usage of women as a tool for an alliance by marrying them off shows once more the gender inequality in the villages. Even though the emphasis in the communities is on Kogawayay, there is a lot of potential conflict because of the exchange culture. Especially close relatives are very likely to accuse one another of sorcery.
However, it did not cause significant issues in society as one might think. With the diagram given constructed by Dr. Knauft the concept of kinship within the societies helps understand the social dynamics of clans. But how does the society distinguish between its members when all of them are of kinship? Growing up in a clan, young men only become full members of society by getting initiated. It elevates their status in their clan. The Gebusi initiation “brings together sexual, social, economic, and political dimensions of their society and asserts and affirms the cultural value of “good company” (Kogwayay) (109)”. The example of two teenagers in the fifth chapter shows that if you break societal rules as a young man growing up, a punishment could be to lose the opportunity for the initiation. Young women are mostly excluded showcasing once more their lower standing in society.
The second time Dr. Knauft visits the Gebusi is in 1998 where he observed cultural changes that happened throughout the last 8 years. When he left, it was a patriarchal society, Due to a very decentralized political order, and no authoritarian leadership position, decisions are made collectively, with very strict gender roles. Now the predominant religion was Catholicism. 8 years late especially women's rights in society have developed. Due to the shift to the catholic church women and men were now living along with each other. Also, marriage was no longer something they had to simply endure but were able to make choices. Instead of being bystanders in society, they were able to access education and participate in public markets. Overall, it became from a western perspective more civilized, not just clothing-wise. Accusations of sorcery were put aside. However, the author notes that the ideas of sorcery were not fully eliminated but rather merged with the now predominant Christian belief. Nevertheless, just as women benefitted from the new opportunities given to them, the gender dominance of men increased. Every new opportunity given to women was in comparison less to what men received. Overall, the new opportunities presented to them due to schools, an emerging economy and an actual government “reflected a growing sense of national identity” (152).
During his last visit in 2008, Dr. Knauft observed the challenges common for developing countries. The airstrip he would have usually arrived at the Gebusi was no longer working because the government ran out of money to pay for its maintenance. The development and maintenance of the infrastructure was therefore overall a challenge. Demographically, there was an increase in the population of 38% since 1998. Overall, Dr. Knauft observes that the developments he had seen on his second visit were no longer intact. Markets were closed, the government closed. Maybe because of the lack of western influence and guidelines, the past cultural traditions were reemerging. The level of violence remained low and sorcery did not cause further homicides.
All in all, the development Dr. Knautz witness over the years shows the transition of the Gebusi from its original traditional life, adapting to western influences and readjusting and merging back to old values when globalization and economic growth reaches its limit. Indeed, this ethnographic research shows the limits globalization has when it comes to developing countries. It cannot be assumed that they gradually develop their economy, infrastructure, and political system. In the case of the Gebusi, it showed that even though they were exposed to western influences, after all, it only resulted in them rediscovering traditions of their culture. Dr. Knautz does not seem to mind that too much since he seems to accept that western lifestyle, especially in emerging countries, does not necessarily have to be strictly beneficial to the society of the Gebusi.
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November 6, 2020The Gebusi: Lives transformed in a Rainforest World
Book Review:
The Gebusi are a very unique group of people that live in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea which is located right off the coast of Australia. The author of the eye opening ethnography, The Gebusi: Lives transformed in a Rainforest World, is Bruce Knauft who is an anthropologist who produced first hand groundwork on the new perspective of the way of life within the rainforest with his wife. This book was written through his eyes who became a member of the Gebusi tribe in 1980 during his first trip and then later in 1998, 2008, and 2013 where he continued his research and observations overtime. Knauft ultimately gave myself a new outlook on the way of life and went into depth about this group's different way of life.
Knaufts first visit and really his first time meeting and interacting with the Gebusi,he went to study decision making but instead he finds a lot more and describes the group as “Amazing -at turns regal, funny, infuriating, entrancing, romantic, violent, and immersed in a world of towering trees.” (3) This is what is amazing about this group of people because as their lives were as completely different as ours in every aspect, there were many similarities and as individuals and a society that were described in this way. The Gebusi are a multidimensional society, “who were not simply “a society” or “a culture”; they were an incredible mix of unique individuals.” (4) that engage in different rituals, culture, practices and beliefs. The first thing that Knauft realized about the Gebusi was what was at the heart of their culture which was kogwayay. Kogwayay is described as, “The beliefs, practices, and styles of living that are special and unique to them as a people.” (17) This was a term that referred to specific traditions like singing and dancing, etc. in their minds, but really was the togetherness, friendship, and similarity that “reflected the collective and communal nature of Gebusi life.” (17) To the Gebusi Knauft and his wife were clearly outsiders and they weren't too familiar with outsiders to begin with but they were able to express their eagerness to learn the language and culture. Being a society that lives in the rainforest under a canopy of trees, the Gebusi cherished their land and were able to adapt to the changes within their environment and the means of production within. Knauft says that the Gebusi, “Eat practically anything that moves.” (26) He goes on to describe the connection between their land and their beliefs in which they believed that, “They had spiritual ties to their land- and that many spirits lived in large trees.” (28) The forest served as their subsistence for each individual as well as a connection to their religion, their past experiences as well as their ties to their ancestors to themselves now. The Gebusi like every other group of people in the world were faced with death within their society, but had a much different approach to their view on death. “ The Gebusi savored life while it lasted, and enjoyed pleasures, smiled, and laughed.” (33) When they were faced with a natural death they attributed it to sorcery, but one thing that was very different than around the world was that, “They didn't think of infants as fully human until they were seven months old.”(39) Knauft experienced the violence within the Gebusi and stated that, “The Gebusi have rationalized these discrepancies away, and for them it is not murder to kill a sorcerer.”(63) Besides this sliver of violence within their community it was clear to Knauft they were good natured and friendly people.
Rituals, ceremonies, and gatherings were very fascinating in their culture that brought their society together, but there was a clear shortfall between their stance on the difference between men and women. The Gebusi had a clear division between men and women and often men had more power than women,except when it comes to marriage, “The bride-to-be has a degree of veto power in marriage.”(57) When Knauft returned to the rainforest in New Guinea he saw many prominent changes, he saw their culture change, and literally pack up and move from the rainforest to the outskirts of a government airstrip in Nomad. They have shifted to going to church and sending their children to school as well as adapted a multiethnic community where they speak five different languages. The modern world has started to creep into their society and bring drastic changes to their lives and society, and Knauft saw that many of their old traditions and dancing initiations fade away.
Knauft later returned to visit the Gebusi again in 2008 and saw even more changes happen. The government presence has declined to almost nothing and they began facing problems. The biggest change this time was the Gebusi returning to many of the old traditions that were once fading away, like traditional dances, but the group had grown to become in charge of their own lives. Knauft writes, “What I observed this time was a greater sense of self-determination by Gebusi, who now seemed to be seeking a balance between their desire to be modern and an appreciation of their cultural past.”(168) This is important because Knuaft started out by saying this was a not simple “society” or “culture” and you were able to see the transformation from the 80’s to ‘08 that they were not a simple society they began to find themselves and develop their own customs and integrity as indeginous people.(171).
Word Count: 937
Knauft, Bruce M. The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World. Waveland Press, Inc., 2016.
Book Review:
The Gebusi are a very unique group of people that live in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea which is located right off the coast of Australia. The author of the eye opening ethnography, The Gebusi: Lives transformed in a Rainforest World, is Bruce Knauft who is an anthropologist who produced first hand groundwork on the new perspective of the way of life within the rainforest with his wife. This book was written through his eyes who became a member of the Gebusi tribe in 1980 during his first trip and then later in 1998, 2008, and 2013 where he continued his research and observations overtime. Knauft ultimately gave myself a new outlook on the way of life and went into depth about this group's different way of life.
Knaufts first visit and really his first time meeting and interacting with the Gebusi,he went to study decision making but instead he finds a lot more and describes the group as “Amazing -at turns regal, funny, infuriating, entrancing, romantic, violent, and immersed in a world of towering trees.” (3) This is what is amazing about this group of people because as their lives were as completely different as ours in every aspect, there were many similarities and as individuals and a society that were described in this way. The Gebusi are a multidimensional society, “who were not simply “a society” or “a culture”; they were an incredible mix of unique individuals.” (4) that engage in different rituals, culture, practices and beliefs. The first thing that Knauft realized about the Gebusi was what was at the heart of their culture which was kogwayay. Kogwayay is described as, “The beliefs, practices, and styles of living that are special and unique to them as a people.” (17) This was a term that referred to specific traditions like singing and dancing, etc. in their minds, but really was the togetherness, friendship, and similarity that “reflected the collective and communal nature of Gebusi life.” (17) To the Gebusi Knauft and his wife were clearly outsiders and they weren't too familiar with outsiders to begin with but they were able to express their eagerness to learn the language and culture. Being a society that lives in the rainforest under a canopy of trees, the Gebusi cherished their land and were able to adapt to the changes within their environment and the means of production within. Knauft says that the Gebusi, “Eat practically anything that moves.” (26) He goes on to describe the connection between their land and their beliefs in which they believed that, “They had spiritual ties to their land- and that many spirits lived in large trees.” (28) The forest served as their subsistence for each individual as well as a connection to their religion, their past experiences as well as their ties to their ancestors to themselves now. The Gebusi like every other group of people in the world were faced with death within their society, but had a much different approach to their view on death. “ The Gebusi savored life while it lasted, and enjoyed pleasures, smiled, and laughed.” (33) When they were faced with a natural death they attributed it to sorcery, but one thing that was very different than around the world was that, “They didn't think of infants as fully human until they were seven months old.”(39) Knauft experienced the violence within the Gebusi and stated that, “The Gebusi have rationalized these discrepancies away, and for them it is not murder to kill a sorcerer.”(63) Besides this sliver of violence within their community it was clear to Knauft they were good natured and friendly people.
Rituals, ceremonies, and gatherings were very fascinating in their culture that brought their society together, but there was a clear shortfall between their stance on the difference between men and women. The Gebusi had a clear division between men and women and often men had more power than women,except when it comes to marriage, “The bride-to-be has a degree of veto power in marriage.”(57) When Knauft returned to the rainforest in New Guinea he saw many prominent changes, he saw their culture change, and literally pack up and move from the rainforest to the outskirts of a government airstrip in Nomad. They have shifted to going to church and sending their children to school as well as adapted a multiethnic community where they speak five different languages. The modern world has started to creep into their society and bring drastic changes to their lives and society, and Knauft saw that many of their old traditions and dancing initiations fade away.
Knauft later returned to visit the Gebusi again in 2008 and saw even more changes happen. The government presence has declined to almost nothing and they began facing problems. The biggest change this time was the Gebusi returning to many of the old traditions that were once fading away, like traditional dances, but the group had grown to become in charge of their own lives. Knauft writes, “What I observed this time was a greater sense of self-determination by Gebusi, who now seemed to be seeking a balance between their desire to be modern and an appreciation of their cultural past.”(168) This is important because Knuaft started out by saying this was a not simple “society” or “culture” and you were able to see the transformation from the 80’s to ‘08 that they were not a simple society they began to find themselves and develop their own customs and integrity as indeginous people.(171).
Word Count: 937
Knauft, Bruce M. The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World. Waveland Press, Inc., 2016.
February 12, 2009
I think I would have liked it a lot more if this book was written differently. It was so fascinating to learn about these people, and you feel attached to them. However, the author jumps around a lot and sometimes I found it hard to follow. He would start one side story, then another without finishing the first, go back to the first finish it, and then finish the second. However, that was just me, and I probably would recommend it to any Anthropology lover.
November 8, 2018
In Bruce Knauft’s, The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World, we gain an inside look into the lives of the Gebusi in the rainforest of northern Australia. The Gebusi are from a small nation called Papua New Guinea and in the first part of the ethnography we start to understand how they function in their society. Knauft starts by saying, “The Gebusi were not simply “a society” or a “culture”; they were an amazing mix of unique individuals. From the beginning we can understand that the Gebusi are a complex people.” Throughout the ethnography we learn how valid this statement is.
In part one, Knauft speaks of the social inequality between men and women and it is quite clear that men have significant power over the women. He states, “... typically men who determined which settlement their families would live in — who would have togetherness, and with whom. Men took charge of the events most strongly associated with kogwayay-ritual feasts, dances, spirit séances, and initiations.” This gives insight into the class struggles that the Gebusi people undergo and how in their nation men still hold onto the power. Another main component to the first part is when Knauft provides insight about life expectancy for the Gebusi children. Knauft remarks, “Better nutrition, residential security, midwives, and inoculation of infants (even in the absence of a health clinic) allow many more babies to survive.” Overall, Knauft provides essential information that highlights how the Gebusi have improved their healthcare. He also provides more ethnographic data in regards to sex, gender, and, spirituality which are consistent topics of discussion throughout the book. For example, Knauft states, “Sexuality is strongly and importantly linked to other features of culture, including among Gebusi, ritual and religious symbolism, sorcery accusation, and both camaraderie and violence within the community.” Rituals and initiation are a prevalent part of Gebusi society. Initiation especially is a main component for the Gebusi when they enter into adulthood, and it is often violent. Knauft highlights the spirituality of the Gebusi as well in the first part and discusses how the spirit world is linked closely to lives of the Gebusi, particularly during initiation.
The second part of the book begins with Knauft’s return to the small nation in 1998. He had initially arrived there in 1982 and was now able to view how the ethnographic data he had originally collected had changed over time. “Gebusi did change remarkably during the 1990s, moving their village, associating with the Nomad Station, and embracing locally modern ways of life as much as they possibly could.” This led to him speak about the Nomad market, many women that went to these markets are from Gasumi Corners and would load up the food they wished to sell in the hopes of making some money. Most days they would bring back the majority of what they brought to the Nomad market, but it they continued to go because it allowed them to have their own place in the cash economy. Part two also continues to discuss the status of women and how their role in society was changing. Knauft remarks, “Female status among Gebusi, as among many peoples, increased in the sense that women have participated meaningfully in modern institutions and activities such as church, school, and the market.” However, he continues to reflect on the fact that there is still gender dominance found within education, church leadership, and men still hold economic control over women. We also learn in part two more on the way sex and marriage has changed over time. Knauft noticed that there was a continuation in male social bonding, but sexual relations between men in-frequently occurred. In regards to marriage, the Gebusi became more flexible than they were when Knauft had previously visited the nation. They described “marriage as an ‘exchange’ between wider groups of kin.” Lastly, Knauft covered their National Independence Day celebrations and the Gebusi’s reactions towards it. For many it seemed to cause conflicting feelings as their old customs were being brought back to life through spirit séances and sorcery divinations. For acts that used to be prevalent in their culture they were once again used on this day but more as a mockery. Knauft realized here how the National Independence Day proves that the Gebusi have grown as a culture and are forming their own national identity.
In part three, Knauft mainly focuses upon how vastly the Gebusi culture has changed from the time he had seen it. He states, “In formal economic terms, Gebusi live in extreme poverty—they earn less than a dollar a day. But they are arguably richer now in cultural meaning and social quality of life than when they were more ‘developed’. ” While the Gebusi did experience cultural loss and did feel the effects, they ultimately were able to grow extensively as a culture in economic and social ways, which is a significant feat for any small nation. While they still face major challenges such as poverty and social inequality, Knauft has provided strong ethnographic data that suggests that they have a positive future as a nation.
In part one, Knauft speaks of the social inequality between men and women and it is quite clear that men have significant power over the women. He states, “... typically men who determined which settlement their families would live in — who would have togetherness, and with whom. Men took charge of the events most strongly associated with kogwayay-ritual feasts, dances, spirit séances, and initiations.” This gives insight into the class struggles that the Gebusi people undergo and how in their nation men still hold onto the power. Another main component to the first part is when Knauft provides insight about life expectancy for the Gebusi children. Knauft remarks, “Better nutrition, residential security, midwives, and inoculation of infants (even in the absence of a health clinic) allow many more babies to survive.” Overall, Knauft provides essential information that highlights how the Gebusi have improved their healthcare. He also provides more ethnographic data in regards to sex, gender, and, spirituality which are consistent topics of discussion throughout the book. For example, Knauft states, “Sexuality is strongly and importantly linked to other features of culture, including among Gebusi, ritual and religious symbolism, sorcery accusation, and both camaraderie and violence within the community.” Rituals and initiation are a prevalent part of Gebusi society. Initiation especially is a main component for the Gebusi when they enter into adulthood, and it is often violent. Knauft highlights the spirituality of the Gebusi as well in the first part and discusses how the spirit world is linked closely to lives of the Gebusi, particularly during initiation.
The second part of the book begins with Knauft’s return to the small nation in 1998. He had initially arrived there in 1982 and was now able to view how the ethnographic data he had originally collected had changed over time. “Gebusi did change remarkably during the 1990s, moving their village, associating with the Nomad Station, and embracing locally modern ways of life as much as they possibly could.” This led to him speak about the Nomad market, many women that went to these markets are from Gasumi Corners and would load up the food they wished to sell in the hopes of making some money. Most days they would bring back the majority of what they brought to the Nomad market, but it they continued to go because it allowed them to have their own place in the cash economy. Part two also continues to discuss the status of women and how their role in society was changing. Knauft remarks, “Female status among Gebusi, as among many peoples, increased in the sense that women have participated meaningfully in modern institutions and activities such as church, school, and the market.” However, he continues to reflect on the fact that there is still gender dominance found within education, church leadership, and men still hold economic control over women. We also learn in part two more on the way sex and marriage has changed over time. Knauft noticed that there was a continuation in male social bonding, but sexual relations between men in-frequently occurred. In regards to marriage, the Gebusi became more flexible than they were when Knauft had previously visited the nation. They described “marriage as an ‘exchange’ between wider groups of kin.” Lastly, Knauft covered their National Independence Day celebrations and the Gebusi’s reactions towards it. For many it seemed to cause conflicting feelings as their old customs were being brought back to life through spirit séances and sorcery divinations. For acts that used to be prevalent in their culture they were once again used on this day but more as a mockery. Knauft realized here how the National Independence Day proves that the Gebusi have grown as a culture and are forming their own national identity.
In part three, Knauft mainly focuses upon how vastly the Gebusi culture has changed from the time he had seen it. He states, “In formal economic terms, Gebusi live in extreme poverty—they earn less than a dollar a day. But they are arguably richer now in cultural meaning and social quality of life than when they were more ‘developed’. ” While the Gebusi did experience cultural loss and did feel the effects, they ultimately were able to grow extensively as a culture in economic and social ways, which is a significant feat for any small nation. While they still face major challenges such as poverty and social inequality, Knauft has provided strong ethnographic data that suggests that they have a positive future as a nation.
March 26, 2020
The Gebusi Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World by Bruce Knault shares the experiences of an anthropologist who goes to Papua New Guinea to live and learn about the Gebusi people of Yibihilu. The book is split into three parts when Knault traveled to see the tribal people- 1980-82, 1998, and 2008/13. Each part is split into several chapters, highlighting all the essential aspects of their culture. Knault emphasizes the culture not by the standards that readers are used to but to show these people through their own lense and allow the reader to understand that they “were not simply a ‘society’ or ‘culture’; they were an amazing mix of unique individuals (4)”. The first part took place from 1980-82 and acted as the most primitive and tribal time for the Gebusi people. Their culture was fully immersed in things such as “ritual feasts, dances, spirit seances, and initiations (24)”. They believed deeply in mediumship and the existence of sorcery, which extended to homicide rates being so high and the belief that sorcerers were the reason all adult deaths occurred. Gebusi had an interesting way they divided up roles among genders. Men typically performed all the ceremonies, conducted the feasts, and had rituals and seances involving some tribal people who were mediums. Women often held roles such as burying the dead, preparing for feasts by organizing and cooking all the food, and “were excluded from the seance (24)”. In this society, women were often treated as lesser than men yet as Knault points out, “they accepted and embraced it (25)”. Knault learns about death in Gebusi society when Dugawe, a member of the tribe, commits suicide and he sees how the people react and what responsibilities they undertake. Knault also discovers how closely tied the act of sorcery is to death and all the Gebusi believe magic is responsible for all deaths. The Gebusi are split into 18 different clans, and these clans are usually divided into family units. Initiations, or rites of passage for adulthood are significant in the culture for men as they grow into adults. These events are very significant and for “six months, much and then almost all activity in the village is focused on the upcoming celebration (93)”. The second part includes the return of Knault back to the village to see the Gebusi after being gone for 16 years. This trip is shorter as Knault is somewhat older and he only stays for six months. The number of members of the tribe have increased “up from 450 persons to about 615 (117)”. The Gebusi were healthier, lived longer, and were overall happier and more productive with their lives than at the first visit. Gebusi now established themselves much closer to the Nomad Station and basically abandoned the deep forest where they used to live. The style of longhouses no longer were in use as people lived in smaller houses to fit just their individual families, like in western society. Markets opened where people bought things for money, Christianity has spread across the culture as most of them practice a form of it, and ultimately the once traditional culture of mediumship and the act of rituals, seances, and beliefs of sorcery no longer were in use. Some benefits resulted in the modernization of their ideas as homicide rates dropped to zero after 1989 and it seems that the use of sorcery contributed greatly to formally high death rates. Another result of westernization saw females wanting equality in marriage but also in their jobs as well. “On one hand, much of value in Gebusi culture had been lost (131)” after they abandoned tribal rituals and their classic way of life, yet they still hold on to their values and ideas and seem to grow with a more modern outlook then before. In the third and last part Knault returns to the Gebusi to see the downward turn that they took. The Nomad airstrip was now permanently closed and travel to the tribe was now a difficult endeavor. Their infrastructure seemed to diminish and their economy was failing. Gebusi “have not reestablished spirit mediumship or shamanism, séances, sorcery divi-nations, or other traditional practices that escalated violence (210)”. It seems that in 2013 “gender taboos have crumbled, and Gebusi men and women now live in houses with no walls between them (209)”. With the crumbling cash economy and the inability to grow monetarily, the Gebusi formed a new type of structure in their lives by keeping modern principles such as church, markets, and equality yet brought back some traditional ideas like feasts and dancing. This intertwining of old and new provides the ideal type of culture that the present day Gebusi want to have and fit appropriately to their current lifestyle. Throughout the book Knault is successful at depicting the Gebusi people in their true light and emphasizing the way they change with the times and adapt to the circumstances.
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November 12, 2022Ethnographer and anthropologist Bruce Knauft spent a number of years, throughout three separate decades, immersing himself in the culture and practices of the Gebusi, an indigenous group who reside in the rainforest of Papa New Guinea. The group has grown over the years from roughly 450 to 1,200 people but not only did the number of members of the group change, their practices did as well. Knauft does a good job of explaining the actions of the Gebusi that were not only foreign to him upon his arrival, but that are also foreign to the readers as they work through the book. An example of this is seen when he describes how the group dealt with death amongst other members and just how much the way in which they do so varies when compared to not just how American’s deal with death but most of the world as well. Knauft explains that the first time he witnessed death and saw how the Gebusi dealt with death was shortly after he arrived in the village and saw multiple babies die. While the mothers and their female friends would mourn the deaths of the children, the men and young boys seemed to carry on with their day to day lives saying that “the men continued joking and smoking in the longhouse, and the boys played gaily in the village clearing” (Knauft 51). Continuing on with the concept of death and how the Gebusi dealt with it, Knauft recalls the death of a man named Dugawe who committed suicide by consuming doses of poison which were to be used on animals that they were hunting. He committed suicide due to his wife having an affair with another Gebusi man, Sagawa. Unlike what is seen with the deaths of the infants, the entire community seems to be impacted by the death of Dugawe, especially two women who were considered mothers of him. During the mourning of Dugawe’s death, the body was left out for days and was almost fully decomposed. The description of this by Knauft paints an excellent picture into the head of the readers, he writes his “body was grossly bloated. His swollen limbs oozed corpse fluid, and his peeling skin exposed putrid green-yellow flesh… The stench was unforgettable; it burned up my nose, down my throat, and into my brain” (53). Not only was this incredibly interesting when compared to what is seen in most cultures around the world, but what happens after is also very unique and is not something seen outside of this group. The two women who were described as his mothers “draped themselves physically over the corpse, lovingly massaged its slime, and rubbed their arms and legs with the ooze of the body. They made their bodies like his own corpse, a tangible sign of grief, of physical as well as emotional connection to him” (53-54). Knauft’s comparison of this experience to his first time seeing a dead body, at an open casket funeral, helps the reader to see the extremity of the cultural differences. Another topic that Knauft uses to contrast Gebusi culture from the culture of Western civilizations is seen when he discusses sexuality within the group. He discusses how the sexual customs of the group were something that he studied in depth during his first visit to Papa New Guinea and in the text, he dives deep into the homosexual relationships amongst the Gebusi, despite being unsure whether or not they were aware of they fully understood the concept of male-male sex, Knauft said that he did not want to project it onto them if they did not. He talks about a sexual ritual amongst the boys and the men in order for them to fully mature, while on the contrary he says that the girls in the group are able to “mature without intervention” (77). The men in the tribe would make sexual jokes amongst each other and he included images as well as dialogue that he had written down while with the group. All in all, Bruce Knauft’s ethnography The Gebusi: Lives Transformed in a Rainforest World does an excellent job of showcasing cultural differences between the Gebusi group in the rainforest of Papa New Guinea and the Western civilizations that Knauft was used to. By stepping outside of his comfort zone, Knauft was introduced to new ideas and traditions, along with countless other memories that he made along the way. By sharing these experiences in his ethnography, those who may not be able to venture to Papa New Guinea are able to learn about the Gebusi group in great detail.
March 29, 2020
Bruce Knauft introduces the reader into the unknown, unheard of the world of the Gebusi. Located in the thick of the rainforest in Papua New Guinea, the Gebusi welcomed Knauft and his wife into their homes and allowed both to study their way of life. The book covers the two-year experience of Knauft in the small village. He immerses himself completely into their culture, which he quickly learns is very different from his own. From housing to rituals of celebration to religion or views of the afterlife, the Gebusi are very much unsurprisingly separated from the Western way of life. However, it is important to note that some similarities do in fact exist between the two cultures such as the patriarchal gender roles or positive attitudes towards gifting. Knauft continues by defining the ideas of togetherness, friendship, and similarity as kogwayay in their language, which represents the “collective and communal nature of Gebusi life” (Knauft 21). This entire collection of stories and analysis gives us insight into a culture and a perspective that ultimately may force us to question our own lifestyle, accepted notions and the nature of them.
Chapter 1, “Friends in the Forest”, presents the beginning of Knauft’s journey in Papua New Guinea. He discusses his initial ideas, concerns, and perspectives on the tribe. He and his wife are met with an inviting welcome and are subsequently accepted into their society. This chapter questions the true meaning and description of culture in a general sense, as well as in this specific context. As Knauft explains it, he recognizes that the Gebusi people used kogwayay as a “catchall marker of cultural distinction rather than a tool for dissecting it” (21). He goes into the fundamentals of the culture, which is the people that practice and live it, specifically describing the distinction between the men and women and the roles, responsibilities, and expectations they have in their society.
Chapter 2, “Rhythms of Survival”, goes into the idea of the collective community in terms of their land, the rainforest, and their homes as signs of their “village cooperation, physical prowess, and collective labor” (31). The relationship between the people and the land is very evident in almost every aspect of their lives both spiritually and culturally. The characters of Knauft’s account view life as a means of celebration even in times when death is approaching through illness, suicide, etc. The significance of language and communication is also stressed in this chapter.
Chapter 3, “Lives of Death”, continues on the relationship of life and death and how it is viewed among the Gebusi people. One specific case arises where one member of the tribe commits suicide and the community’s response to this in many ways shocks Knauft. He wonders why the women covered themselves with the body’s oils and why the men continued to celebrate during this sad time. This leads to the questioning of the typical or commonly accepted reactions of the Western people to the death of a member of the community.
The following chapters of the book: “Getting Along with Kin and Killers”, “Spirits, Sex, and Celebration”, “Ultimate Splendor”, “Time for Change”, etc. review various issues that result in the Gebusi culture as well as bring us up to date with the current status of the tribe. This community has been so isolated from the rest of the world, yet still highly civilized and organized. The depth of the inside view the reader has access to of the Gebusi life is highly personal; it is almost as if we were by the author’s side to experience it ourselves. Knauft’s account is successful in providing us with an overlook of the values of a culture so different from ours while still managing to create a relatable connection between the reader and the Gebusi.
Chapter 1, “Friends in the Forest”, presents the beginning of Knauft’s journey in Papua New Guinea. He discusses his initial ideas, concerns, and perspectives on the tribe. He and his wife are met with an inviting welcome and are subsequently accepted into their society. This chapter questions the true meaning and description of culture in a general sense, as well as in this specific context. As Knauft explains it, he recognizes that the Gebusi people used kogwayay as a “catchall marker of cultural distinction rather than a tool for dissecting it” (21). He goes into the fundamentals of the culture, which is the people that practice and live it, specifically describing the distinction between the men and women and the roles, responsibilities, and expectations they have in their society.
Chapter 2, “Rhythms of Survival”, goes into the idea of the collective community in terms of their land, the rainforest, and their homes as signs of their “village cooperation, physical prowess, and collective labor” (31). The relationship between the people and the land is very evident in almost every aspect of their lives both spiritually and culturally. The characters of Knauft’s account view life as a means of celebration even in times when death is approaching through illness, suicide, etc. The significance of language and communication is also stressed in this chapter.
Chapter 3, “Lives of Death”, continues on the relationship of life and death and how it is viewed among the Gebusi people. One specific case arises where one member of the tribe commits suicide and the community’s response to this in many ways shocks Knauft. He wonders why the women covered themselves with the body’s oils and why the men continued to celebrate during this sad time. This leads to the questioning of the typical or commonly accepted reactions of the Western people to the death of a member of the community.
The following chapters of the book: “Getting Along with Kin and Killers”, “Spirits, Sex, and Celebration”, “Ultimate Splendor”, “Time for Change”, etc. review various issues that result in the Gebusi culture as well as bring us up to date with the current status of the tribe. This community has been so isolated from the rest of the world, yet still highly civilized and organized. The depth of the inside view the reader has access to of the Gebusi life is highly personal; it is almost as if we were by the author’s side to experience it ourselves. Knauft’s account is successful in providing us with an overlook of the values of a culture so different from ours while still managing to create a relatable connection between the reader and the Gebusi.
January 14, 2018
The book was your basic ethnographic account of a fledgling anthropologist making a name for himself. Where this voyage differed was in the fact that in this fourth edition, Bruce Knauft offers remixed versions of the Gebusi by repeating his travels to Papua New Guinea over the course of about thirty years. By documenting the unadulterated Gebusi before modernization and globalization seeped in, Knauft was able to help preserve the culture of a dying rainforest civilization so that they do not vanish completely. Of all ethnographies I have read to date, this was the most valuable in terms of culture preservation and respect for indigenous peoples.
July 8, 2023
Read this book for a cultural anthropology course and found it very compelling to learn about a culture so different from my own. I appreciated that the authors focus more on their perspectives and experience living with the Gebusi people and acknowledge that they come in with western ideology rather than acting as experts on the culture. Great read if you are interested in anthropology and expanding your worldview, however I can understand that this book wouldn’t be for everyone as it is not told as a chronological story. It jumps around a lot to cover different themes and can sometimes be confusing as to which author is writing and which visit to the Gebusi people they are talking about.
May 4, 2020
I picked this book up for my cultural anthropology class and was assigned the reading for it. I am a nursing major and have little/limited knowledge and interest in anthropology. That being said this was written as a story which I appreciate and made the experience enjoyable and not like a chore. I fell in love with the people in this book and world and learned a lot from it. Highly would recommend to anyone who likes reading nonfiction.
June 20, 2017
Engaging!
April 11, 2019
Use this for class -- it's a great introductory ethnography.
Read
December 16, 2021read for an anthropology class
November 11, 2024
for school
June 29, 2022
Read this book for school, so while I can admit it was very interesting, it was definitely not my usual choice.
March 11, 2015
This is my first ethnographic reading and it was very enjoyable. Bruce Knauft goes with his wife to study the Gebusi people of Papua New Guinea in 1980. They study their customs and beliefs while living amongst the people. It is interesting to see their dynamic and how they conduct themselves. They worship spirits, hunter and gather (which allows for much leisure time), believe sorcery is the reason behind adult death. A big part of their culture is their homicide rate. In the Gebusi world there is a belief that any adult death (accident, sickness, or suicide) was done by a sorcerer and therefore they need vengeance for the death by accusing individuals of sorcery and killing them. It is well-done and raw documentation of the people. Bruce Knauft has a unique ability to describe a situation in a very accessible way that makes the reader feel that they are right there in the action. It is a very refreshing read, it gives you a chance to see how a group of people live their lives away from modern society. Yet the tribe has been touched by the outside world and has changed as a consequence. Some change is better than others.
Sixteen years later Bruce Knauft returns to the jungles and has find that much has changed. The young boys he saw get initiated into adulthood are now adults with their own lives. Many of his friends have passed. Life has change greatly for the Gebusi people as christianity has been introduced to the people along with other modern culture. The second half of the book shows the complete transformation of the people over a very short span on time. Reading how life was altered by the outside influence is really when the book comes alive. It is a reflection of my own modern life on to the people of the Gebusi tribe.
This book has a lot of soul. It is an honest telling of a group of people that were introduced to the rest of the world. The author doesn't hold back adn gives a complete unfiltered telling of his experience. It is a very humbling read.
Sixteen years later Bruce Knauft returns to the jungles and has find that much has changed. The young boys he saw get initiated into adulthood are now adults with their own lives. Many of his friends have passed. Life has change greatly for the Gebusi people as christianity has been introduced to the people along with other modern culture. The second half of the book shows the complete transformation of the people over a very short span on time. Reading how life was altered by the outside influence is really when the book comes alive. It is a reflection of my own modern life on to the people of the Gebusi tribe.
This book has a lot of soul. It is an honest telling of a group of people that were introduced to the rest of the world. The author doesn't hold back adn gives a complete unfiltered telling of his experience. It is a very humbling read.
December 5, 2016
This story is a great informational text by Bruce Knauft. In the Gebusi, there is a group of anthropologists traveling to Papua New Guinea, searching for an indigenous group of people that we had no information about. After living with these people for 3 years, the team learns about the practices of this group of people as well as certain parts of their language and culture.
I love the pictures of this book because they are real photos taken by the author himself. Every photo has so much meaning to it, and the author puts pictures in pages with the story he is describing, so you are able to see exactly what he is referring to. Each picture is in black and white, and shows the different people that he came to learn in his research.
I love the pictures of this book because they are real photos taken by the author himself. Every photo has so much meaning to it, and the author puts pictures in pages with the story he is describing, so you are able to see exactly what he is referring to. Each picture is in black and white, and shows the different people that he came to learn in his research.
December 28, 2014
This ethnography blew me away. I actually read the updated copy when the anthropologist went back two more times to visit these people and chronicle their changes. Never before have I read about an entire culture so far removed from Western society, then inundated with it, then restored to (nearly) their original state. These people were wild, became sanctified, and returned to a peaceful form of tradition and Christianity.
They also proved what it takes to cure a society of violence.
A must read!
They also proved what it takes to cure a society of violence.
A must read!
February 13, 2014
I loved reading this book. It was truly fascinating to read and learn about a culture that was so isolated and had this pristine quality about it. And then seeing how "modernization" affected them and really hurt their culture and they entered a plight not unlike many others we see around the world. What I love most though, was their ability to adapt to the ever changing situations.
March 12, 2009
an interesting book on the lives of the Gebusi and how they changed between the author's visit. But it read too much like a textbook (yes, i know it is a textbook) for it to be very enjoyable for pleasure reading.
December 27, 2009
Absolutely loved this book. Great ethnography and shows a fantastic change of culture in the past and in today's world. Second edition is far better than the first with the addition of today's changes within the Gebusi. Fantastic read.
April 28, 2016
one of the better ethnographies I've read. The author is very receptive to and interactive with the people he's working with, and he is more focused on telling the stories of actual people that he came to know as friends than flexing his anthropological chops.
October 2, 2008
I read this book for my anthropology class at school. It is really pretty fascinating if you enjoy learning about other cultures.
July 3, 2009
This ethnography helped me learn how to rid myself of my ethnocentric thinking, and also taught me how to embrace the many differences in how people live all around the world.
June 13, 2014
Eye-opening. I loved the personal narrative interwoven with his fieldwork observations. I wish that he had incorporated his wife's work with the women of the group a lot more than he did.
April 25, 2014
This was a fascinating read. Bruce describes everything so well that you really feel that you get to know the Gebusi. The ending is very touching. I admit I cried.
October 5, 2016
This was a very interesting book that was filled with a lot of good information. I used this for a report for my sociology class and everything was well written, easy to find about the Gebusi Tribe.
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