This is a study of oral tradition focusing on family stories that relate to historical events and social issues of contemporary Mentawai kin groups. I give descriptive answers for the central... Show moreThis is a study of oral tradition focusing on family stories that relate to historical events and social issues of contemporary Mentawai kin groups. I give descriptive answers for the central research question of how and to what extent oral narratives are involved in dealing with current issues about place of origin, the notion of identity, and discourses about land and land rights in Mentawai society in Indonesia. The family stories are an important source of information with regard to identity, forming a verbal reflection of the kin groups__ identity and justifying certain claims with regard to ancestral land. A family story must be properly preserved by its owners by carefully transmitting the content and significance of the story to following generations. The power of human memory plays an important part in maintaining and transmitting the significance of past events. In the field of oral tradition, family stories can thus be regarded as a specific genre of oral narratives. When studying oral narratives it is, in my opinion, important to pay special attention to family stories. Not in the last place so, because the communities still using family stories frequently consider them indispensable. Show less
This study is rooted in the places where daily struggles to make a living in the environment coincide and collide with efforts to save nature and/or the environment through the delineation of... Show moreThis study is rooted in the places where daily struggles to make a living in the environment coincide and collide with efforts to save nature and/or the environment through the delineation of protected areas. In this dissertation the author explores the intertwining of the causes of environmentalism and indigenous peoples rights. She looks into whether this interface lends itself well to both environmentalist causes and indigenous aspirations. It is critical to understand both elements of this dynamic: indigenous peoples, their link with the conservation of biodiversity and their relationship with the implementors/advocates of nature conservation; and the impact of the latter actors and their green vision on indigenous communities and their environments. In this light, this dissertation, in a combination of chapters and published papers, describes and analyzes the ways in which indigenous peoples and environmentalists interact, and the repercussions of these interactions. Show less
