Description - Narratives of Nation in the South Pacific by Nicholas Thomas
The essays in this volume, by distinguished scholars in Pacific studies, emerge from research in a region in which the nation - like other projects of modernity - has been peculiarly tenuous. These case studies focus upon local perceptions of the state, efforts to ground nationhood in tradition, the character of national narratives, and recent transformations of the Pacific nationalism. It is striking that in many Pacific nations, "national" narratives are subordinate to other fundamental historical imaginings, such as those concerning local political dynasties and conversion to Christianity. While leaders in Pacific states have frequently sought to legitimate new nations through local "tradition" and "custom", these constructions of identity frequently mask divisions arising from gender, hierarchy and other social relationships. These studies from Papua New Guinea, Vanautu, Samoa and the Cook Islands add much to our knowledge of historical imaginings and contemporary culture in the Pacific, but raise larger questions concerning the current transformation of national identities.
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Possessions: Indigenous Art / Colonial Culture / Decolonization
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