Tiro

The word tiro qualifies as the most commonly spoken Chuukese word in my vocabulary. Meaning “excuse me,” Chuukese people will voice it before walking in front of you, stepping between you and the person you are conversing with, or while excusing themselves from a room full of people. Tiro is coupled with a bow, a lowering of your body from the waist as you walk past. As I have learned, it exists as a sign of respect. However, only women are culturally expected to use the word as the pass by men. The respectful “excuse me” does not apply to men as they pass women.

Traditionally Chuukese gender roles have been born out a call for respect among men and women, especially brothers and sisters. Beyond the simple trio phrase, women are expected to bow or kneel whenever one of their brothers is present in the room. If she desires to get up and leave the room, she walks on her knees or crawls. While walking on the road, I have watched women kneel down as one of their brothers drives past in a car. Additionally, men will often stand as a woman passes in order to alleviate her bowing, yet still keep her head physically lower than the man’s.

This Thursday I observed another manifestation of this cultural practice. At Holy Thursday services in Catholic churches there is usually a ceremonial reenactment of the washing of the feet rooted in the biblical story of the last supper. As I have observed since youth, twelve individuals are called up to the altar to sit in a chair and have their feet washed by the priest. This week in Chuuk, only men were designated to have their feet washed. Apparently, a woman sitting in a chair higher than a priest, a man, who would be washing her feet, would be extremely disrespectful. Women are therefore excluded from this service in addition to the exclusions they already tolerate in the church, such as participation in the priesthood.

So I ask myself, is the tiro culture oppressive toward women? Does it limit options for women? Is a physical lowering of a woman’s body in the presence of a man indicative of the status of women? I believe very sincerely in the value of maintaining and preserving culture, but can we use culture as an excuse for oppression? Is the church participating in this through abiding by cultural norms? Aware of my status as an outsider, I know I cannot judge actions based on my own ethnocentrism. But I cannot desist in asking questions.