Ongka's Big Moka

In the movie Ongka’s Big Moka they made a living much different from the way we do in America today. In today’s American society you must go to a respected business, fill out an application, and go through interview process in order to make a living and receive an income. In the small society such as the society portrayed in Ongka’s Big Moka make a living by “the gift of pigs.” To them pigs are “the only worth-while thing.” In our society you are often popular because of your worth, and the items in which you have. This seemed to also be the case in Ongka’s Big Moka. When you own multiple pigs, and give one away in a public show it gives one popularity and fame. This is how one makes a living in their society. When they give a pig away years later it will be repaid to them. Ongka will receive more pigs in return. It is tradition for them to give and receive pigs.

A plus side to their way of living is that a pig means more to them than money. In their tribe ‘cash’ means nothings. As of this moment they use pigs as money for example, they are payment for death after fighting. When there was a war among villages, giving another village a pig would make up for killing so many of the enemies tribe. Giving them a pig would make peace.

When looking at the economic system I feel as if it is going to be hard for their society to live they way they are for much longer. It was said that they have coffee crops; from this they get money (Australian cash). As of right now they aren’t using that because they don’t need it, but because our world is becoming more and more modernized and other countries are becoming aware of their Australian cash things are sure to change. Other than that their society is doing well without becoming accustomed with modernization.