The people of the Kandoka village, located in Papua New Guinea, have quite a
unique way of life that differs from that of Western civilization in several
ways. They are essentially a simple society based on subsistence horticulture
and occasional hunting. With a population of approximately four hundred people,
the Kandoka village is the largest of the five coastal villages of Lusi-Kaliai
speakers.
Travel between these different communities is achieved by foot or sea and
usually requires a substantial amount of time. This can be quite problematic in
cases of medical emergency. Although a registered nurse is located at an Aid
Post a few miles from the village, more serious cases are often referred to
hospitals quite far away. The Kaliai have now been in contact with Western
culture for over a century and with Western medicine for almost fifty years.
They have still managed to maintain their strong cultural beliefs and
practices while at the same time integrating certain aspects of Western culture
into theirs. In this essay I will discuss how the availability of Western
medicine has affected how the Kaliai perceive and explain causes of illness and
methods of treatment, when they seek this type of treatment, and how they
explain and deal with it's failure. I will then proceed to comment on how and
when traditional treatment is exercised and what happens if this method fails.
The information used in the discussions is provided in a series of case
histories documented by Drs. Dorothy and David Counts. It is from these cases we
find that the people of the Kandoka village have generally accepted Western
medicine and use it in varying combinations with traditional practices. Western
Medicine's Impact on Perceptions of Illness With the introduction of Western
medicine into the Kandoka village came new ways of explaining illness and
providing treatment.
Contact with Western missionaries had established a great deal of respect for
their culture through both their kindness and their exciting different way of
life. When Western medicine became available near by at a relatively low cost
the Kaliai experimented with these new methods of treatment. This new system of
health care differs from traditional Kaliai care in that it is based more so on
scientific facts and discoveries.
