Strange Feast: Negotiating Identities on Ponape

Lieber, Michael D. (1984). "Strange Feast: Negotiating Identities on Ponape". Journal of Polynesian Society. 93, 2: 141–189.

Abstract: The polity of Ponape (Pohnpei), a high island in the Eastern Caroline Islands, was organized into five states before colonial contact (Riesenberg 1965). Each state, called wehi, was (and remains) a territorial entity organized politically in two ranked lines of chiefs. The highest ranking chief, the ritual chief, is the Nahnmwarki, head of one line. The other line is headed by the Nahnken, who is more of an implementer of chiefly policy, and who can intercede with the Nahnmwarki on behalf of people of lower rank. Each status in each of these two lines is labelled, i.e., is a title. The Nahnmwarki controls the allocation of state titles, and he can award and remove almost any title at his discretion. These dual lines of titles are reminiscent of the Samoan ritual chief/talking chief dichotomy. The Nahnmwarki outranks the Nahnken, and the Nahnken outranks the second title below the Nahnmwarki in his line, and so on in an asymmetrical dualism. The highest state titles are controlled by certain subclans of particular matrilineal clans.

Each state is composed of named territorial entities call kousapw 'sections'. The political organization of the section duplicates that of the state — two lines of politically potent titles, asymmetrically ranked with the higher titles being controlled by certain subclans of certain matrilineal clans (see Petersen 1982). The section chief controls the allocation of titles in his section. The Nahnmwarki System can, however, manipulate title allocation in sections, particularly by his power to affirm the highest section title holders in their titles, as Petersen has shown (1982).

Every title is gotten and maintained through personal effort. Men aspiring to higher titles get them through competition with other aspirants, titles being awarded by section and state chiefs in recognition of extraordinary service and achievement. Typically, competition is channelled through feasts, either section or state feasts. Although feasts are not the only avenue of competition in rendering service, they are certainly the best-documented ones...