"Cargo Cult" Not Caused by Missions

Letter to the Editor

IN November issilfe of the “Pacific Islands Monthly,” Mr. N. M. Bird, an “old Territories resident,” basing his re marks on the opinion of the late F. E.

Williams, Papuan Government Anthropo logist, blames missions for the madness called “cargo cult,” stating that it arises from their teachings of equality in the sight of God.

Apart from Mr. Bird’s apparent un willingness to accept the Bible teaching of the brotherhood of man. which he attacks, he and others who think as he does, should be told who is to blame for the “cargo cult.”

The writer, for seven years, was privi leged to deal with “cargo cult” natives, as a missionary at Madang, New Guinea.

Since 1943 he has done post-graduate work in the United States, specialising in research work concerning the “cargo cult,” which, among the Nobonob-speak ing peoples, is called “Letub.” His re search was submitted to and accepted by Hartford Seminary Foundation, Hartford, Connecticut, as a thesis under the title of “Letub, the Cult of the Secrets of Wealth.” fITHE primitive natives of New Guinea, X under mission supervision, were mak ing rapid progress toward higher standards of life, until their contact with

un-Christian Whiteman’s culture gave rise to the “cargo cult.”

In a book by Romilly, published by John Murray, of London, in 1887 (“The Western Pacific and New Guinea”), the Queensland “blackbirders” and their un scrupulous dealings with the natives be fore the Government took over the Ter ritory in 1885, are described, and this statement is made: “In those days it is almost certain that the natives were not so hostile to the whiteman as they have now become . . . The civilising process . . . received at the hands of white men since that time has made terrible savages of them.”

The Bible quotes Jesus as saying: “I am come not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”

This same spirit is in the missionaries who do not wish to “lord it over” the natives. Accordingly, natives of the Nobo nob congregation, for instance, were taught to refer to thqir missionaries by their names. But when this was done by a native in hearing of a Warrant Officer, the native was punished. The Warrant Officer demanded that all white men be referred to as “masters.” This is a sample of the “civilising influence” that gives rise to the danger of a post-war flare-up among New Guinea natives. This danger arises not from the teaching of the mission, but from Whiteman’s un willingness to conduct himself as a Christian in his relationship to the natives. 117ESTERN culture is misunderstood by TT natives of New Guinea who are un able to adjust themselves sufficiently in the course of a few decades. Any whiteman who wishes to live and work in New Guinea should know this and avoid adding to the misunderstanding.

Deep-seated suspicion and mistrust of all whites has been aroused in natives by the bad influence of certain whites and Asiatics who deceive natives by their sleight-of-hand tricks, by ventriloquism, dishonesty, disrespect for native tradi tions, by the manner of exploitation and recruiting.

Nor has the attitude of many Colonial

people, who do not favour education of the native, helped. If it had not been for the stabilising influence of missions upon natives it is quite likely that all natives would have turned against the Whiteman during the recent war. The natives had learned from experience that they could trust the missions.

Dr. Cilento, Director of the Health De partment, made the following statement at a combined conference between repre sentatives of the Government and of the different missions in the Mandated Ter ritories held in Rabaul some years ago: “The natives love the mission. They have confidence in the mission and so, in all their ailments they come to the mission calling for help ...” Not the missions, but whitemen who could not be trusted by the native, gave rise to the “cargo cult.”

Here is a specific instance: Before Pearl Harbour, natives of Madang were promised protection in the case of an enemy invasion. However, after the first bombardment of Madang by the Japan ese, all of the Civil Administration de parted, including the officer who had pro mised protection! We don’t dispute the Administration’s right to flee before the enemy, but what did the broken promise do to the natives?

Missionaries, too, made a promise They promised to stay with the natives and they kept their promise up to the last minute of their freedom, and as a price for their faithfulness to the natives eleven of them are dead—unable to answer Mr. Bird’s false accusation.

I leave it to “PIM” readers to judge who is to blame if natives mistrust whites Mission personnel and teachings, or non mission personnel and broken promises?

MR. BIRD refers to native police who deserted in 1942 and carried out systematic murder and rape of the native population in their path. ' These natives, according to my best re collection, were contract labourers .from the goldfields who were abandoned by the whiteman when he was evacuated.

Thousands of contract labourers aban doned without supervision began to steal food to survive. When natives from the Aitape and Sepik areas, returning from the goldfields, came to Madang they were given rice by the mission, and were dis armed without trouble by Missionary Harry Dott at Bogadjim, and by others, in co-operation with the NGVR stationed at Nobonob. This uprising was the up shot of the whiteman breaking contract with the native.

MR. BIRD sees danger in the future from flare-ups among New Guinea natives. I see that same danger if un-Christian whitemen continue their in justice in the jungles of New Guinea.

In the future Administration, the various missions, the commercial and in dustrial people, the scientists and educa tors must co-operate toward the high goal of making good the failures and sins of the past. The country must be opened up, not with the idea of showing the natives that we think ourselves superior to them, but with the idea that we have come to help them. The phrase “for the welfare of the natives” must become reality.

I am, etc.,

R. Inselmann.

Hartford, Usa.

Editorial Note

rE Rev. I. Inselmann was a member of the Lutheran Mission in Madang, TNG, which is an American institu tion.

In defending the missions from Mr, N. M. Bird, he makes some statements not

calculated to advance the spirit and co operation between missions, commerce, administration and science, which he himself urges.

The work of the missions in New Guinea has been prodigous; but so also has been the work of the Administration officials. It is a matter of opinion whether the natives generally assisted the Allied cause only because of mission in fluence. There were native traitors, both Christianised and pagan; and native heroes, also, from both sides.

The reference made by Mr. Bird to native police boys deserting in 1942 clearly refers to the “Sepik Incident,” which is well known to Territorians. They were police boys and not, as Mr. Insel mann asserts “contract labourers who had been abandoned by the whiteman when he was evacuated”; and all the trouble started when a European official un happily went insane. Europeans were not evacuated from the Sepik; they got themselves out as best they could and, later, fought with distinction against the Japanese.

ADO J. L. Taylor, who cleaned up the Sepik situation, in 1942, has a fine record of native administration; and his influence on the New Guinea natives, whom he has made his paramount con cern, can be said to be at least as great as that of the missions.