Secrets in the Rafters: A Traditional Chief’s House in Pohnpei

Authors

Keywords:

Pohnpei, Wene, lashings, traditional building practices, magic, chiefs, ihmwenei

Abstract

This study examines the construction of an ihmwenei, a traditional chief’s house, constructed from 1974 to 1976 in Wene, in the district of Kitti (Pohnpei, Micronesia). Such a house had not been built on Pohnpei since the late 1800s. Construction of the stone foundation and timber framing and manufacture of the roof, walls and floors are described, along with details pertaining to the acquisition of materials and the names and purposes of particular house features. The study of the construction of a Pohnpeian house also provides an avenue for the exploration of the sociopolitical role of chiefs on the island, as well as traditional ontological frameworks which privilege secrecy and protection as a critical aspect of the chief’s dwelling.

Author Biographies

Terry Malinowski, Independent researcher

Terry Malinowski has dedicated much of his life to cross-cultural learning and healthcare. After earning a degree in engineering, he embarked on a transformative journey by joining the Peace Corps in 1970. For six years, he lived on the island of Pohnpei in the South Pacific, an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview. Immersed in traditional island culture, Terry became fluent in both the local language and customs, and served as a cross-cultural educator during two Peace Corps training programmes on the island. After Peace Corps, Terry relocated to Honolulu, where he earned three graduate degrees including in cultural anthropology, social work and business. In 1993, Terry moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he continued his healthcare career until his retirement in 2013. Currently, he is collaborating with Dr. Ken Rehg and Damian Sohl on expanding the online Pohnpeian–English dictionary and is pursuing further research on Pohnpeian feasting and magic and the island’s sacred kava rituals.

Julie S. Field, Ohio State University

Julie Field is an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at the Ohio State University. Her research is focused on the prehistory of tropical Pacific Islands, specifically the engagement of human societies with island ecosystems. Using geosciences, zooarchaeology and geographic information systems, she explores how Pacific Islanders produced food and generated resilient socioecological systems. Her research has been funded by awards from the National Science Foundation and communicated widely via the publication of over 55 articles and books. She is currently engaged in a collaborative project that seeks to understand how Hawaiians used microbes to manage ancient fishponds, with the goal of applying that knowledge to modern restoration and management. She serves as co-editor for Asian Perspectives: The Journal of Archaeology for Asia and the Pacific.

front cover Sept. 2024 issue

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Published

2024-10-19 — Updated on 2024-10-24

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Vol. 133 No. 3 (2024): Waka Kuaka | Journal of the Polynesian Society

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The Polynesian Society
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