Pacific Studies Journal
Abstract
Reviewed by Andrew Moutu, University of Cambridge.
James F. Weiner’s Tree Leaf Talk: A Heideggerian Anthropology explores the metaphor of a “firebreak” as a form of ethnographic writing that resists the unchecked spread of semantic associations and theoretical assumptions. Drawing on the Foi concept of irisae-medobora—a metaphorical, concealing speech used by high-status men in Papua New Guinea—Weiner parallels this with Heidegger’s Holzwege, suggesting that concealment can be a productive anthropological strategy. The book critiques the aestheticization of social relations and the uncritical embrace of non-Western media as ethnographic tools, arguing that social constructionism, rooted in Western metaphysics, may obscure deeper cultural meanings. Through this lens, Weiner proposes concealment as a “theoretical firebreak” to challenge dominant paradigms and reframe anthropological inquiry.
Recommended Citation
Moutu, Andrew
(2008)
"BOOK REVIEW FORUM: Tree Leaf Talk: A Heideggerian Anthropology by James F. Weiner,"
Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 31:
No.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol31/iss1/4
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