Kwaio
The Kwaio historically lived in small, autonomous groups in the interior of the large island of Malaita. Their religion was heavily based on ancestral deities and their maintenance of moral standards within the community. The Kwaio were notable for their fierce resistance to colonisation and Christianisation, which resulted a punitive expedition being mounted against them in 1927, during which their religious sites were deliberately desecrated. Subsequently, many Kwaio converted to Christianity, although around a third continue to adhere to their indigenous religion to this day.
Supernatural Beings |
Nature Spirits | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 1-246, 33, 35 |
Nature god(s) | Absent (Source) |
Keesing (1982) |
Ancestral spirits | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 33, 35-37 |
Deified ancestor(s) | Present, and the principal focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 30-39 |
God(s) | Absent (Source) |
Keesing (1982) |
Supernatural Punishment |
Supernatural punishment for impiety | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 31-33, 38-39, 68-73, 86-87, 93, 04, 225-227 |
Afterlife and Creation |
One's actions while living can affect the nature of one's afterlife | One factor in determining one's afterlife (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 104-110 |
The actions of others after one has died can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Absent (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 104-111 |
Myth of humanity’s creation | Present, and evolutionary (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 40-42 |
Primordial pair | Absent (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 42 |
Culture hero(es) | Absent (Source) |
Keesing (1982) |
General Features |
Forces of nature are controlled by or imbued with the supernatural | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 79-80 |
Classes of Tapu |
Kinship tapu | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 18-19, 225-227 |
Resource management tapu | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 161 |
Social hierarchy tapu | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 19-20, 146-147 |
Mana |
Mana as a personal quality | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 46 |
Mana linked to genealogy | Present, linked to both paternal and maternal lines (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 10, 46-49 |
Mana related to social influence or technical skill | Absent (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 46-49 |
Mana and social status | Mana is associated with social status, but high social status is not necessary in order to be mana or have mana. (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 46-47 |
Mana as a spiritual or religious concept | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 46-47 |
General Supernatural Practices |
Headhunting | Absent (Source) |
Keesing (1982) |
Costly sacrifices and offerings | Present (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 128-142, 134-138 |
Size of largest ritual social group | Larger than the largest political community in the culture (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 10, 76-79 |
Political and religious differentiation | No overlap (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 19, 87-91 |
Rites |
Piercing | Present in culture, but not as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 30-39, 91-94, 154, 174, 203 |
Genital cutting | Absent from culture (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 30-39, 91-94 |
Scarification | Absent from culture (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 30-39, 53, 57, 91-94, 114, 124-126, 130-131, 149, 154-155 |
Tattooing | Absent from culture (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 30-39, 53, 57, 91-94, 114, 124-126, 130-131, 149, 154-155 |
Tooth pulling | Absent from culture (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 30-39, 91-94 |
Population | 7500 (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 13 |
Population of largest political community | 99 or fewer (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 10, 17 |
Importance of Patrilateral descent | High (Source) |
Keesing (1991), pp. 161 |
Importance of Matrilateral descent | Medium (Source) |
Keesing (1991), pp. 161 |
Kinship system | Hawaiian (Source) |
Keesing (1991), pp. 162 |
Polygamy | Monogamy preferred, but exceptional cases of polygyny (Source) |
Keesing (1991), pp. 162 |
Marital residence | Patrilocal or virilocal - with husband's kin (Source) |
Keesing (1991), pp. 161-162 |
Conflict |
Conflict with other cultures | Occasional, at least every generation (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 22 |
Conflict between communities of the culture | Frequent, occurring at least yearly (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 22 |
Conflict within communities | Endemic (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 18-19, 225-227 |
Contact with other cultures | Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 20 |
Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km) | 0.0 (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 13 |
Distance to African or Asian mainland (km) | 5862.4 (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 13 Daft Logic Distance Calculator (2014) |
Pre-Austronesian population | Present: Clear evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement (Source) |
Bellwood (1995), pp. 109 |
Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (Source) |
Cribb (2000), pp. Map 2.21 |
Islamic influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (Source) |
Cribb (2000), pp. Map 2.23 |
Christian influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 22 |
Land-based means of subsistence |
Animal husbandry as a source of food | Medium (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 14, 9-82 |
Agriculture / Horticulture | Principal (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 13-14 |
Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Minor (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 14 |
Land-based gathering | Minor (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 13-14 |
Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Minor (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 14 |
Water-based means of subsistence |
Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Minor (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 14 |
Water-based gathering | Minor (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 14 |
Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Minor (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 14 |
Commercial Activity |
Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Minor (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 14 |
Geographical Range of Culture |
Number of islands inhabited by culture | One (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 13, 15 |
Features of Island with Largest Culture Population |
Latitude | -9.0 (Source) |
Google Maps (2014) Keesing (1982), pp. 13, 15 |
Longitude | 160.9 (Source) |
Google Maps (2014) Keesing (1982), pp. 13, 15 |
Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown) | Volcanic high island (Source) |
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Malaita) (2014) |
Island Size (km²) | 4200.0 (Source) |
Moore (2007), pp. 214 |
Maximum elevation (meters) | 1438.0 (Source) |
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Malaita) (2014) |
Conversion |
Role of social status in conversion process | Mixed / Neither (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 234 |
Use of force in conversion | Medium (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 23-24, 234 |
Resident missionary involvement in conversion process | Present, and from non-Austronesian societies (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 232-233 |
Adoption of a world religion | Present and major (Source) |
McLaren et al (2009), pp. S125 Keesing (1967A), pp. 84-89 |
Syncretic Movements |
Syncretic religious movements | Present, but did not survive to the present-day (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 24-26 McLaren et al (2009), pp. S125 |
Economic Changes |
Changes in means of subsistence | Medium (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001A), pp. 20-22 Keesing (1982), pp. 24 |
Exportation of goods to other cultures | Present and substantial (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 24 |
Modern Infrastructure |
Vehicles and roads | Present but rarely used (Source) |
McLaren et al (2009), pp. S126 |
Air travel | Present, local only (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001A), pp. 18-19 |
Sea port | Absent (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001A), pp. 19 |
Loss of Autonomy |
Loss of political autonoomy | High (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 23-26, 28-29 |
Nature of loss of autonomy | Largely involuntary (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 23-24 |
Demographic and Social Changes |
Immigration | Absent (Source) |
McLaren et al (2009), pp. S125 Keesing (1982), pp. 26-29 |
Foreign government systems | Present, and of high importance (Source) |
Keesing (1982), pp. 28-29 |
Religious Demographics |
Unofficial religious syncretism | Low (Source) |
Akin (2004), pp. 303-304 |
Institutional religious syncretism | Low (Source) |
Akin (2004), pp. 303-304 |
Dominant world religion | Christianity (Source) |
McLaren et al (2009), pp. S125 |