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In 1545, Ortiz de Retes ‘took possession’ for Spain of a ‘very beautiful land’ southeast of Maluku and named it New Guinea. This article charts the interplay of local knowledge, Iberian experience, and European cosmography in the fragmentary knowing, naming, and mapping of New Guinea’s coasts in the two centuries after 1511. From Malay stories about the islands, coast, or land of the papuas (Papuans) told to Portuguese and Spaniards in Maluku, empirical traces of New Guinea slowly accumulated during at least seven known voyages before 1606. Materialized in manuscript in travellers’ reports or charts and maps copied from lost Portuguese and Spanish master maps, knowledge of New Guinea was published in travel narratives, chronicles, and wider European cartography. My focus is Iberian encounters with places and their naming and mapping. But I also identify hints in maps and other texts of Indigenous agency in encounters and of ancient regional linkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the reasons children and young people leave school early in Merauke, Papua, and advances education policy initiatives to address these causes. Indonesia has a policy of 12 years of compulsory schooling, but many in Papua leave school early. The Indonesian government considers that children mainly leave school early for economic reasons, and addresses the problem through its social welfare programmes, as well as 'supply- side' factors such as the number of schools. This paper uses mainly ethnographic data, especially life histories collected from 22 young people and adults who left school early, to argue that besides economic reasons, the on-again- off-again history of schooling, the extremely problematic nature of that schooling, as well as socio-cultural causes such as the stigmatisation of the local Marind people, self-stigmatisation and cultural discontinuity, combine to push children to leave school early. Multiple initiatives are suggested to improve the quality of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia, a diverse and sprawling archipelago nation, is a place where modernity often intersects with tradition, especially in certain parts of the area broadly known to the outside world as Papua. This article analyzes how the Indonesian Constitutional Court has upheld legal pluralism through noken, a traditional voting model used in elections in remote, mountainous parts of Papua in easternmost Indonesia. Legal pluralism, defined as the coexistence of multiple legal systems or norms within a single society, is a concept deeply embedded in the Indonesian legal landscape. The noken system includes a method where tribal chiefs or community leaders vote on behalf of their entire local area, after consensus is reached in a community meeting, with the votes being placed in a traditional woven bag, called a noken. Although the noken system differs from the universal suffrage model applied by the Indonesian Election Law, its constitutionality is guaranteed under a landmark decision handed down by the Indonesian Constitutional Court in 2009. That decision reinforced the validity of legal pluralism in Indonesia, including in elections. However, the Constitutional Court subsequently limited the constitutionality of implementing the noken system as Papuan society gradually transitions to the national electoral system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores Muslim migrants' economic and political contributions to Jayapura, Papua, as well as the tensions that have emerged therein. Through observation, interviews, and a review of the literature, it investigates the influence of Muslim migrants on Papuan life, as well as Muslim migrants' use of economic means to ensure their survival in the face of significant pressure. Although indigene – migrant relations have ebbed and flowed over time, Muslim migrants have not only influenced society through open communication and interactions with their peers, but also contributed to the social, economic, and political advancement of Papua. As such, this article recommends that future research should investigate how different elements of Papuan society recognize each other and work cooperatively and progressively towards achieving a better future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on the recent sedimentological and palynological analysis of the rock unit outcropping at the road between Timika and Tembagapura from KM 73 to KM 92, Papua, Indonesia. The unit has been previously regarded as being late Proterozoic to Permian in age. Sedimentary facies analysis suggests a non-channelised deep-lacustrine slump and debris-flow dominated environment consists of delta front, slump, debrite, turbidite and lacustrine mud deposits. New palynological data designated a late Miocene to Pliocene age for the analysed samples, based on the occurrence of Nothofagus brassii type pollen, Stenochlaena milnei type spores (Stenochlaenidites papuanus), Dacrycarpus pollen (Dacrycarpites australiensis) without Proteaceae pollen (Proteacidites spp.). The palynomorph assemblage is interpreted to consist of two main groups: autochthonous and allochthonous components. The autochthonous component is dominated by freshwater algae with the co-occurrence of diatoms, freshwater sponge spicules, Pseudoschizaea, testate amoebae and aquatic plants. The allochthonous pollen component is derived from five major vegetation types: lowland rain forest, lower montane forest, upper montane forest, swamp forest and scrub/grassland. The palynomorph assemblages support the notion of a fluvial–lacustrine depositional environment in an inland position away from marine influences. Furthermore, the studied rock unit is considered to be deposited in the piggyback basin between Papuan Fold and Thrust Belt during the Central Range orogeny. The section has been previously regarded as being late Proterozoic to Permian in age. New palynological data indicate a late Miocene to Pliocene age for the analysed samples. Sedimentological features and palynomorph assemblages suggest a fluvial–lacustrine depositional environment in an inland position away from the influence of the sea. The studied rock unit is considered as being deposited in the piggyback basin between Papuan Fold and Thrust Belt during the Central Range orogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For states undergoing turbulent processes of democratisation, illiberal peace-building allows for management of civil war with the lowest political risks. However, the existing literature on illiberal peace-building does not explain why transitional governments sometimes opt for more liberal and negotiated means to manage conflict, despite the risks involved. To explore this question, the paper draws on original primary sources and secondary evidence to draw a novel comparison between the newly democratic Indonesian government's management of two civil wars. Papua and East Timor form an ideal comparative case study as the government took starkly different approaches to managing conflict in each region, within the same time period, and under similarly moderate leadership. East Timor's conflict was eventually resolved via liberal methods, while the Papua conflict was managed via illiberal means. I argue that two analytical dimensions need greater recognition within the illiberal peace-building approach to explain this difference. First, the role of shifting internal power balances within national political elites needs further interrogation. Second, the influence of external actors on internal power balances needs wider recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the current increase of studies on school trips and experiential learning, questions remain about what aspects of school trips best contribute to students and how it affects students' learning experience. This study attempts to explore students' learning experience participating in 1-day cultural school trips in Papua, eastern Indonesia. Conducting trips to two cultural venues (a cultural museum and cultural village) and integrating topics in secondary schools' curriculum (Papuan local content and Papuan art and culture), we evaluated student learning experiences against Bloom et al.'s (1956) taxonomy of educational objectives. The study found several emergent categories: students' previous experiences, emotional experiences, impressions on seeing new perspective, reidentifying cultural identity, cultural awareness, personal effect, and framing and comparing learning strategy. The results provide insight into the effectiveness of school trip in the cultural setting in less developed countries and suggest areas for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Trobriand Islands of today's Papua New Guinea, the coconut has long been mainly an accompaniment to yams - the primary staple food, central cultural icon and source of much of the chiefs' economic and political power. From the early 19th century, surplus yams were traded to Europeans operating in a regional economy, but the Assistant Resident Magistrates (ARMs) of the Australian government of colonial Papua in charge of the islands overlooked this industry in favour of copra, a global commodity. Beginning with a wholesale planting campaign in the 1910s and continuing with a 'native plantation scheme' in the 1920s, the ARMS exhorted Trobrianders to take time away from their beloved gardens to plant and tend coconut trees. Traces of resistance to this overzealous project come mainly through the voice and actions of Paramount Chief To'uluwa of Omarakana, as recorded by the ARMs in patrol reports and station journals. The colonial vision of a copra-based link to the global economy was dimmed by a fall in commodity prices in the mid 1920s, whilst the regional yam trade persisted for decades more. Hence the indigenous yam prevailed over the colonial coconut in a symbolic struggle for primacy in the islands, and the yam remains a symbol of a vibrant traditional Trobriand culture to this day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central government facing separatist activities adopts various policies to respond to them. In some cases, the government represses them harshly, while in other cases, it tries to accommodate the separatists’ demands. We currently have two strands in the literature to understand which policies are implemented by the government: the reputation theory and the cost-benefit calculation model. However, neither of them is sufficient to explain Indonesia's policies toward its separatists in Aceh and Papua following democratization. Indonesia's policies toward separatists have been drifting between accommodation and repression. To understand these policy shifts, this paper emphasizes the importance of the inner workings of the central government, introducing two variables: the preferences of national leaders and the existence of veto players. This paper demonstrates that these perspectives are essential in order to fully explain the Indonesian government's policies toward its separatists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the hindrances to journalists' autonomy in the Papua provinces of Indonesia. It argues that media practitioners in Papua are operating in a subnational authoritarian environment, where the freedoms enjoyed by journalists elsewhere in Indonesia's largely robust media are not afforded to local journalists. The article explains that security forces and local government are the main factors influencing mainstream news content in the region. Yet, as Internet penetration rises and new communication technologies are advanced, new online journalism ventures are gaining in prominence. Their success will depend on whether subnational authoritarianism remains the status quo in a region where new local media ventures are largely unable to provide open and critical coverage of events and issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing calls for an evidence-based public health (EBPH) rely on forms of quantitative evidence to decide HIV/AIDS interventions. A major criticism of this method is it downplays the significance of experiential, cultural or political facets of HIV/AIDS. We apply the concept of ‘rendering technical’ to explore the relationship between methods used in HIV/AIDS research in Papua, Indonesia and current socioeconomic conditions. We analysed research methods used in sixty-two HIV/AIDS studies, assessed presentations at an international AIDS conference, and conducted ethnographic research in Papua. Nation-wide EBPH initiatives are implemented in Papua, yet there remains a critical mass of qualitative ethnographic studies carried out by indigenous scholars emphasising experiences of persons and culture, often within a colonial or post-colonial framework. We argue these studies partially counter approaches which render technical complex realities. In political conditions where indigenous minorities suffer inequities, qualitative ethnographic research may yield critical kinds of evidence, potentially contributing to more nuanced decision-making around HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Australia has had a long and entangled history of engagement with Papua New Guinea and its peoples from the time of the earliest British and Australian explorations in the nineteenth century, through the period of colonial administration from 1902 to 1975, and continuing into the present day. One lasting outcome from the early period of these colonial engagements are the collections of ethnographic objects made by explorers, miners, traders, missionaries and government administrators in the course of their interactions with indigenous Papuans. The collections housed in Australian museums provide a different sort of narrative to that found in written documents. In contrast, they are a material archive that records in its physical properties and composition, traces of the kinds of cross-cultural interactions that occurred in the early days of the colony. They form a tangible legacy which documents how Papuans and Westerners alike used the exchange of objects to negotiate and create social relationships in a time of flux and uncertainty. The collections, the objects and their materialities not only inform us about what shaped Western collecting desires but also about how Papuan artefact producers and traders responded strategically and creatively to new opportunities for trade and exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When it comes to sexuality and norms, young Indonesians are becoming more open. Concern about this is related to the rapid increase in HIV prevalence in Indonesia, especially in Papua and West Papua Provinces. While much research has been conducted among youth who have left school, little is known about senior high school students' sexuality and sexual practices in these provinces. Using qualitative and quantitative data, we explore perspectives on and experiences of sexuality, contraceptive use, unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion among 1082 Year 11 students from 16 senior high schools in both provinces. Findings suggest that around 38.3% of students reported having had sexual intercourse and 36.5% of these having had their first sexual encounter before they were 15 years old. Furthermore, contraceptive use among sexually active students was very low. Around 32% of female students who reported having had sexual intercourse also reported having an unintended pregnancy and the majority of them had had unsafe abortions. The paper points to the implications of students' high-risk sexual behaviours for HIV prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kamoro Arts Festival was organised annually between 1998 and 2006 by the Freeport mining company, which exploits the Amungme and Kamoro region on the southwest coast of Papua. The festival aimed to revive Kamoro culture and provide a market to purchase Kamoro carvings for invited VIP guests. By analysing the Kamoro Arts Festival as a social interaction, this paper investigates the role of the festival format on the production of carvings. These carvings are testimonies of historical and political changes while expressing enduring Kamoro values. Even though the festival is no longer organised, its study reveals some core issues of Kamoro reciprocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Southeast Asia, the use of 'indigenous peoples' as a category for ethnic accommodation has had mixed results. Cordillerans and Papuans pursued dual strategies, sometimes casting themselves as 'nations', other times as 'indigenous peoples'. While Cordillerans obtained rights as indigenous peoples, Papuans failed. Both obtained concessions during constitutional talks but only Cordillerans obtained recognition and rights as indigenous peoples. Cordillerans used linkages to the international indigenous rights movement and successfully lobbied the Constitutional Commission; electoral incentives were also key to the adoption of subsequent legislation. Conversely, Papuans were given concessions but not rights as indigenous peoples because, along with other indigenous groups, they were closed off from constitutional reform talks and lacked a strong network to put pressure on the state. This article shows that domestic coalitions in conjunction with the international indigenous rights movement might only succeed through effective framing during critical junctures of constitutional change when states are vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical feature of contemporary interventions of HIV is the provision of voluntary counseling and testing. Protecting the confidentiality of the client is a lynchpin of successful counseling. This article explores the teaching and implementation of the concept of confidentiality in highlands Papua, Eastern Indonesia. Results of participant observation and in-depth interviews with clinic staff in 2009 and 2010 show that confidentiality is an ideal poorly taught and systematically violated in practice. Identifying, labeling, and regulating HIV-positive persons appears more important than enacting the humanitarian and moral imperative of protecting client rights. Confidentiality becomes the means to enact dividing practices and to create categories of persons-those who choose to adhere to therapies and those who do not. The implications of this pattern are discussed with reference to wider humanitarian initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In highlands Papua, Indonesia, rapid social change under a colonial system of governance has created novel sexual opportunities for young indigenous women. Recent scholarship has viewed similar youthful sexual practices that challenge the status quo as expressions of personal agency. By looking at how young women and their families cope with unplanned pregnancies, we suggest that a more viable analytic approach would be to view sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth as a single unit of analysis. From this perspective, young women's experiences are primarily ones of constraint. Case studies offer insights into the ways a political context of colonial domination limits options and choices for young women who have children born out of wedlock. In particular, this paper describes how the 'settler gaze' - omnipresent colonial norms and judgments - creates regulatory effects in the realm of reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the implementation of Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy in all public health centers in Papua Province, Indonesia, since 1998, the rate of loss to follow-up (LTFU) during tuberculosis (TB) treatment remains high (above 16%). Objectives: We aimed to identify factors associated with non-adherence during TB treatment among patients treated at public health centers (PHCs) in Jayapura, Papua. Method: We conducted a case-control study including new TB patients registered at eight PHCs from 2007 to 2009. Non-adherent cases were TB patients with a history of not taking anti-TB drugs for >2 consecutive weeks or >30 days cumulatively. Controls were randomly selected from patients who completed all doses of TB drugs in time. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a pre-structured questionnaire and analyzed with logistic regression models. Results: Data were available for 81 of 103 eligible cases and 183 of 206 eligible controls. Difficult access to healthcare (i.e. reported to have a problem with distance/travel cost and history of moving residence in the past year), lack of TB knowledge (i.e. lack of knowledge about TB transmission and the cause of TB and unawareness of the consequences of stopping TB treatment), and treatment experience (i.e. lack of TB education provided by TB nurse and the use of loose vs. fixed-dose combinations) were associated with non-adherence during TB treatment in the adjusted model, as were being aged under 35 years and having a history of TB in the family. Conclusion: Our results suggest the need to improve TB treatment delivery especially to those who have difficult access to healthcare, and to routinely provide education to increase patients' knowledge about TB and TB treatment. In addition, more attention to younger patients and those with a history of TB in their family is also needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indonesian province of Papua faces a growing HIV epidemic, particularly amongst remote highland Papuans, such as the Western Dani. The specific, challenging political and sociocultural context of Papuan highland communities greatly influences the transmission of HIV. Different initiatives have struggled to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of Papuan communities and of minority ethnic communities and the challenges they pose. The prolonged cultural tensions between Papuan and Indonesian communities are a major barrier to effective dialogue between the Indonesian state and its minority ethnic communities, the absence of which only exacerbates the epidemic. Tackling HIV in Papua requires responses that are both culturally and politically sensitive, in direct challenge to existing development paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]