Seminar | Deer hunting in South Sulawesi, 1600-1942 | Amrullah Amir

The research of Amrullah Amir looks at the social, environmental and cultural aspects of deer hunting in Sulawesi across the ages.

This seminar discusses two types of deer hunting in South Sulawesi. Both types of hunting were considered a recreational part of the lives of kings and nobles but there were fundamental differences between the hunts.

The first was the large-scale deer hunt or angolong held by the king or nobles in the royal hunting area or customary area owned by the noble. This hunt was not only attended by hunters but also involved many different people from the realm. It aimed both to obtain meat supplies for the palace and to demonstrate the elite’s status and social standing. In addition, it was also an arena for deer hunters to display their dexterity in front of the king and royal citizens, thereby increasing their own prestige.

The second form of hunting, known as ajonga samara, was deer hunting carried out by nobles and their followers in their customary territories as a daily activity. Although it was often seen as a leisure activity, its underlying function was to monitor and control farming areas or gardens and maintain the security of their territory. It was also often part of the sexual activities of male aristocrats who mixed with low-status women in the villages they passed through for the night. These relationships produced offspring with mixed-blood status in the social classification of the community. Thus this research also analyzes deer-hunting relationships as part of the social dynamics within Bugis and Makassarese communities in South Sulawesi.

Speaker

Amrullah Amir is an assistant Professor and the head of the History Master Program at the Departement of Faculty Cultural Sciences at Hasanuddin University, Makassar-Indonesia. His current research focuses on environmental history and the preservation of traditional cultural related to wild animals in Indonesia. His latest book with Nordin Hussin, Pedagang Melayu di Sulawesi Selatan, Identiti dan Kuasai was published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur in 2019.

Moderator

Kathryn Wellen is a senior researcher at KITLV and a historian of Southeast Asia specialized in the early modern era. Her current research focuses on the pre-Islamic history of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Format, date, time & venue

This seminar is a hybrid event and will be held in the conference room of KITLV (room 1.68) and online via Zoom, on Thursday 25 January from 15.30 – 17.00 PM (CET).

Registration

1. On location: if you want to join this seminar on location, please register via: [email protected].

2. Online: if you wish to join this webinar online, please register here.

Image

‘Makassarsche hertenjagers (met een strik aan het eind van den stok)’. Sources: C.K. Elout. Indisch dagboek, Sanport: Uitgave van C.A. Mees., p. 119, 1926.