Description
Book SynopsisPresents an ethnographic study of the people of Aru, an archipelago in eastern Indonesia. This title examines the dynamics of contact with the Dutch and Europeans, Suharto's postcolonial regime, and with the competing religions of Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism in the context of the conversion of pagan Aruese.
Trade Review“
The Memory of Trade is one of the most compelling works—ethnographic or otherwise—that I have read in Indonesian studies.”—John Pemberton, author of
On the Subject of “Java”“With profound insight, empathy, and theoretical sophistication, Patricia Spyer traces out the complex intertwinings among identity, global commerce, local ritual, and national politics. This book is a masterful demonstration of how much of modernity's paradoxes, romance, and uncanny displacements best come into sight when viewed from the perspective of the supposed margins.”—Webb Keane, author of
Signs of Recognition: Powers and Hazards of Representation in an Indonesian SocietyTable of ContentsList of Illustrations viii
Preface ix
A Note on Language, Translation and Orthography xxiii
1 Introduction: Runaway Topographies 1
2 The Legless Paradise 41
3 The Great Ship 66
4 Mothers of Pearl 107
5 Prow and Stern 161
6 The Cassowary's Play 198
7 The Women's Share 254
8 Epilogue: Sweet Memories from Aru 288
Notes 293
Works Cited 329
