Nathan conducted his fieldwork on Duau (Normanby Island), on the southern side of kula. His thesis takes as its focus the statement made by his research participants that they are ‘a kula people’, which meant for them being a caring and loving people. This leads him to consider kula as more than just an economic institution, but as a ethos of care which furnishes 'roads' that Duau follow as they seek to build a better life for their community. So, he uses kula’s ethos to analyse Duau practices of Christianity, mortuary ritual, their participation in capitalism as producers of gold and betelnut, and their ardent support for their children’s education. His further research interests include legal anthropology, kastom, conceptualisations of space and temporality, climate change, hope, and artisanal mining.    

Kula, Kastom, Education, Christianity, Climate Change, Cutural Change, Law and Culture, Mining, Mortuary Rites, Care

Anthropology

Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania (ASAO)

Melanesia

21st century
The Colonial time

Duau, Dobu