Menancapkan Tiang-Tiang “Kayu Besi”: Adat dan Strategi Para Elit di Kabupaten Teluk Bintuni, Papua Barat

Abstract

This article discuses about culture value or well-known as "adat" is used as social capital by elite community for economic-politic contestation in Teluk Bintuni District. Bacground context in this paper is indigenous people relation-especially Sebyar Community-with British Petrolium as corporation. The imagination of "iron" pillars as indigenous house foundation symbol in "kampong-kampung" has brittled. Social transformation has started when people hand over their land to the corporation. The life dependency of indigenous people become absolute aspect when their lost their resources. This article argues discourse about indigenous people drag many intetersts, especially to the elites of indigenous people for their economic and politic interests. Based on the dynamics that appear in one part of Teluk Bintuni indigenous people, this article believes the imagination of "iron" pillars as social solidarity foundation starting to brittle. Fragility is sabotaged by elite indigenous people pragmatism, then the member imitates their elites.