8 - Disputes and struggles precipitated by moka occasions

Summary

‘If the Kiap had not come there would have been a different way of paying back debts among us. But only a madman would start fighting among us now. You must give pigs to your partners, so that they can feel good and take them away.’

Kape, a big-man of Tipuka Kengeke clan

Almost every moka-occasion is preceded by struggles between big-men of the donor group, who set rival times for the prestation, and some are followed by a crop of complaints from the recipients. In fact disputes with defaulting partners are often the inevitable aftermath of the struggle by which a moka's timing is decided. Those who are ready may be able to push the moka through; but those who are not are unable to give satisfactorily to their partners, and disputes result.

Some men attempt to make a court-situation out of their moka debts, but the time for making these complaints is limited to the actual period of hand-over, for the only effective sanction that a recipient can publicly bring to bear is that of shaming his partner. He must make his complaints loudly on the ceremonial ground at the time of the final ceremony. This does not mean that he will obtain more pigs or that his clansmen will rally to his help, for they are likely to be busy with their own problems; but other men hear the complaint and note the apparent failure of the donor to settle with his partner.