ABSTRACT
From the first day I arrived in Taute, the men repeatedly made two urgent requests of me. One was to open a store in the village to save them the troublesome walk into Lumi. The other was to buy a shotgun to help them kill game more efficiently. This was the least, they seemed to indicate, a fair-minded and, in Wape terms, obviously rich neighbor should do. One of the hardest things the field anthropologist must learn is to say “no” to deserving people. It is especially difficult when those people are your friends. But we had come halfway around the world to learn about the Wape way of life, not to introduce stores and shotguns that would alter the village’s established trading and hunting patterns. It seemed harsh, but that was the reality of our presence in Taute. As both responsible scientists and temporary guests, our impact on the society should be as minimal as possible. So I said “no” not once, but many times.
