First of all I like to tell you something
about the background of this site. What is the reason why a man from Luttenberg
wants to make a site on the internet about places that are situated on
the other side of the world. Well, it is not so strange as it seems when
you know that I have studied cultural anthropology at the University of
Utrecht in the Netherlands.
During that study I have developed a great interest
for the diversity of cultures in Indonesia, especially on the island of
Sulawesi. Because of that interest I have done research among the Mamasa-Toraja
for a period of three months in 1991. In describing their social life I
was confronted with their religion. The dedication to and explanations
of their religious meanings brought me a great affection for this subject.
For my graduation project I choose therefor a study of religion.
In reading books about other cultures in Indonesia
I became interested in the society of the Minahasa people. I read that
through a lot of influences the traditional society of the Minahasa people
changed drastically. Questions came to me why people change certain social
practice together with the underlying meaning, while other social practice
with their meanings survive in traditional way. In this perspective I have
done research among the Minahasa people for a period of three months in
1994. During that research I especially looked at the religious transformations
within the society.
In a wider perspective I wanted to compare these
transformations with the changes that took place in the traditional religion
of the people of Surigao. This latter region is situated on the island
Mindanao, which is in the far south of the Philippine archipelago.
The relation with the Philippine region came through
the contact with a fellow student who did research in the Philippines,
also in 1991. In discussions with him I thought that a comparison of the
religious transformations of the people in both regions was relevant. |
