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Grade-taking

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167:" - an individual with specific authority over a community, rather than a ranked assortment of men with varying degrees of power and influence, was introduced to northern Vanuatu following contact with Europeans. Having a high rank in the grade-taking system is not technically the same as being a chief, though the two concepts are widely conflated, and chiefs tend to be individuals of high rank in the grade-taking system. 33: 151:
With each grade, a participant acquires a named rank, and the right to display certain insignia or perform certain rituals. The specifics vary between cultures. Lower grades are typically taken in one's youth and involve the killing of only one or a few low-value pigs. However, at the highest grades
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hundreds of pigs may be killed, including valuable 'tusker boars'. Although there is a clear hierarchy of grades, they do not necessarily need to be taken in strict sequence, and individuals with sufficient resources may occasionally skip grades and move directly to higher levels.
290:. There are multiple steps within some of these grades. Each grade is conferred at a ceremony in which the grade is 'bought' from an individual who already holds that rank. With each grade, a man acquires an additional name (known in 310:
is a man of significant authority - loosely, a "chief" - who has the right to impose fines on others. In Central Pentecost those who reach the very top level of the graded society are referred to as
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grade may be given a name such as Molbaga, Moltoo or Molbwet. Depending on the grade, he may also acquire the right to wear certain insignia and the right to dance to certain drumbeats. A
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Individuals of high rank in grade-taking societies generally wield authority only within their own local communities. Although some may sit as representatives on national and regional
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and authority by performing a series of ceremonies. Grade-taking was the system of leadership in pre-colonial societies of northern
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Grade-taking is primarily a male activity, but in some areas there are parallel grade-taking systems practiced by women.
69: 428: 76: 433: 83: 259:. On Pentecost the practice has no special name, but is referred to simply by terms such as "pig business". 210: 43: 65: 392:
Jolly, Margaret. "Gifts, commodities and corporeality: Food and gender in South Pentecost, Vanuatu."
148:, typically involving the killing of valuable pigs; it is still actively practiced in some areas. 256: 174:, there is no traditional concept of a "paramount chief" with authority over an entire region. 370: 332:
The system in South Pentecost is broadly similar although the details of the grades differ.
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In addition, there is parallel grade-taking hierarchy for women, culminating in the rank of
248: 314:(literally "ground finishing"); those who do so with resources still to spare are known as 244: 90: 369:, Studies in Language Change, vol. 11, Berlin: DeGruyter Mouton, pp. 185–244, 195:, the grade-taking system is known under various names, all descended from a same root * 188: 137: 362: 438: 422: 291: 206: 192: 171: 141: 164: 133: 32: 363:"Shadows of bygone lives: The histories of spiritual words in northern Vanuatu" 341: 205:
is more frequent in the literature, due to the special attention given to the
298:"pig name"), which reflects his rank. For example, a man who has taken the 240: 222: 17: 145: 231:, and in some areas it is extremely elaborate, with up to 35 grades. 255:
villages, although it has been suppressed in areas dominated by the
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In North and Central Pentecost, the titles of the main grades are
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Lexical and structural etymology: Beyond word histories
57:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 405:Tryon, Darrell. "Identity and power in Vanuatu." 8: 117:Learn how and when to remove this message 352: 239:Grade-taking is actively practised in 7: 225:the grade-taking system is known as 55:adding citations to reliable sources 25: 414:Pigs, Tusks and Precious Red Mats 140:under which individuals rise in 31: 365:, in Mailhammer, Robert (ed.), 42:needs additional citations for 1: 361:François, Alexandre (2013), 455: 159:Grade-taking and chiefdom 412:Winch-Dummett, Carlene. 187:In the languages of the 183:Torres and Banks Islands 407:The New Pacific Review 401:Ways of the land tree 394:Canberra Anthropology 251:, and in traditional 178:Grade-taking by area 51:improve this article 396:14.1 (1991): 45-66. 429:Culture of Vanuatu 257:Churches of Christ 172:Councils of Chiefs 163:The concept of a " 132:is a term used in 376:978-1-61451-058-1 359:See p.234-235 of 221:On the island of 127: 126: 119: 101: 16:(Redirected from 446: 434:Rites of passage 381: 379: 357: 249:Pentecost Island 235:Pentecost Island 122: 115: 111: 108: 102: 100: 59: 35: 27: 21: 454: 453: 449: 448: 447: 445: 444: 443: 419: 418: 389: 384: 377: 360: 358: 354: 350: 338: 318:("remaining"). 237: 219: 209:since works by 199:. The spelling 185: 180: 161: 123: 112: 106: 103: 60: 58: 48: 36: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 452: 450: 442: 441: 436: 431: 421: 420: 417: 416: 410: 403: 397: 388: 385: 383: 382: 375: 351: 349: 346: 345: 344: 337: 334: 236: 233: 218: 215: 184: 181: 179: 176: 160: 157: 138:social systems 125: 124: 107:September 2015 66:"Grade-taking" 39: 37: 30: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 451: 440: 437: 435: 432: 430: 427: 426: 424: 415: 411: 408: 404: 402: 399:Taylor, J P. 398: 395: 391: 390: 386: 378: 372: 368: 364: 356: 353: 347: 343: 340: 339: 335: 333: 330: 328: 324: 319: 317: 313: 309: 305: 301: 297: 293: 289: 285: 281: 277: 273: 269: 265: 260: 258: 254: 250: 246: 242: 234: 232: 230: 229: 224: 216: 214: 212: 208: 207:Mota language 204: 203: 198: 194: 193:Banks Islands 190: 182: 177: 175: 173: 168: 166: 158: 156: 153: 149: 147: 143: 139: 135: 131: 121: 118: 110: 99: 96: 92: 89: 85: 82: 78: 75: 71: 68: –  67: 63: 62:Find sources: 56: 52: 46: 45: 40:This article 38: 34: 29: 28: 19: 413: 406: 400: 393: 366: 355: 331: 326: 322: 320: 315: 311: 307: 303: 299: 295: 287: 283: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 261: 252: 238: 227: 226: 220: 201: 200: 196: 186: 169: 162: 154: 150: 134:anthropology 130:Grade-taking 129: 128: 113: 104: 94: 87: 80: 73: 61: 49:Please help 44:verification 41: 409:(1999): 32. 423:Categories 387:References 342:Narave pig 211:Codrington 77:newspapers 312:Tanmwonok 247:areas on 336:See also 296:ihan boe 245:Catholic 241:Anglican 228:nimangki 223:Malekula 217:Malekula 18:Nimangki 316:Mwariak 146:Vanuatu 91:scholar 373:  327:Motari 282:, and 280:Livusi 253:kastom 197:suᵐbʷe 189:Torres 142:status 93:  86:  79:  72:  64:  348:Notes 323:Motaa 276:Liwus 165:chief 98:JSTOR 84:books 439:Pigs 371:ISBN 308:Vira 292:Raga 288:Vira 272:Moli 264:Tari 243:and 202:suqe 191:and 136:for 70:news 325:or 306:or 304:Vii 300:Mol 294:as 286:or 284:Vii 278:or 270:or 268:Mol 53:by 425:: 329:. 274:, 266:, 213:. 380:. 120:) 114:( 109:) 105:( 95:· 88:· 81:· 74:· 47:. 20:)

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Nimangki

verification
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"Grade-taking"
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anthropology
social systems
status
Vanuatu
chief
Councils of Chiefs
Torres
Banks Islands
Mota language
Codrington
Malekula
Anglican
Catholic
Pentecost Island
Churches of Christ
Raga
Narave pig
"Shadows of bygone lives: The histories of spiritual words in northern Vanuatu"

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