work on Micronesian history?

The Book of Luelen: a questionable work on Micronesian history?

“The clothes were made from breadfruit bark. They would cut down a length of breadfruit, a span long or more. They would then remove the bad part of the skin and they would then make a thing for pounding the breadfruit bark. They would take care lest it tear, and it would be spread apart and become broad, and also become longer. These were the women’s wrap arounds and also their sheets at night. When they slept they were very good, soft, and warm. This kind of cloth was called breadfruit sheets be cause it was made from the breadfruit tree.”

So writes Luelen Bemart in his book on Ponapean tra ditional lore The Book of Luelen. At first glance, it appears a shoddy attempt at recording the traditions and history of Ponape Island. The writing style is stilted, the spell ing system archaic, and the story, by admission of the author himself, incomplete.

Nonetheless, the book marks a

significant watershed in Pacific historiography: The Book of Luelen exists as the only his tory of a Micronesian island written by a Micronesian. The impact which the book has on Micronesian intellectual and social development will be well worth watching. It is ‘must’ reading for Pacific historians and all keen observers of the Islands-.

Luelen Bemart, a wise and

respected Ponapean elder with

strong familial ties to the ruling families of two of Ponape’s five kingdoms, took upon himself the task of setting down in writing the stories which tell of

Ponape’s origins and develop

ment. Luelen’s sources were oral.

That the book was written in the first place is of considerable

historiographical significance.

In cultures based on an oral tradition where “some know ledge, like coconut milk, passes from darkness to darkness”, there is no written word.

Luelen’s achievement suggests a quantum jump in Microne

sian patterns of culture. Those knowledgeable on Ponapean matters speak of others who, inspired by Luelen, have writ ten or are now writing about what they know.

What motivates a man from a totally oral tradition to set down in writing the lore of his island?

Luelen was 68 years old when he began writing this book. Perhaps the old man, aware of his failing memory, desired to make a written re cord of his knowledge for his own sake.

Political considerations pre sent still another possible mo tivation. As do people in many oral societies, Ponapeans rely upon legends as the source and justifier of their traditional pol itical system. The legends dic tate which clans and sub-clans of those clans hold legitimate claim to the chiefly titles. In an oral tradition, the possibility of deliberate distortion for politi

cal gain always exists.

In the second decade of the 20th century, a dispute arose over the succession to the title of Nahnmwarki (king) in the Kitti kingdom where Luelen lived. After much bitter debate, the title passed from the one sub-clan of the ruling clan to a second sub-clan. Legends may have been intentionally altered to assure this outcome. One very authoritative source on

Ponapean legends believes that

Luelen may have purposely written a clouded version of the legends involved in the dispute to cement the fait accompli.

Luelen was related by marriage to the sub-clan which wrested the title.

Luelen’s editors are no less

impressive than their subject.

Saul Riesenberg, former Trust

Territory anthropologist and

presently senior ethnographer

at the Smithsonian, gets the credit for “discovering” the manuscript when he first visi ted Micronesia and Ponape in 1947 and was shown a copy.

Fischer and Whiting of Har vard first came upon the manu script in the early 19505.

Anthropologists both, and at a time when their discipline was at its peak in Micronesia, they were shown other copies.

The traits which make The Book of Luelen a questionable work of history in Western eyes are the exact qualities which give it such importance and sig nificance to the Micronesian intellectual tradition. The book raises more questions than it answers; this is encouraging for those people concerned with

the preservation of Ponape’s

customs and traditions.

Hopefully the publication of

The Book of Luelen will encourage Micronesians, young and old, to redouble their search for their roots, and share some though under standably not all of what

they find.

David L. Hanlon

and Dirk A. Ballendorf

(THE BOOK OF LUELEN: LUELEN BERNART Trans lated and edited by John L. Fischer. Saul H. Riesen berg and Marjorie G. Whiting. Published by the University Press of Hawaii. Honolulu. USSIS.OO.

Annotations. Ussio.Oo.S

• David Hanlon teaches his tory at the Community College

of Micronesia , Ponape. For

merly a Peace Corps Volunteer on Ponape, he is fluent in the

language and very knowledge

able on the culture. Dirk Ballen dorf is director of the Community College and a long time Micronesia watcher.