How 'Natives' Think

When Western scholars write about non-Western societies, do they inevitably perpetuate the myths of European imperialism? Can they ever articulate the meanings and logics of non-Western peoples? Who has the right to speak for whom? Marshall Sahlins addresses these issues, while building a case for the ability of anthropologists working in the Western tradition to understand other cultures. These questions have arisen over the death and deification of Captain James Cook on Hawaii Island in 1779. Did the Hawaiians truly receive Cook as a manifestation of their own god Lono? Or were they too pragmatic, too worldly-wise to accept the foreigner as a god? Moreover, can a "non-native" scholar give voice to a "native" point of view? The text, "The Apotheosis of Captain Cook", written by Gananath Obeyesekere is critically analyzed by Sahlins, concentrating on the manner and character of Hawaiians.