New colonizers?: Identity, representation and government in the post-New Order Mentawai Archipelago

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the situation in which Mentawaians found themselves while the Archipelago was still part of the district of Padang-Pariaman. It addresses the problematic inter-ethnic relations between Mentawaians and Minangkabau people. The chapter briefly discusses government policies with regard to the Mentawaians as a typical group of people in Indonesian society. It discusses the genesis of a critical elite among the Mentawaians and what kind of activities they deployed under the banner of the local organizations IPPMEN and Yayasan Citra Mandiri. The chapter explores the creation of the district of Kepulauan Mentawai and the rush for putra asli daerah that ensued. It then discusses the role and position of both local NGOs and local communities. The chapter concludes with an overview of the political situation in the Mentawai Archipelago now that the initial turbulence raised by pemekaran has died down. Keywords: IPPMEN; Mentawai Archipelago; Mentawaians people; Minangkabau people; Padang- Pariaman; pemekaran; putra asli daerah; Yayasan Citra Mandiri