Constructing Papuan Nationalism: History, Ethnicity ... - ScholarSpace

8 Richard ChauvelTheir responses suggest that regional and tribal interests remain politicallysalient and that the process of “becoming Papuan” is a work in progress.PART I – HistoryCorrecting the Course of Papuan HistoryThe first step in understanding Papuan nationalism is to understandPapuan history and historical consciousness. Much of the discourse inPapuan nationalism is an interpretation of historyand is itself a product of the movement’s politicalhistory. Papuan nationalists of the post-Suhartoreformasi era have structured much of theirdemand for independence as an argument aboutthe history of Papua’s integration into Indonesia.This construction of history, which distinguishesPapua from the rest of Indonesia, is central to anunderstanding of contemporary Papuan politicsand the relations between Papua and theIndonesian government. History is therefore oneof the issues in the dispute between Papua andJakarta. Nationalist historiography is an importantinfluence on Papuan political rhetoric, and it shapes the way manyPapuan leaders think about political issues.The nationalist slogan, “Correcting the Course of Papuan History”(Perlurusan Sejarah), conveys something of the influence of these conceptionsof history. 4 The history that many Papuans want to “correct” is thatof the integration of Papua into Indonesia. On the one hand, the nationalistinterpretation of Papuan history draws on the pre-colonial past andthe presumed historic differences between Papuan and Indonesian cultures.Yet it is also framed by the living memories of many Papuans. 5 Thisinterpretation of history, one that has become dominant in Papuan politicalcircles, is not shared by most Indonesians, and it contrasts sharply withIndonesian nationalist history. The history of Papua’s integration intoIndonesia is also the history of the Papuan national struggle.The dominant Papuan view today is that Papua declared its independenceon December 1, 1961, the date the Morning Star flag was firstraised, 6 but its independence was subsequently denied by an 1962 agreementbetween the Netherlands and Indonesia that was signed in New YorkPapuannationalists…havestructured…theirdemand for independenceas an argumentabout the history ofPapua’s integrationinto Indonesia