How Different Is Your Modern Culture From The Sawi Tenants?

Even though it seems that many countries, or societies, have almost the same phase of developments today, there are still many countries far behind in terms of civilization. A wide gap is between modern culture and "uncivilized" culture, as the growth of a society we live in - whether it is of economy or technology - is becoming increasingly rapid. Sawi people, who believes in cannibalism, treachery and spirits in nature, is one of the examples of people that has significant difference us. Don Richardson describes his own experience in Peace Child, where he narrates his adventures in a primitive, barbarian village. He struggles with extreme cultural differences including languages, traditions and especially beliefs. While Christianity is what most modern, civilized people believe in, Sawi people, instead of worshipping God, praise treachery and consider it as an "elixir of the Sawi legend." I found it very unique and interesting at the same time, because the difference between our society and their society is so huge that there seems to be nothing in common except that we are all human. While in one part of the world we worship God and try to live according to what He said, Sawi people have their own culture as complex as our culture is. Waness, for example, portrays how systematized the Sawi people are about some traditions. The idea that someone asks for a favor by risking humiliation and that there is certain thing that one must exactly do for this procedure called waness is pretty unique; I doubt if there is any other people who has any rituals that are similar to that.

Another noticeable difference is the practice of treachery. To me, it seemed contradictory for people in the same community to praise treachery, because deception leads directly to distrust among the people. If one does not even believe his relatives, how can he be sure that his own family is not trying to plot treachery? It is probably scary to live in Sawi culture, where everyone is a potential enemy. Sawi culture is different from our culture not only in that it is uncivilized, but that it also takes much more risks to live in.