In O ctober 2009, a dramatic event shook the existing sociolinguistic setting in K anjimei village in E ast S epik P rovince of P apua N ew G uinea. Possessed by a C hristian spirit, a woman harshly reproached the most important village leaders. The ensuing verbal fight between ‘the spirit’ and the village prayer leader became a battle of languages: the C hristian spirit spoke the community's...