Trobriand Cricket - A remarkable transformation of a tribes on the Trobriand Islands - Kiriwina Islands

It`s a wonderful anthropological movie about tribes living on The Trobriand Islands and playing of cricket.

The Trobriand Islands is today officially known as the Kiriwina Islands. It`s a 450 km² archipelago of coral atolls off the eastern coast of New Guinea.

They are situated in Milne Bay Province in Papua New Guinea. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main island of Kiriwina, which is also the location of the government station, Losuia.

Other major islands in the group are Kaileuna, Vakuta and Kitava. The group is considered to be an important tropical rainforest ecoregion in need of conservation.

Watch the full film from 1978 here: http://vod.journeyman.tv/s/Trobriand+Cricket

For downloads and more information, visit: http://www.journeyman.tv/59842/documentaries/trobriand-cricket.html

Trobriand cricket refers to a unique version of the bat-and-ball sport cricket played by the Trobriand Islanders. They were first exposed to the game by Christian missionaries, who thought the game would discourage war among the natives. However, the game was quickly adapted to Trobriand culture by expanding the number of players, adding dances and chanting, and modifying the bats and balls.

Since war between groups on the island was banned, cricket began to incorporate many of the traditional practices associated with war for the Trobriand people. The game also reflects the objects of powers introduced to the islands by its British colonizers and American troops during World War II. Cricket was introduced to the Trobriand Islands in 1903 by the British Methodist missionary William Gillmore, who hoped to reduce tribal rivalry and fighting. The modern-day version is very different from the game introduced by Gillmore, as new rules and traditions have been integrated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trobriand_cricket