# The South Pacific "Cargo Cult"-Still Extant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020 "2006-06-17T01:22:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/1 "2006-06-17T01:22:12Z")
I read once of a very curious phenomenon, seen in certain areas of the south Pacific Islands (places that were once bases for American forces in WWII). Basically, the natives remember a time (the War) when starnge white men came, bringing food, airplanes, trucks and jeeps, and countless luxuries never seen before. The natives also noticed that the American soldiers would construct long paved areas (landing strips), after which big metal birds would descend from the skies, bringingall this good stuff (the “cargo”). Anyway, long afetr the War, the natives tried to lure the cargo-bearing big birds from the sky-by building rudimentary landing strips (sometimes with little “control towers”). Are these stories true? One would think that by now, 61 years since the end of the war, the people till remeber this. Also, given that their attempst to lure cargo, why would these persist with this strange behavior? ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/2 "2006-06-17T01:46:22Z")
[The Last Cargo Cult](http://www.nthposition.com/thelastcargo.php) [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult) ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/3 "2006-06-17T03:34:10Z")
Yes, they are true, and pathetic for a variety of reasons due to the human condition. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/4 "2006-06-17T03:37:43Z")
Another, often-forgotten, part of the religion is the tendency to give snails tiny little cars with an S painted on the side. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/5 "2006-06-17T04:14:32Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] Another, often-forgotten, part of the religion is the tendency to give snails tiny little cars with an S painted on the side. [/QUOTE] It’s always the dumb jokes that catch you by surprise ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/6 "2006-06-17T05:43:44Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] Another, often-forgotten, part of the religion is the tendency to give snails tiny little cars with an S painted on the side. [/QUOTE] The cargo cult mentality has also given rise to a popular local practical joke whereby some natives hide behind trees and leap out at unexpected moments to shout, “Supplies!”. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/7 "2006-06-17T11:11:12Z")
[QUOTE=Case Sensitive] The cargo cult mentality has also given rise to a popular local practical joke whereby some natives hide behind trees and leap out at unexpected moments to shout, “Supplies!”. [/QUOTE] It is worth noting that Cults who do this always carve their snail autos in the form of Nissans, Toyotas or Subarus. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/8 "2006-06-17T11:38:53Z")
[QUOTE=Can Handle the Truth] [The Last Cargo Cult](http://www.nthposition.com/thelastcargo.php) [/QUOTE] Great link, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-south-pacific-cargo-cult-still-extant/361020/9 "2006-06-17T14:01:46Z")
[QUOTE=Can Handle the Truth] [The Last Cargo Cult](http://www.nthposition.com/thelastcargo.php) [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult) [/QUOTE] [Another article](http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2006/february/john.php), from the February 2006 _Smithsonian_ about cargo cults.