Indigenous communities such as Kasepuhan Ciptagelar (West Java, Indonesia) and Dusun (Sabah, Malaysia) have often been labelled “uncivilized” or considered as obstacles to economic growth. These communities face various challenges including limited access to their customary land (which has been appropriated by the state) and a lack of recognition of their traditional beliefs. However, they are not passive. They have established a zone of cultural refusal, using a flourishing tourism industry as their tool of resistance. This talk will discuss “heterotopic tourism” rooted in indigenous beliefs as an alternative avenue for strengthening cultural identity and increasing access toward ancestral land.
Nur Nanung Widiyanto recently finished his PhD from the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS). Besides the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar and Dusun communities, he has also studied the Urak Lawoy in Phuket, Thailand, funded by the Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University. He currently works as a lecturer at Ambarukmo Tourism Institute, Yogyakarta.
Look at the full poster of this event here.