I am an anthropologist who specializes in the study of the Pacific islands. I am interested in human migration and mobility in Oceania, in people’s relationships with their natural environments, and in the rise of social complexity. My applied work has involved customary law, legal pluralism, and sustainable development in island nations. I have a special relationship with the Abelam people of Papua New Guinea, with whom I’ve conducted long-term field research beginning in 1974.