Nguna - Sociopolitical Organization



Social Organization. The essential bases of social Organization on modern Nguna are agnation and matriliny. With the matriclans dispersed widely across the island's villages, preferential male agnatic coresidence results in small aggregations of male matrikin in each village. Village membership itself is also a powerful force, uniting the different sets of kinfolk and clanfolk under the village high chief, in whose name villagers act collectively on certain significant occasions, such as planting yam gardens.

Political Organization. During the late nineteenth Century, the precontact system of ranked, hereditary titles underwent a series of changes, becoming more rigid and less based on competition. With conversion to Christianity around 1900, the traditional economic base—pigs—was replaced by copra. Simultaneously, the titles ceased being transmitted matrilineally in favor of the patriline (i.e., sons rather than sisters1 sons became the usual successors). Yet, since these changes did not entail a restructuring of the distribution of wealth nor of the power relations that it supported, most of the men who had dominated in the previous system continued to do so. Today, a few chiefs still retain disproportionate control over land (including large coconut stands) as a result of the attachment of rights over certain plots of land to their chiefly titles. Even after tremendous historical upheavals and alterations, bearers of the highest titles continue to inherit the associated lands and to dominate the other two power structures that govern island life: the local "session" of church elders and the pastor; and the village councils, some of which are more formally organized bodies while others merely constitute the adult membership of the village as a whole.

Social Control. This is largely under the authority of both village councils and the council of chiefs, whose memberships overlap to a significant degree, as mentioned above. A sliding scale of fines in cash, mats, pigs, and community labor (e.g., road maintenance) is applied to various misdemeanors such as swearing, theft, adultery, minor fights, and destruction of property. The central government has jurisdiction over all crimes of violence via an appointed local intermediary, the "Government Assessor."

Conflict. Land claims are a major source of conflict, for reasons discussed above. Village councils tend to have difficulty putting such arguments to rest permanently. Where these or other interpersonal conflicts end in destructive behavior or violent confrontation, alcohol abuse is usually a factor.

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