Ancestral Lines

John Barker is a professor of anthropology at the University of British Columbia. He has conducted anthropological fieldwork in Papua New Guinea and amongst the Nuxalk and Nisga'a First Nations of Canada. He has published extensively on Christianity amongst the indigenous peoples of Oceania and British Columbia, the history of anthropology, and the impact of environmental activists in Papua New Guinea.

Barker's clear, engaging, and often self-reflexive writing style provides students with a readable and interesting ethnography. - Pacific Affairs "Ancestral Lines is a vivid portrait of how the Maisin draw upon their past to shape the modern present which,like tapa designs, they continue to recreate anew. It is a rich, ambiguous depiction of rural PNG which should appealto multiple audiences. Because of the way it is written, theoretical simplicity, and first-person narratives offieldwork experience, the book is eminently suitable for entry-level undergraduates encountering cultural anthropologyfor the first time. It would also be useful in courses on material culture in society and, of course, on socioculturalchange. In addition, Ancestral Lines is a welcome entry into the emerging literature on rural conservation inthe Pacific." - David Lipset, Anthropos

• List of IllustrationsPreface 1. Fieldwork among the Maisin 2. Making a Living 3. The Social Design 4. The Spiritual Realm 5. Community 6. Culture Change: Tapa and the Rainforest 7. Ancestral LinesConclusion References Index