16. Life without Chiefs n absolutely worthless animal. procity. The man who would be king other groups he must be careful not to course,we will eat it, they said,"but would be left by himself to exercise a keep est items for himself. it won't fill s soverel In the evening, the headman stands home to bed with stomachs rumbling. in the center of the plaza and exhorts Yet, when Lee's ox was slaughtered, it THE HEADMAN his people to be good. He calls upon turned out to be covered with a thick LEADERSHIP, NOT POWEr them to control their sexual appetites, why they had said his gift was valueless, To the extent that political leadership ex- quent baths in the river. He tells them even though they knew better than he ists at all among band-and-village socie- not to sleep during the day or bear what lay under the animals skin ties, it is exercised by individuals called Yes, when a young man kills much headmen. These head however grudges against each other meat he comes to think of himself as a lack the power to compel others to obey COPING WITH chief or a big man, and he thinks of the their orders. How can a leader be pow FREELOADERS rest of us as his servants or inferiors We erful and still lead? fuse one who The political power of genuine rulers During the reign of reciprocal exchange boasts, for someday his pride will make depends on their ability to expel or ex- and egalitarian headmen, no individual, him kill somebody. So we always speak terminate disobedient individuals and family, or group smaller than the band of his meat as worthless. This way we groups. When a headman gives a com- or village itself could control access to cool his heart and make him gentle mand,however, he has no certain physi- natural resources. Rivers, lakes, beaches, Lee watched small groups of men cal means of punishing those who oceans, plants and animals, the soil and and women returning home every eve- disobey. So, if he wants to stay in"of- subsoil were all communal property ning with the animals and wild fruits fice, "he gives few commands. Among Among the !Kung, a core of peop and plants that they had killed or col the Eskimo, for instance, a group orn in a particular territory say that lected. They shared everything equally, follow an outstanding hunter and defer they"own"the water holes and hunting even with campmates who had stayed to his opinion with respect to choice of rights, but this has no effect on the peo- behind and spent the day sleeping or hunting spots. But in all other matters, ple who happen to be visiting and living taking care of their tools and weapons. the leader's opinion carries no more with them at any given time. Since "Not only do families pool that day's weight than any other man's Similarly, Kung from neighboring bands are re production, but the entire camp--resi- among the KUng, each band has its rec- lated through marriage, they often visit dents and visitors alike- shares equally nized leaders, most of whom are each other for months at a time and have in the total quantity of food available, males. These men speak out more than free use of whatever resources they need Lee observed. The evening meal of any others and are listened to with a bit more without having to ask permission one family is made up of portions of food deference. But they have no formal Though people from distant bands must from each of the other families resident. authority and can only persuade, never make a request to use another band s ter There is a constant flow of nuts, berries, command. When Lee asked the Kung ritory, the "owners "seldom refuse them roots,and melons from one family fire- whether they had headmen--meanin nce In place to another, until each person has re- powerful chiefs they told him,"Of land and other vital resources means that ceived an equitable portion. The following course we have headmen! In fact, we are a form of communism probably existed morming a different combination of fora- all headmen. Each one of us is headman among prehistoric hunting and collect gers moves out of camp, and when they over himself. ing bands and small villages. Perhaps I return late in the day, the distribution of manship can be a frustrati ing should emphasize that this did not rule foodstuffs is repeated. and irksome job. Among Indian groups out the existence of private property In small, prestate societies, it was in such as the Mehinacu of Brazil,'s Zingu People in simple band-and-village socie everybody's best interest to maintain National Park, headmen behave some- ties own personal effects such as weap- each other's freedom of access to the thing like zealous scoutmasters on over- ons, clothing, containers, omaments, natural habitat. Suppose a! Kung with a night cookouts. The first one up in the and tools. But why should anyone want lust for power were to get up and tell morning, the headman tries to rouse his to steal such objects? People who have his campmates, "From now on, all this companions by standing in the middle a bush camp and move about a lot have land and everything on it belongs to me. of the village plaza and shouting no use for extra possessions. And since ll let you use it but only with my per- them. If something needs to be done, it the group is small enough that every mission and on the condition that I get is the headman who starts doing it and body knows everybody else, stolen first choice of anything you capture, col- it is the headman who works harder than items cannot be used anonymously. If lect, or grow. "His campmates, thinking anyone else. He sets an example not you want something, better to ask for it that he had certainly gone crazy, would only for hard work but also for gener- openly, since by the rules of reciprocity pack up their few belongings, take a osity: After a fishing or hunting expedi- such requests cannot be denied long walk, make a new camp, and re- tion, he gives away more of his catch I don' t want to create the impression sume their usual life of egalitarian reci- than anyone else does. In trading with that life within egalitarian band-and-vil