45.
Isolated And Modernized Melanesians
By Dr. Weston A. Price
If the causative factors for the physical degeneration of mankind are practically the same everywhere, it should be possible to find a common cause operating, regardless of climate, race, or environment.
Melanesians are an ethnic group from Melanesia, an island around Australia. Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji.
On reaching the isolated groups our greetings and the purpose of the mission were conveyed by our interpreters to the chiefs. Much time was often lost in going through necessary ceremonials and feasting. In every instance we received a very cordial reception and excellent cooperation. In no instance was there antagonism.
Through the underground telegraph they always seemed to know we were coming and had prepared for us.
Melanesians are an ethnic group from Melanesia, an island around Australia. Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji.
On reaching the isolated groups our greetings and the purpose of the mission were conveyed by our interpreters to the chiefs. Much time was often lost in going through necessary ceremonials and feasting. In every instance we received a very cordial reception and excellent cooperation. In no instance was there antagonism.
Through the underground telegraph they always seemed to know we were coming and had prepared for us.
The development of the facial
bones determines the
size and shape of the palate
and the size of the nasal air
passages. Note the strength
of the neck of the men above
and the well proportioned
faces of the girls below. Such
faces are usually associated
with properly proportioned
bodies. Tooth decay is rare
in these mouths so long as
they use an adequate selection
of the native foods.
When these formalities were once over and our wishes made known, the chiefs instructed the members of their tribes to carry out our program for making examinations, recording personal data, making photographs, and collecting samples of foods for chemical analysis. The food samples were either dried or preserved in formalin.
In many instances the only contact with civilization had consisted of the call of a small trading ship once or twice a year to gather up the copra or dried coconut, sea shells and such other products as the natives had accumulated for exchange. Payment for these products was usually made in trade goods and not in money.
In many instances the only contact with civilization had consisted of the call of a small trading ship once or twice a year to gather up the copra or dried coconut, sea shells and such other products as the natives had accumulated for exchange. Payment for these products was usually made in trade goods and not in money.
The following articles consisted nearly always of 90 per cent of the total value: white flour and sugar. Ten per cent consisted of wearing apparel or material for that apparel.
While the missionaries have encouraged the people to adopt habits of modern civilization, in the isolated districts the tribes were not able to depart much from their native foods because of the infrequency of the call of the trader ship. Effort had been made in almost all of the islands to induce the natives to cover their bodies, especially when in sight of strangers.
In several islands regulatory measures had been adopted requiring the covering of the body. This regulation had greatly reduced the primitive practice of coating the surface of the body with coconut oil, which had the effect of absorbing the ultra-violet rays thus preventing injury from the tropical sun.
While the missionaries have encouraged the people to adopt habits of modern civilization, in the isolated districts the tribes were not able to depart much from their native foods because of the infrequency of the call of the trader ship. Effort had been made in almost all of the islands to induce the natives to cover their bodies, especially when in sight of strangers.
In several islands regulatory measures had been adopted requiring the covering of the body. This regulation had greatly reduced the primitive practice of coating the surface of the body with coconut oil, which had the effect of absorbing the ultra-violet rays thus preventing injury from the tropical sun.
This coating of oil enabled them to shed the rain which was frequently torrential though of short duration. The irradiation of the coconut oil was considered by the natives to provide, in addition, an important source of nutrition. Their newly acquired wet garments became a serious menace to the comfort and health of the wearers.
The early navigators who visited these South Sea Islands reported the people as being exceedingly strong, vigorously built, beautiful in body and kindly disposed. There were formerly dense populations on most of the inhabitable islands.
In contrast with this, one now finds that on many of the islands the death rate has come to so far exceed the birth rate that the very existence of these racial groups is often seriously threatened.
My guide told me that it had always been essential, as it is today, for the people of the interior to obtain some food from the sea, and that even during the times of most bitter warfare between the inland or hill tribes and the coast tribes, those of the interior would bring down during the night choice plant foods from the mountain areas and place them in caches and return the following night and obtain the sea foods that had been placed in those depositories by the shore tribes.
The individuals who carried these foods were never molested, not even during active warfare.
The early navigators who visited these South Sea Islands reported the people as being exceedingly strong, vigorously built, beautiful in body and kindly disposed. There were formerly dense populations on most of the inhabitable islands.
In contrast with this, one now finds that on many of the islands the death rate has come to so far exceed the birth rate that the very existence of these racial groups is often seriously threatened.
My guide told me that it had always been essential, as it is today, for the people of the interior to obtain some food from the sea, and that even during the times of most bitter warfare between the inland or hill tribes and the coast tribes, those of the interior would bring down during the night choice plant foods from the mountain areas and place them in caches and return the following night and obtain the sea foods that had been placed in those depositories by the shore tribes.
The individuals who carried these foods were never molested, not even during active warfare.
(Author’s Note: It’s true that human beings require some foods of animal origin for optimum nutrition. In civilized societies, this
nutrition should be provided by the dairy enterprise. Constitution of milk is very similar to blood. Milk is a civilized or humane way
to obtain animal proteins.
Aborigines who have no concept of growing food or milking animals, can be justified in killing animals for food.
In fact, agriculture and dairy are more than adequate to supply all our nutritional needs. This is evidenced by highly developed martial races of Indian sub-continent and other places.
Most of these races have followed a locto-vegetarian program since time immemorial. Meat, if at all, was consumed only in ritualistic sacrifices on special occasions. Meat was never the dietary mainstay of these people.
India was home to the highest number of martial races and the British expanded their empire by recruiting them in large numbers. These soldiers fought in World War II on all Allied fronts. The concept already had a precedent in Indian culture as one of the four orders
(varnas) in the Vedic-Hindu social system are known as the Kshatriya, literally “warriors.”
nutrition should be provided by the dairy enterprise. Constitution of milk is very similar to blood. Milk is a civilized or humane way
to obtain animal proteins.
Aborigines who have no concept of growing food or milking animals, can be justified in killing animals for food.
In fact, agriculture and dairy are more than adequate to supply all our nutritional needs. This is evidenced by highly developed martial races of Indian sub-continent and other places.
Most of these races have followed a locto-vegetarian program since time immemorial. Meat, if at all, was consumed only in ritualistic sacrifices on special occasions. Meat was never the dietary mainstay of these people.
India was home to the highest number of martial races and the British expanded their empire by recruiting them in large numbers. These soldiers fought in World War II on all Allied fronts. The concept already had a precedent in Indian culture as one of the four orders
(varnas) in the Vedic-Hindu social system are known as the Kshatriya, literally “warriors.”
Vaisya means produce food grain, krsi, agriculture, not produce food in the slaughterhouse. No. Slaughterhouse, even the sixth-class, seventh-class men... They did not know how to produce food, how to live. That means the aborigines in the jungle. They were hunting one animal, then eating, not that civilized nation, organized slaughterhouse. Oh, how horrible it is. If you want to eat an animal, then you go to the jungle, kill one animal, and eat. The government is not going to maintain a slaughterhouse for you. You see? This is the civilization. So our eatables should be food grains -- krsi-go-raksya -- and milk. Krsi means by agriculture process you can produce fruits, flower, vegetables, then rice, wheat, and pulses, and you have got milk. Then where is your want, scarcity? This is civilization. Meat-eating is meant for the sixth-class, seventh-class men who does not know, who remain naked, and they can neither produce food neither cloth in the jungle. It is for them. They also were not very much expert to maintain a slaughterhouse. When you need, you can kill one lower animal, not cow. The cow is not available in the jungle. You can have some deer or some boar. So these unimportant animals were killed by them.
~ Srila Prabhupada (Lecture, Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975)
Some of the principal martial races identified by the British on Indian subcontinent were: Ahirs/Yadavs, Awans, Bhumihar, Bunts, Dhangars (Hatkar), Dhund Abbasis, Khatris, Dogra, Gakhars, Garhwalis, Ghumman, Gujjar, Gurkhas, Janjua, Jats, Kamboj/ Kamboh, Khokhar, Kodava (Coorgs), Kumaoni/Kumaunis, Mahars, Marathas, Mohyals, Nairs, Pashtuns, Qaimkhanis, Rors, Reddys, Rajputs, Sainis, Sikhs, Sudhan, Tanolis, Tarkhans.
A lacto vegetarian diet is a vegetarian diet that includes dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, cream, and kefir, but excludes eggs. Apart from Indian sub-continent, also residents of the classical Mediterranean such as the Pythagoreans, are or were lacto-vegetarians.)
A lacto vegetarian diet is a vegetarian diet that includes dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, cream, and kefir, but excludes eggs. Apart from Indian sub-continent, also residents of the classical Mediterranean such as the Pythagoreans, are or were lacto-vegetarians.)