The Sambia

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TheSambia

• Presented by Andrea Kemper

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Mental Illness

• Some Western Views
• Sambian Beliefs
• Some Real-life Stories

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Some Western Thoughts on the Matter

• Western Civilization would condemn this
  practice
• Homosexuality is only accepted by some in the
  U.S.
• Pedophilia definitely not considered acceptable
  behavior (we have this term to describe it as a
  sexual disorder)
• Defining Homosexuality
• Western World More recently described as what
  someone is (i.e. gay lesbian homosexual)
  rather than how someone behaves
• Sambia Homosexuality is considered more of a
  behavior practiced by certain ages

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The Scientific Viewpoint

• Protein Theory (more of an evolutionary/biological
  theory)
• Growing up with protein deficiencies creates a
  need for protein by new means evolution of
  ingesting semen to gain this valuable resource
• 5-alpha reductase deficiency Mistaken Gender
• Causes Hermaphroditism
• Need to refocus on cultural analysis

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And Freud would say

• Oedipus complex
• Son may fall in love with mother (possibility,
  more likely to be seduced by other woman though)
• Son hates father (is actually true, many boys
  hate their fathers for never being around and
  they are also very frightened of their father)
• All men believe that mothers will seduce boys
  once they hit the age of initiation (another
  reason to be separated from women)
• Castration Anxiety
• Fear of losing manliness (through ejaculation,
  threats of castration, feminization by women,
  etc.)

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Attachment

• At the age of initiation, boys are ripped out of
  their comfort zones
• No more mother the only parent the child has
  had
• No more kid stuff
• Children fear all men
• Sent to male cult houses
• Boys often suffer depression, loneliness,
  anxiety, etc.
• New attachment is formed with mentor or ritual
  guardian
• This adult man teaches boy everything about
  masculinity
• Man will assist, decorate, carry, and feed boy
  throughout iniation period
• Man is not technically related by referred to as
  nyet-yangu (mothers brother)
• This pair will not engage is sex together (very
  strict taboo)
• This man replaces mother figure and boy is taught
  to live without her
• Emotional stress dissipates as initiate grows
  accustomed to his new life

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Actual Adult Homosexuality

• Sambia 100 of males practice homosexuality
• However, only 5 of adult males continue to
  practice homosexuality
• In the U.S., ?? of adult males practice
  homosexuality
• No where on US Census does it ask sexual
  orientation
• 600,000 same-sex households (unreported and
  unattached?)
• Kinsey reported 4 of men as ONLY homosexual
  (1950s-1960s!!) in the interviews he did

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The Flute Connection

• Freud Phallic Symbol
• Sambia
• Female flute spirit
• Represents boogeyman when young
• Males learn the power of the flute and can
  control the spirit (play the flute) after one is
  married

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Sambian Mental Health
WARRIOR
Anger

• Seen as normal and manly
• Anger is encouraged in boys during the initiation
  process
• Anger helps men to hunt and fight
• Cooperative, caring men seen as feminized and
  useless

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Spiritual
Sambian Mental Health

• Creation Story
• Started with Hermaphrodite (real hermaphrodites
  never hear this story because they do not reach
  that stage of initiation - never learn the
  appreciation the culture really has for them)
• Created two beings (male and female)
• Populated earth
• Religious Commitment
• Required!!
• All rules and beliefs strictly enforced
• Female Flute Spirit
• Said to be very manlike (helps strengthen men
  into warriors) (pseudo-hermaphroditic?)
• Worship this spirit by playing songs, performing
  ritual dances, costuming, etc.

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Abnormal
Sambian Mental Health

• Women anything having to do with feminine
  nature is seen as wrong or unpure caring for
  others, certain chores, crying, cooperation,
  bleeding (menstrual), children
• Hermaphrodites or Pseudohermaphrodites (have both
  genitalia, lack of both, or special features of
  both or one type of genitalia)
• Wanting to stay with mother and home
• Not wanting to become a man by means of
  initiation-denying cultural traditions
• Initiation seen as honor, not abnormal sexuality
• This ritual is found in 30 other tribes in New
  Guinea
• Masturbation seen as waste of precious
  male-strength fluid
• Homosexuality after consummating the marriage,
  homosexual acts are strictly forbidden
• These males may only take part in the initiation
  by being a mentor or ritual guardian (nyet-yangu)

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Sambian Mental Health
Treatment?

• Some medicinal and spiritual treatment can be
  given by shaman
• Housewife remediesonly shared with their
  daughters
• Most treatment If it cant be fixed, kill it
• Boys who do not accept their roles in initiation
  are punished (beaten, ridiculed, etc.), but if
  denying the initiation still occurs, the boy may
  be killed
• Hermaphrodites (kwolu-aatmwol) Men say that
  women will kill them after birth if left alone
  with the child
• Women do check the baby for defects when born
• Some hermaphrodites are let to live, and are not
  frowned upon by societysome members believe that
  they can serve a special purpose (shaman
  perhaps), while most tribe members believe that
  they can still function and contribute
• Those who are not killed when born may not have
  been identifited as hermaphrodites
• Parents will sometimes assign a sex if it is
  undeterminable
• Males Only get to complete stages 1 through 3
  of initiation (Never hear creation story)
• Females Are found to be hermaphrodites after
  married, and then usually have to be saved by
  family members from an angry, vengeful husband
  who will typically want to kill the hermaphrodite

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Other Cultures Practiced Homosexuality!!

• 10-20 of tribes in Melanesia practice
  boy-insemination
• Romans would brag about the newest piece of
  meat they found (male or female, young or old)
• Practiced homosexuality openly (with boys too)
• Promiscuous culture
• Often a mentor/mentee role would have homosexual
  aspects to it as well
• Greeks (as well as other cultures) practiced
  homosexuality during times of war
• Often men would have sex together at nights in
  the tents
• This bonding would allow them to share male
  strength as well as enforce loyalties among each
  other

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What the Sambia have to say

• Herdt conducted numerous interviews with tribe
  members
• The males joke together while reminiscing about
  initiation
• Separation Anxiety
• Discussion of flute provokes crying for loss of
  mother from all males in interview
• Castration Anxiety
• Four year old being teased by older male Im
  going to cut your penis off
• Boy replies You have a big nose
• Real fear during beginning stages of initiation

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References

• Pictures taken from google picture search engine
  as well as the following links
• http//people.stu.ca/gszns/initiation.htm
• http//lrivera0327.tripod.com/
• http//faculty.mdc.edu/jmcnair/Joepages/The20Samb
  ia.htm
• http//www.27designs.com/milena/
• Elliston, D. A. (1995). Erotic anthropology
  Ritualized homosexuality in Melanesia and
  beyond. American Ethnologist, 22(4), 848 867.
  
• Herdt, G. (1990). Mistaken gender 5-alpha
  reductase hermaphroditism and biological
  reductionism in sexual identity reconsidered.
  American Anthropologist, 92, 433 446.
• Herdt, G. (2003). Secrecy and cultural reality
  Utopian ideologies of the New Guinea mens
  house. Ann Arbor University of Michigan Press.
• Herdt, G. (1887) Transitional objects in Sambia
  initiation. Ethos, 15, 40 57.
• Langness, L. L. (1990). Oedipus in the New
  Guinea highlands? Ethos, 18, 189 212.