Abstract
In 1968, the volcano on the island of Nila in the Banda Sea erupted causing the inhabitants of this island to take temporary refuge on the nearby islands of Serua and Teun. Some ten years later, after a period of prolonged volcanic inactivity, the residents of Nila left their island again. This time, however, they were escorted by the Indonesian Navy and their departure from the island to a recently cleared site in southern Seram was of a more permanent nature. To a casual observer, the 1978 exodus looked, for all intents and purposes, like an invasion. Officially, it was called an evacuation (evakuasi). In time, it would take on the appearance of the government‐initiated transmigration (trans‐migrasi) program. In this paper, I explore the social seismology of this natural disaster and argue that displacement in this context amounts to more than just a shift in geographical space. It shakes the very foundations of identity, engendering, as it does, tectonic movements in social memory, cultural knowledge and environmental practice. Notwithstanding the destabilising effects of state‐driven territorialisation, and its objectives of social order, political control and economic development, the people of Nila counteract this project of ‘humanitarian’ intervention through the enactment of their own political agendas, self‐fashioning exercises and strategies of environmental reshaping.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call