Anthropology 101

Fall Assignment No.1 (Due October 31)

Katerina Rigas

Trobriand Cricket: An Ingenious Response to Colonialism.

As the subtitle of the film suggests, Trobriand islanders after their encounter with British in the early 20th century, re-introduced and reinvented the cricket game that was forced upon them during the colonization process in order to reflect their own culture.

In this excerpt of the film we are introduced to a game of cricket between Trobriand tribes. The players attire consists of colorful outfits and their faces are painted in their traditional warfare colors. They constantly chant throughout the game in dancing formations that strongly resemble military formation, as if they are in war. We are also introduced to some leading figures of the Trobriand tribes that narrate and offer explanations about the development of cricket in the Trobriand Islands.

The film focuses on the transformation that cricket underwent after the British colonized the Trobriand Islands, or rather the diffusion of cricket from the British to the Trobriand tribes. As stated in the textbook, Cultural Anthropology, Nanda and Warms, diffusion is the spread of cultural elements from one culture to another through cultural contact. British missionaries, as stated in the film by the Trobriand

leaders, particularly Reverend Gilmour, introduced the early converts of the Trobriand tribes to cricket.

The game was slow paced, very controlled and initially played the way it was played in throughout the Commonwealth. It was imposed upon the Trobriand tribes in an attempt to provide them with an outlet to end the state of constant warfare between them. As it is stated in the textbook, cultures colonized others are forced to assume new cultural practices, but this diffusion is often accompanied by conflict. The Trobriand tribe leaders proceed to explain the actual process of how the Trobriands took this very reserved game and transformed it into mock warfare.

Initially, Trobriands went along with the practices of the missionaries, adopting cricket as it was given to them, and the traditional warfare seized. That substitute for their warfare practices did not last long though. The natives changed the concept of the game from a subtle twelve player per team sport into an aggressive, ritualized, political affair, where the whole community could participate (up to forty players a team). One of the men in the documentary explicitly states that they left the missionary game behind as the non-political competition didnt last long. They reinvented the games as kayasha, which Malinowski defines as a competitive and obligatory activity, where the element of warfare and magic is prevalent and men can built their reputations in society by participating in these games.

The Trobriands have altered both the props and tools of the game as much as the rules. They have closed and shortened the stumps on the ground, as they have found it easier to implement their accurate spear throwing style in a tighter space. The bats and

wickets are treated with magic in order to make them more effective and accurate, the way magic was used in warfare. Magic is also used against the opponents. The chants and dancing formations strongly resemble military formations that tribes assumed during warfare. The games are conducted between tribes and involve a great deal of politics. A lot of money is poured into organizing the kayasha games, proving to be a very prestigious and profitable enterprise.

As a conclusion, we can surmise that the Trobriands, very ingeniously, as stated in the films title, resisted the imposition of the British institutions and values by adapting the game of cricket in order to suit their needs and reflect their own unique culture.

Bibliography:

Nanda, Serena and Richard L.Warms, 2007. Cultural Anthropology, 9th ed., Cengage Learning, Wadsworth pg 107, 109

http://www.tlc2.uh.edu/visualanthro/News/Trobriand_Cricket.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jTP7a9I0dU