Bena Bena Political Organization 1

Abstract

Focusing on the Korofeigu ‘district’ of the Numuyagabo ‘tribe’ in Bena Bena census division, this paper considers the appropriateness of terms used to designate units of New Guinea Highlands social structure. Some terms have a certain utility, but not for understanding Korofeigu political organization—taking ‘political’ as referring primarily to public affairs. Marriage and warfare were not directly linked, and districts and clans rarely acted as single groups or polities. The key figures are Big Men whose status rested on ability in warfare. War relations were power relations with no notion of fair play and no opposition of balanced groups. A group's survival rested on the success of its Big Men in organizing and extending their personal networks, and on the balancing of competition and individual ambition between them in a complex interplay of security circles—the significant polities in political action.