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Monyet Yang Dihargai, Monyet Yang Dibenci: The Human-Macaque Interface in Indonesia

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The Macaque Connection

Part of the book series: Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects ((DIPR,volume 43))

Abstract

In this chapter we discuss the complex relationships between macaques and humans in Indonesia. The Indonesian archipelago is spread across a wide geographic range and located throughout are many distinct cultural communities. Without a homogenous cultural identity, Indonesia has become home to numerous unique worldviews. Included in many of these worldviews are folklore and mythology about the natural world and its relationship to human beings. Additionally, many cultures have their own set of perspectives specifically regarding macaques that influence their interactions with nearby macaque populations. With this in mind, we can best characterize the macaque-human interface in Indonesia by its variability rather than its uniformity. This chapter begins by addressing the high level of macaque species diversity in Indonesia and introducing the ecological contexts in which they are found. We then describe the relationship between macaques and humans in Indonesia as comprising a combination of interrelated ecological and cultural facets. Therefore, the overarching goal of this chapter is to discuss and contextualize the influence of these ecological and cultural facets in shaping the dynamic relationships that shift between tolerance and intolerance, reverence and disdain, and cooperation and conflict between humans and macaques throughout the archipelago. These potentially paradoxical relationships are further examined here through a research project addressing perceptions of macaque sacredness among Balinese Hindu communities outside of Bali. Specifically, we investigate whether the relocation of Balinese transmigrants to South Sulawesi has affected their perceptions of macaque sacredness and, if so, to what degree does that alter the two species’ interactions and coexistence. By focusing on a specific cultural worldview (i.e., Balinese Hinduism) across different locations we hope to examine the effect of changing ecological and cultural contexts on the overall relationship between macaques and local humans. We conclude by discussing the relevance of future research on the human-macaque interface in Indonesia and how accurate representations of culture’s dynamic capacity for change can be usefully applied to nonhuman primate conservation programs.

The Revered Monkey, the Despised Monkey

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Indonesian Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK) for granting permission to conduct the research presented in this chapter and to Prof. Putu Oka for sponsoring this research. We are extremely grateful to the Fulbright US Scholar Program for providing funding. We also thank an anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments on earlier drafts. Special thanks to Pak Redo, Pak Donald, Pak Nyoman Santosa, and Pak Charles for their hospitality and support while conducting this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182-6040, USA

    Jeffrey V. Peterson & Erin P. Riley

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  1. Jeffrey V. Peterson
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Correspondence to Jeffrey V. Peterson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India

    Sindhu Radhakrishna

  2. Kyoto University, Primate Research Institute, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, 484-8506, Aichi, Japan

    Michael A. Huffman

  3. National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India

    Anindya Sinha

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Peterson, J.V., Riley, E.P. (2013). Monyet Yang Dihargai, Monyet Yang Dibenci: The Human-Macaque Interface in Indonesia. In: Radhakrishna, S., Huffman, M., Sinha, A. (eds) The Macaque Connection. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects, vol 43. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3967-7_10

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