The good, the bad, and the unresolved death in Kaliai

Lusi-Kaliai speakers in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea consider death to be either good or bad depending on whether it is the consequence of bad social relationships and causes social upheaval. A good death is under the control of the dying person and is the result of the natural process of aging. Good deaths are the ideal, but are rare in Kaliai. Bad death is more common and implies a rupture of social relations and results in the destruction of peace and social order. A death may be unresolved because people disagree as to its cause and its meaning for others. Strife resulting from an unresolved death may be irreparable, making closure impossible. The resulting social dysfunction can lead to further death and the breakdown of the community. However, when people understand the cause of death and can identify the causative agent, it is possible to resolve the problems leading to the death and restore order. Case studies illustrate how particular deaths fit these categories and how the people of Kaliai struggle to explain death, to cope with its inevitability, and to repair the social disruption in its wake.