Red cocks and black hens : Gendered symbolism, kinship and social practice in the Ngada highlands

Abstract

Ngada is not only the name of a regency (kabupaten) in Central Flores, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands in eastern Indonesia (Nusa Tenggara Timur), but also refers to a people numbering about 60,000 who live in the southern and central part of the regency, extending from a small coastal section along the Savu Sea up to a highland plateau more than 1,000 metres in altitude. With the exception of the plateau, the region is extremely rugged, cross-cut by rough gorges. Many villages are still isolated and can only be reached by footpaths. Other villages are now connected by unpaved roads and a few even by paved ones.