The rebirth of an old question: A comment on “Where are our ancestors? Rethinking Trobriand cosmology”

Abstract

Jarillo et al. have offered an insightful rethinking of the role of baloma in reincarnation and the perpetuation of the dala lineage in Trobriand cosmology, based on an innovative and collaborative methodology, that counters the prevailing wisdom first published by Malinowski and reinforced in numerous disparate publications since. This comment reflects on Jarillo et al.’s argument and offers some additional comments about the role of rebirth in the contemporary Trobriand Islands.