Who needs a butcher?

The day was cool and sunny for my sister, Lenneth’s, custom ceremony for her upcoming marriage. The youngfellas of my village lead our family’s 2 female cows down close to the shore. My papa asked me to take some photos of him with his cows, which he raised and cared for 5+ years. He didn’t want to be present for their slaughter.

Ison, my RTC manager’s brother and another youth from my village held up the rifle as many of us clasped our ears in anticipation of the screaming bullet that was aimed for the cow’s head. Traditionally, the cow is struck on the head with an ax but luckily, my papa has a rifle, although the bullets are small ones. It did the job though…one shot in the forehead and the cow was put down. Its neck was then cut to make sure and several of the guys began chopping away with an axe and knives. They dissected it open, removing the insides as blood trickled out of a vein in the neck. Surprisingly, there was less blood than I would have thought. One of the cows, sadly, was pregnant with a tiny fetus that could fit a palm.

Most every part of the cow will be cooked and eaten. They cut the cow up into four pieces and hauled each large, heavy piece to the nakamal to skin and slice into smaller pieces, some of which to be cooked and the rest to be given to each family who attends the celebration.

Since being here, I guess it can be said that I’ve been somewhat desensitized to the killing of animals although I cannot manage to kill anything but mosquitoes and ants which I must massacre on a weekly basis with a poisonous spray. I did think about killing a chicken once…stared right in its eyes as my host mama Eva is holding it, explaining that I take the quill of the feather and stick it in its ear in order to puncture the brain which kills it instantly. This isn’t something I haven’t seen before even when I was younger on trips to China where they will chop the heads off. Nothing I can’t handle, but I just could not bring myself to do it. I really wanted to…where and when will I ever have the chance to kill a chicken? Many of us, minus the vegetarians, eat chicken almost daily but purchase it packaged, pink and slimy, ready for a frying pan, grill or oven. So, as you gasp, remember it had to be killed too.

Brianna Russell, my Paama partner had the courage to choke a chicken. Really, she choked it to death. There’s even footage on facebook if you want to see it! And not only that, she killed a pig (small chief Brianna:) Needless to say, I couldn’t do either but I do have a few more months here so maybe I’ll get the guts to do it. (no pun intended)