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G. Jackson and A. Piggott-McKellar
Colonial and Missionary Period
The second period we will discuss is missionisation, the introduction of Christian religion. Missionisation within the Pacific region was ubiquitous and had a significant,
profound, and sustained impact on Indigenous peoples’ ontological and epistemological understandings (Garrett 1982). While ubiquitous, the impact of missionaries
differs significantly across the region, often resulting in a unique syncretisation of
Indigenous and religious worldviews. This is evident for our two case study sites.
In Kiribati, the first missionaries were Protestant and arrived in the northern
islands of Kiribati in 1852. Upon arrival, these early missionaries faced a significant challenge converting I-Kiribati owing to their underlying, strong, and persisting
Indigenous beliefs. This was especially challenging by the time Roman Catholic
missionaries arrived two decades later not least as many I-Kiribati had converted
to Protestant by this time (Gheuens 2017). As time progressed, Christian messages
and their attendant interpretations of the world began increasingly to permeate the
worldviews of local people. Not only did the church spread new teaching, they also
urged and persuaded people to change aspects of culture including practices of magic
and polyamory (Beiabure et al 1979; Gheuens 2017).
While Christian beliefs and affiliation with churches became ubiquitous across
the region the importance of ancestral spirits and magic rituals persisted, albeit to
a lesser extent. Today, the impact of early missionaries has left a permanent and
persistent mark on the I-Kiribati, shaping the lives of people across the country. For
example, church donations are one of the biggest expenses incurred in many villages,
demonstrating how large of an influence the church has, especially considering the
limited cash available. Today Christian beliefs dominate with over 95% of people
associated with a Christian denomination.
This missionisation of the I-Kiribati has impacted their ontological worldviews.
While attribution was previously given to Indigenous gods for ills, and misfortunes,
this has now been transferred to God in a biblical context. This extends to climate
change and natural hazards, as people now generally hold deterministic Christian
views surrounding climate change and hazards. The wave of influence of missionisation experienced in Kiribati leading to slow decline and/or evolution of Indigenous
ontological and epistemological beliefs was similarly experienced by the Bedamuni.
While there are significant differences, in that while in Kiribati religion has primarily
(but not completely) taken the place of Indigenous ontologies, with the Bedamuni it
has resulted in a more syncretised ontology between Indigenous and religious views.
Within the Bedamuni, Australian Evangelical missionaries followed government
patrols in the then Australian Territory of Papua and New Guinea and established a
permanent mission at Mougulu in 1968. The Australian government first pacified the
Bedamuni who were perceived as warlike because of their practice of undertaking
cannibal raids and the resultant blood feuds that these, among other conflicts, led
to (Hoad 1963). The Australian colonial government imbued many Judeo-Christian
values before the arrival of missionaries such as respect for authority, law and order,
the cash economy, sedentary settlements, and the proscription of witchcraft and black
G. Jackson and A. Piggott-McKellar
Colonial and Missionary Period
The second period we will discuss is missionisation, the introduction of Christian religion. Missionisation within the Pacific region was ubiquitous and had a significant,
profound, and sustained impact on Indigenous peoples’ ontological and epistemological understandings (Garrett 1982). While ubiquitous, the impact of missionaries
differs significantly across the region, often resulting in a unique syncretisation of
Indigenous and religious worldviews. This is evident for our two case study sites.
In Kiribati, the first missionaries were Protestant and arrived in the northern
islands of Kiribati in 1852. Upon arrival, these early missionaries faced a significant challenge converting I-Kiribati owing to their underlying, strong, and persisting
Indigenous beliefs. This was especially challenging by the time Roman Catholic
missionaries arrived two decades later not least as many I-Kiribati had converted
to Protestant by this time (Gheuens 2017). As time progressed, Christian messages
and their attendant interpretations of the world began increasingly to permeate the
worldviews of local people. Not only did the church spread new teaching, they also
urged and persuaded people to change aspects of culture including practices of magic
and polyamory (Beiabure et al 1979; Gheuens 2017).
While Christian beliefs and affiliation with churches became ubiquitous across
the region the importance of ancestral spirits and magic rituals persisted, albeit to
a lesser extent. Today, the impact of early missionaries has left a permanent and
persistent mark on the I-Kiribati, shaping the lives of people across the country. For
example, church donations are one of the biggest expenses incurred in many villages,
demonstrating how large of an influence the church has, especially considering the
limited cash available. Today Christian beliefs dominate with over 95% of people
associated with a Christian denomination.
This missionisation of the I-Kiribati has impacted their ontological worldviews.
While attribution was previously given to Indigenous gods for ills, and misfortunes,
this has now been transferred to God in a biblical context. This extends to climate
change and natural hazards, as people now generally hold deterministic Christian
views surrounding climate change and hazards. The wave of influence of missionisation experienced in Kiribati leading to slow decline and/or evolution of Indigenous
ontological and epistemological beliefs was similarly experienced by the Bedamuni.
While there are significant differences, in that while in Kiribati religion has primarily
(but not completely) taken the place of Indigenous ontologies, with the Bedamuni it
has resulted in a more syncretised ontology between Indigenous and religious views.
Within the Bedamuni, Australian Evangelical missionaries followed government
patrols in the then Australian Territory of Papua and New Guinea and established a
permanent mission at Mougulu in 1968. The Australian government first pacified the
Bedamuni who were perceived as warlike because of their practice of undertaking
cannibal raids and the resultant blood feuds that these, among other conflicts, led
to (Hoad 1963). The Australian colonial government imbued many Judeo-Christian
values before the arrival of missionaries such as respect for authority, law and order,
the cash economy, sedentary settlements, and the proscription of witchcraft and black