Essay Questions

Describe the economic activities that are carried out by the Kula.

The Kula engage in various economic activities. The tribe’s economy is a classical economy whereby items or goods are produced when needed. The economic activities that are carried out by the Kula include basket making, wood work, sorcery and magic, trade activities, farming and fishing. These activities were carried out to provide various items and fulfill the needs of the people. Farming was the chief activity for from it the tribe produced yams and other crops that would be consumed until the coming harvest. Farming also played a political role whereby the people gave yams to the chief for food and as a means of prestige for having excess.

Describe the culture of the Kula.

The ethnographer found that the Kula culture as a complete one that covered all the phases of life. The Kula have great pride in their culture since it binds them together as a tribe and it gives each individual a sense of belonging. Some of the cultural practices that are carried out by the Kula include holding festivals every year after the yam harvest, the use of magic for luck or to punish wrong doers and it was a matrilineal society. The society was matrilineal where sons and daughters were officially considered their maternal uncle’s. The fathers played a very minor role to their children. The children inherited their maternal uncle’s property rather than their father’s. In addition to that, the people traced their family lines through their mother’s family line.