Henry, Rosita (2013) Being and belonging: exchange, value, and land ownership in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea. In: Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y., and Dixon, R.M.W., (eds.) Possession and Ownership: a cross-linguistic typology. Explorations in Linguistic Typology . Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 274-290.

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Abstract

[Extract] Since colonial times there has been a division of land in Papua New Guinea (PNG) between 'customary' land and 'alienated land'. In line with colonial government policy that indigenous land interests should be protected, land could not be bought directly from customary landowners by outside individuals or companies, but could only be leased after prior acquisition by the state. Today, all over PNG, so called 'alienated land' (that is, land that has been acquired by the state) is held uneasily by the state and/or its current lessees in the face of customary landowners for whom land is not something that is conceptually alienable. As Gregory (1982: 163) notes, 'Land is the ultimate inalienable gift and... it is not easily converted into the simple private property right of an individual' (see also Weiner 1992 on 'inalienable possession').

Item ID:	24371
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-0-19-966022-3
Keywords:	anthropology of value; Western Highlands; Papua New Guinea; Joe Leahy; Ganiga; concepts of land tenure
Date Deposited:	11 Mar 2013 23:14
FoR Codes:	16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1601 Anthropology > 160104 Social and Cultural Anthropology @ 60% 16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1601 Anthropology > 160103 Linguistic Anthropology @ 40%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950201 Communication Across Languages and Culture @ 100%
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