14 For Kin, God and Other Beings: Mixtures of Conservation …
277
of future catch, or fishing gear (Boli et al. 2014: 134.)
7 Others give gifts such as
processed sago flour as compensation. Taken together, these excerpts underscore
how sasi gereja has become an effective mechanism to limit degradation, promote
surveillance, and communicate moral values.
Sasi gereja provides for a set of moral prescriptions that aims to promote a sense
of mutual responsibility and cooperative sharing in a fluid seascape. As one priest
argued, “Rascals who use chainsaws to cut valuable trees or steal fish reflect the
temptations of greed.” Those who transgress are punished for negating the moral
code of social solidarity that underpins Christian practice against a backdrop of
cultural erasure and economic uncertainty. By engaging with sasi alongside new
environmental practices, Papuans in Raja Ampat communicate moral claims about
the value of communal management of natural resources amidst increasing tension
over the spread of private tourism developments.
And the sasi gereja are effective: since closing areas off to large-scale fishing and
restricting activities to occasional harvests, Ayau’s lagoon has seen greater abundance: in August 2014, grouper gathered to spawn in huge aggregations. Lobsters
are bigger and sea cucumber sales have increased. Several men expressed hope that
the fishing catch will increase even more, from five to eight tons per month. Alongside village regulations (peraturan kampung) and continued government support,
they are optimistic about the future.
Nonhuman Zones as Unintended Ecological Refuges
Among the ten Ambel villages of Ma’yalibit Bay, a different type of local conservation called sasi mon restricts the building of houses, making of gardens, or fishing in
areas where ancestral spirits or agents of the forest dwell. Mon places include caves,
natural springs, uninhabited karst islands, inaccessible mountains, riparian zones and
areas of primary rainforest. They also include burial sites of ancient dead, sites of
remembered events and clan origins, or places associated with cannibal witches.
Each Ambel village has specific areas that are taboo (off limits) because of associations with spirit beings or malevolent forces. Ambel believe that in the past people
lived alongside trans-human beings such as heroic giants (mambri), shape-shifting
entities and sorcerers (mawi). Beyond the village space are forest and sea areas, and
higher up on mountain peaks loom the realm of dragons (kórben). These beliefs
underscore the ways human connections with the natural world are expressed as intimate social relations. Even today, the Ambel believe in nonhuman realms marked by
boundary stones, shells or rivers. Entering into these places requires caution, and a
guide from the right gelet to prevent being eaten by cannibalistic witches (kábyo—
Ambel, suanggi—Indo.) or bitten by a poisonous animal. Intermediaries (sadaká)
7 Conversation with Ali Oherenan, The Nature Conservency, Harapan Jaya, Misool, 2 December
2014; talk with Niko Sauyai, Sawinggrai, Gam island, 26 January 2015. Monetary fines vary but
are meant to be a powerful deterrent.
277
of future catch, or fishing gear (Boli et al. 2014: 134.)
7 Others give gifts such as
processed sago flour as compensation. Taken together, these excerpts underscore
how sasi gereja has become an effective mechanism to limit degradation, promote
surveillance, and communicate moral values.
Sasi gereja provides for a set of moral prescriptions that aims to promote a sense
of mutual responsibility and cooperative sharing in a fluid seascape. As one priest
argued, “Rascals who use chainsaws to cut valuable trees or steal fish reflect the
temptations of greed.” Those who transgress are punished for negating the moral
code of social solidarity that underpins Christian practice against a backdrop of
cultural erasure and economic uncertainty. By engaging with sasi alongside new
environmental practices, Papuans in Raja Ampat communicate moral claims about
the value of communal management of natural resources amidst increasing tension
over the spread of private tourism developments.
And the sasi gereja are effective: since closing areas off to large-scale fishing and
restricting activities to occasional harvests, Ayau’s lagoon has seen greater abundance: in August 2014, grouper gathered to spawn in huge aggregations. Lobsters
are bigger and sea cucumber sales have increased. Several men expressed hope that
the fishing catch will increase even more, from five to eight tons per month. Alongside village regulations (peraturan kampung) and continued government support,
they are optimistic about the future.
Nonhuman Zones as Unintended Ecological Refuges
Among the ten Ambel villages of Ma’yalibit Bay, a different type of local conservation called sasi mon restricts the building of houses, making of gardens, or fishing in
areas where ancestral spirits or agents of the forest dwell. Mon places include caves,
natural springs, uninhabited karst islands, inaccessible mountains, riparian zones and
areas of primary rainforest. They also include burial sites of ancient dead, sites of
remembered events and clan origins, or places associated with cannibal witches.
Each Ambel village has specific areas that are taboo (off limits) because of associations with spirit beings or malevolent forces. Ambel believe that in the past people
lived alongside trans-human beings such as heroic giants (mambri), shape-shifting
entities and sorcerers (mawi). Beyond the village space are forest and sea areas, and
higher up on mountain peaks loom the realm of dragons (kórben). These beliefs
underscore the ways human connections with the natural world are expressed as intimate social relations. Even today, the Ambel believe in nonhuman realms marked by
boundary stones, shells or rivers. Entering into these places requires caution, and a
guide from the right gelet to prevent being eaten by cannibalistic witches (kábyo—
Ambel, suanggi—Indo.) or bitten by a poisonous animal. Intermediaries (sadaká)
7 Conversation with Ali Oherenan, The Nature Conservency, Harapan Jaya, Misool, 2 December
2014; talk with Niko Sauyai, Sawinggrai, Gam island, 26 January 2015. Monetary fines vary but
are meant to be a powerful deterrent.