Uneapa Island society in the 19th century: A reconstruction

Abstract

Although chiefs are frequently associated with Polynesia and big-men with Melanesia, ascription and achievement are relevant to leadership in both regions. Hierarchical societies with ascribed leaders occur throughout Melanesia and, based on archaeological and ethnographic evidence, were more common in the past. In recent centuries, external influences have provided opportunities for achieved leadership. The purpose of this paper is to reconstruct Uneapa society as it existed at the end of the 19th century before intensive European contact. Historical accounts, recent archaeological research and oral accounts indicate that prior to the 20th century, Uneapa consisted of a number of chiefdoms. Location, descent and ranking were integral to social organisation, including institutions of war and peace. A 19th-century conflict that involved the whole island and resulted in the destruction of a community illustrates how these elements intersected. Internal and external change over 120 years have transformed Uneapa into a more egalitarian society, but traces of the old order remain. Uneapa is situated to the north of the Willaumez Peninsula, within the Proto-Oceanic triangle (as defined by Malcolm Ross), the likely dispersal centre for Western Oceanic languages. In a seismically active region, Uneapa differs from the Willaumez Peninsula and coastal West New Britain in terms of residential continuity. However, there are clues suggesting that social change has occurred since settlement.