Competitive hospitality: Ritual exchanges in the periphery of West Papua Province, Indonesia

Abstract

My research is based in Northern Raja Ampat, in Indonesia’s West Papua Province, including its outermost territory, the Ayau Islands. This research explores how the nature of these archipelagoes in the northern part of West Papua Province allows people to hunt and share through the hospitality of feasts. Family clans who are able to collect turtles and present them in large quantities at Christmas are able to maintain their pride and honor. I refer to this process here as “competitive hospitality”. Custom (adat) and religion are intertwined in promoting this “competitive hospitality”. The main objects discussed in this paper are dishes and turtles. The difficult seas and the distances involved in turtle hunting are considered hazardous. The practice of turtle hunting thus contributes to the reputation of bravery amongst hunters and the sacrifice of their clans (marga) in presenting hospitality to other clans.