#9 What concepts in the Sawi culture intrigued / reviled / saddened / angered / surprised you?

In the world we live in today, generally and dominantly, people honor generosity and service to others. The world honors the spirit of Good Samaritan, which is the spirit of offering hospitality to even a stranger. Thus, as a member of this world, I also appreciate and honor philanthropy. As I appreciate philanthropy, I consider selfish and immoral actions as dishonor.

As I was reading Don Richardson’s ‘Peace Child,’ I discovered that tribesmen of Sawi honors treachery. My first reaction was confusion. I simply could not understand how treachery can be honored. Then, the idea of honoring treachery frustrated me because it is absolutely unethical. Treachery is betraying someone who trusted you and doing damage to him. How can a ‘tribe’ honor treachery when they live as a group? How is it possible to have a group life when treachery is honored? I imagined that Sawi people do not form strong bond between each member. As each member of Sawi tribe would live with a fear that someone would betray them, there will not be a socialization or communication. Therefore, there will not be an exchange of ideas, which is why the Sawi tribe did not see beyond their territory and hence limited themselves in the primitive regions. Furthermore, I realized that the Sawi tribe practiced cannibalism, which, to me, was horrifying because eating an individual of the same species made no sense to me. I could not see how their morals could let these people eat humans.

Throughout the story, these two concepts I encountered with surprised and confused me. Although discovering these unpleasant concepts was uneasy, I learned that there are different perspectives in this world and that I must understand the difference since everyone has different background.