To be Makiran is to see like Mr Parrot: the anthropology of wonder in Solomon Islands

This article lays out a general thesis for the development of a comparative ethnographic approach to the anthropology of wonder. It suggests that wonder is both an index and a mode of challenge to existing ontological premises. Through analytical engagement with the theme of wonder in Western philosophy and the anthropology of ontology, it extends this thesis to include the corollary that different ontological premises give rise to different wonders. Ethnographically, the article supports these claims via analysis of wonder discourses among the Arosi of Solomon Islands. These discourses, it is argued, both respond to and promote ontological transformations in a context where the premises at stake are neither those of the Cartesian dualism commonly ascribed to modernity nor of the relational non-dualism commonly ascribe to anthropology's ethnographic ‘others’, but of a non-Cartesian pluralism termed poly-ontology. Résumé Le présent article expose une thèse générale pour l’élaboration d’une approche ethnographique comparative de l’ethnologie de l’émerveillement. Il suggère que l’émerveillement est à la fois un indicateur des présupposés ontologiques existants et un moyen de les remettre en question. A partir d’un dialogue analytique avec le thème de l’émerveillement dans la philosophie occidentale ainsi que l’anthropologie de l’ontologie, il élargit cette thèse pour y inclure la corollaire que des prémisses ontologiques différentes donnent naissance à des émerveillements différents. Du point de vue ethnographique, cet article étaie ces affirmations par l’analyse des discours de l’émerveillement chez les Arosi des îles Salomon. Il avance que ces discours répondent aux transformations ontologiques tout en les favorisant, dans un contexte où les prémisses en jeu ne sont ni celles du dualisme cartésien habituellement associé à la modernité, ni celles du non-dualisme habituellement assigné à « l’autre » ethnographique de l’anthropologie, mais celles d’un pluralisme non cartésien que l’on peut appeler poly-ontologie. Mr Parrot (Mwane Kira) and Mr Octopus (Mwane ‘Uria) lived in our island, Makira. One day these two friends agreed, ‘Let's try to hide [from each other]’. Mr Parrot is a bird that lives in the bush; it's a bird whose colour is beautifully green. Mr Octopus lives in the sea and has eight tentacles. Mr Parrot said, ‘You hide first. I'll look for you’. So, Mr Octopus went and stayed on top of a rock. He changed and looked like that rock. And Mr Parrot said, ‘I can see you down there on top of that rock. I can see you very well’. ‘I'll go again!’ Mr. Octopus went and stayed on top of another rock and changed to look like that rock. And Mr Parrot said, ‘You're down there on top of that rock. I can see you!’ At that point Mr Octopus became a little angry and thought, ‘Goodness, how can I hide from Mr Parrot? This time I'll go down and try to hide really well’. Mr Octopus went down into the sea and went under a stone. He changed and looked like that stone. And Mr Parrot said, ‘It's you under that stone and you've changed to look like that stone!’ Mr Octopus gave up and said, ‘You hide as well’. Mr Parrot went and flew up into a tree and cried out, ‘Can you see me?’ Mr Octopus looked and looked, but he couldn't see him. He kept looking and looking, but no! And as Mr Octopus kept looking, his eyes stuck out a little. So, Mr Parrot won and Mr Octopus lost. And today, if you see Mr Octopus, you'll see his two eyes sticking out, and if you come across Mr Parrot singing in a tree, you'll hear him but you won't be able to see him. This is my edited translation of a story I heard in 2006 during an eight-month field stay among the Arosi of Solomon Islands. The Arosi are a population of around 9,400 Austronesian-speaking Melanesians whose home region, also called Arosi, lies at the northwest end of the island of Makira. Makira (formerly San Cristobal) is the southernmost large island in the Solomons chain, about 2,000 kilometres northeast of Australia. A British protectorate from 1893, Solomon Islands became an independent nation-state in 1978. They called it [the island] the of Mr a of Makira see him. you that little look like are in see It is are like Mr Parrot it as if this is about the island has this look like like that but our is This island has the Makira. It that this island has an like the bird called the singing It can look and see that are is It can see and it has a and can hear are These of Mr Parrot are of I this I that both of two a is a wonder if it is of a in of wonder in a a is a wonder if in it as a of wonder. discourses are from that of and as in the of Mr Parrot Arosi, as I wonder discourses are both of and to a of wonder about Makira my in to Arosi an of discourses about Makira that the island and a Arosi of in and to Makira Arosi to at this as a the in this article is to my analysis of wonder discourses into dialogue with Western philosophy and the anthropology of to a general thesis for the development of an anthropology of wonder. The thesis I is that wonder to include and is an index and a mode of challenge to existing ontological premises. there is there has a of about the of wonder is a to it is also a that can be and as a of ontological and ontological I how the and wonder discourses is an index and a mode of challenge to the ontological premises of Arosi to these is an of and of as of in Solomon Islands and of Makira as a and of as a can to Arosi as of at with the of Makira in of the of wonder discourses this is as as It but to I my thesis Western about wonder and how of this the thesis This a comparative for an ethnographic approach to the wonder and this my an of wonder the ontological premises at stake are those of neither the Cartesian dualism commonly to nor the relational non-dualism commonly to The of Western for the thesis and also of and that The of the for the with and it to be very different from in the it to this wonder and be at This as that wonder. this it has a for to wonder and in if wonder from of this the in to It is to of there is and of is that can wonder. is to but also to ontological the of the of this wonder and challenge to ontological premises is in the of on wonder as a to that is different but The about the are into and suggests on the and of that wonder to and in the of an in the as wonder from that with ontological our of is to of be this of wonder to to Western to wonder in to the and This how that his to for he into a of in became in He wonder with to and the as a to in a a on for this the of and the of the and for on wonder in that him to and to wonder it the of the of from and the of from He with it in of and the it is are able to about his to to the ontological premises he wonder as to and a to the to he wonder He to wonder that of for the of and and the dualism of and of both wonder a with the to ontological premises as and of the thesis I for an anthropology of wonder come also from of the discourses the anthropology of it is to for anthropology that it a wonder of the ontological premises ascribed to with the ontological premises ascribed to an is for in the of a in the a in the of is that a of anthropology has and to with but in to is that be to and that are also that are also that are also that are also in is that a ontological of the of to a be both and at the is that this of like the into the and of And for as for this is the for the of with his to de the to that as of on to to to that the premises of to this is of the the et with my comparative approach to ontology, the anthropology of wonder I to the of the but extends also to an ethnographic on a wonder to is it that wonder in and how of and wonder be of challenge to the ontological premises to It is that field at in and promote wonder at that ontological premises. it is also that be the and of the of ontological for a wonder. the wonder the he in the and to different to the of different of as it a of wonders. the for the to to that is at of wonder. his for the of in into during of nor is it the of the of the be to for a of two This is he the ontological premises of are neither a of nor an of but a of in is and there are the to from ontological of to the of but among is the that the relational premises of for for as It be in as a corollary to the thesis that wonder is an index and a mode of challenge to existing ontological that different ontological premises give rise to different in both of the different and and different of wonder. This corollary a comparative approach to wonder as an of the anthropology of wonder be this approach with an but to of wonder during and wonder from and it It that the of wonder like his field that in to and to de This to a for a comparative approach to the wonder and the anthropology of to has a but with a of the discourses that into the anthropology of a the ontological premises to anthropology as a of Western modernity and the ontological premises to if of anthropology's ethnographic as I of the anthropology of to two see of these via I to the Western This the ontological premises that there is and that it in a of and also the and to the of in this is the of that extends in and that the is I for this The of ‘others’, is This the ontological to are that into an of both and Cartesian dualism is to a and the of ethnographic is to a and is a with and with and these different of can different to Cartesian dualism and is called This has for an anthropology of wonder. It in with these two there are two of of to a Cartesian and of to a relational claims that Cartesian wonder that the of This is of that as a of and as a to the of that at that as of to and the relational of are to be that and that and in at for I this of wonder on in the of I it field if an Cartesian and relational non-dualism and for wonder this the of wonders. at is wonder discourses to These discourses, as I index and to the premises of a non-Cartesian Arosi that I poly-ontology. It is that an the for this is to analysis in that from and a that in the a to his as both an and an of Arosi a to a non-Cartesian pluralism that I termed a an of the as of Arosi in but in and as into the of among a of and of Arosi to be from the of different of another that from a a of to from a a of to a stone that also a a as a of from the called These to the with of to as These in a of as in the that the as the transformations of these Arosi the of the of on to it is to an Arosi out from and Arosi those as to a that in and in but the to each is as with a of The premises of Arosi Makira in an of and for a of Arosi of the of can to and of two be of the this of to the and A can be both a and a at the to the of a is to in of with that Arosi is with to among the but the Cartesian and it is non-Cartesian each but on that be for a relational Arosi also for Makira as a in that can the premises of as these are Arosi of the of the This the island and as a that has and from the the lived on where it gave to a with the a of the The that his the of a the a the the in the of the the One the his in the of the and the into The and the this to the island of Arosi this story in are with the that the is on Makira is and on of can that an of are as a the island as an as the of a became the of as a of from the in as both the the Makira and to like I but Arosi that a on the of and to a of my Arosi in if the of Makira of if to the it be the this the of the home in on of that the at the of an to the of a in and as each of They in on of the it as it a on said, the wonder discourses I in and 2006 to respond to an of Makira as a in and to a This in wonder discourses about the a of I heard in the about how a and it to the where it but this a that to He to the it into a stone and into a and into the ascribed to that a is and is in these if are the among the in The of Makira rise to look like the transformations of a A of discourses that to in to from little to of Makira and the Arosi about little from the about in the in the I I to about The and with the is to in a stone in the of a stone is the of the to it it is to the of Makira as a the of a stone is of Makira. discourses to with an and Islands among This of an but also of a to in like and but are with I Arosi to to as but this to as the This suggests that the in under of the Arosi of the of this that and the are of each and the in of these is that wonder discourses are that has and is to as an of the premises of Arosi poly-ontology. The of the Arosi are are this has the two in for those in wonder discourses give to an that a of in but also and in the of Makira. This has in the the the of in has Arosi to that and of to each in to that Arosi in the of and to a to be with This and Arosi the of a like a and for but also if to this is to as a of that and this is the with but also with the It a of to Makira as At the and of and it for Arosi to the of as a to as in to the of the Cartesian to the Solomons as a of island and to and these as with a of and to the of a among these as two of of and for this in a the island of of the large and island the of this are the and and and in the are also for to a with to this the of and are and to stay as of the that and are also to be the as as and the of the this mode of into and a commonly to as the on around the The of this the with but in the and with to to the island and a of the and in with the of the to Solomon Islands. the of these my as the of the and that there among Arosi that on Makira. to and the This Arosi on and that see as Arosi to in and as that the of and the this the the wonder discourses my from Arosi, as and These discourses the Arosi to to Makira as a with from the ascribed to Arosi an of to a of wonder discourses as those with Mr Parrot of an and The wonder that these discourses is to the premises of there be a in the island as a and It is a wonder to that this is at that it is the of the island, that it and that it can be on to and as the of a be on to in This is in the wonder discourses that the Arosi the the island, there is a the in with an of as the in the are to a of Arosi Arosi and to the of the This is to that of the be the of are also as with the This it is said, has the to Makira of and about the has in a that in the and Solomons the in the British a for and and in the of the that whose in the during the Solomon of British and with Arosi, this an that in the that out the of Makira and an with to this discourses about the that the day the it has and and into development for the This the for as a independent The and of the be as as Makira to rise to and as the and the wonder of the is a to Solomon a in as but with the as the to of and of the for that he be in a of his in and his in A of this is the at the that the look like as and but it and as he as if it and like there and look like a Solomon Islands the looked like a a Arosi, to these is to about a and the It is to that and with the of the and that he these to It is to his and go into where he is to the to the and Arosi about the of the this with that the of development the of the end These are as up in a of and with the around the as at the northwest end of the these the of in Makira. also that these up the end The of these be One that the of on the Arosi as the these for the be the of those about these Makira up in the it is Arosi to as of the these during the Arosi that and in The from to large also of an and I heard about large and is the of in in where to come from these are to come and go from This is an and with The and of these are with and and there are A of has it this from like a the in and these is a a where the wonder that is Makira is to The ontological of these wonder discourses are that the went to has come It up a at and the how the it It a a It a where it the The and the on the with went into a I is the Arosi in wonder discourses, respond in wonder to of also wonder in that to and in and These two of wonder are a of the I in this on the wonder of my the the Makira from the and singing Arosi wonder to discourses about as he is has both in his and in a of to wonder discourses how the and of these discourses can as a for and the wonder of with a Makira. I as at At that time he in his like the of in Arosi, in the our of of about he the and of these with ‘It's it about these the of Makira as another story about our island and about is and is a story a went with an that around down to a look in at Makira. They up at Makira down to the gave a that is a and the the to it if that is story as about that I that that And looked in at Makira and like a with of hear from about but and The an in he in on of the of this theme to the it each with The a of of with The a of and of with The to as the of to of the with I with of these from with Arosi, but I a of as I you've about the from He that he the in his from a to him a from the of that the of a from under the the This also about and how the of Makira be in the Arosi at of the called the of Makira as with an of the in The my with I at and he this as during the It that of wonder about Makira to The story that is that there are down in the but and neither very those with a of the and are to the of during the and to the as an They story about our island It has to that about his is a wonder a about as a wonder and a that the in are that the of the of that from a of of The on this the to be and and of to the this are to be for in our lives It to the of in these in a for a of to be and He a in and the of the he The and the but also a at the and of Makira of and wonder discourses about Makira is a of a general Arosi and as different as about Makira and of and an I heard of from and to a of of a of about island and about in as to of claims and these discourses an end in a to but to in it as an a of to wonder discourses the of Makira and as among the and and in Solomon Islands. One of wonder that these discourses and promote is wonder at the to these Makira and are I this but neither I end with it as to the this I that the ontological premises these discourses are but those of and that the wonder and promote is the wonder of a Makira. The in wonder discourses Makira as a to a are the that for Arosi, in the of ontological and of the ascribed to that has from the to the This to for the and of wonder ontological at the of the island, for the end of a but of the island with the wonder discourses about the the and be the of Makira and Makira an Arosi these discourses with that in the development is on and are to the of the for this the of Makira rise in the island it has a of and with to to the of the said, it and it is of the of the of to the island, and with the is a from Arosi that the of Islands is to in his a different the a of another Makira The in is as with a with the island as a as in in in the are as the this is to the wonder discourses that with as the with in the of Makira a Makira as the of in is the of the to a of the in these discourses is the of Makira to a of a of that is the to that of the in the in the these discourses the island of They see and is a of the island and from to the of This and of with is to it is also wonder discourses an that to be is to as it is to an Arosi out of and these discourses Makira out of and in of that as as can be for this a and the island, it the of Mr Parrot is to about this at the the Arosi is a for the singing it can also as a that as the an as an of the of Makira and of as Mr Parrot Makira as a the island that It is as if the of the whose into a bird has to the Makira is the island the of This is the of at the it a of and The of the of into as this my They at to it among with a of about how the of and he a is there as as to but about the of the that are down there this in wonder discourses is of to as the of as the of in in these discourses I to the that the of a that if are in a and if that is to be in wonder discourses can expose to analytical the of the the and that the of a Makira A from my with this Makira has that around it to and of Makira our and can also and go and you like another to it on our island, and go and on to in the and it go This both and a in Arosi the about the as of of of can at the he if the of a to of a to on to a that the in to and but Arosi that a of the whose that stone it as an of be to This as and of is to the of with a are of as to how can a stone a that is to and to the how can a of be but also in The from the premises of I is the that the of a Makira a wonder. as a Makira two the island is an as an that is also at the the in of as transformations of the island The is with the of and claims to and but both to the that if and of a This article has a to to wonder as of the anthropology of a to I out a general thesis that wonder is an index and a mode of challenge to existing ontological premises. I the corollary that different ontological premises give rise to different wonders. And I to the of these claims via an analysis of wonder discourses among the Arosi of Solomon Islands. These discourses, I argued, both respond to and promote an from to in a context of non-Cartesian pluralism that I poly-ontology. I a on that this an from the of how he in the the of the he the He heard a that and that at a He the island, and a he a up in to in a to with from the He it in and it to a tree in the the he his but he the the he the be from but he he on an there of he and for an the that about the a a of to these in to And he in to the of it be to of those and to to He in to the that is to each in in the he give up in He down to Arosi down to of and that wonder is as to the anthropology of wonder as wonder wonder the challenge to existing ontological premises to challenge this can ontological premises at be a where wonder to of has to be the and the to our wonder but wonder for as this can the ontological wonder has up for anthropology at the of and include the article and the of and in and the The and a in Solomon Islands