The Folk Biology of the Tobelo People - Smithsonian Institution ...

NUMBER 34
FIGURE 2.—Fish samples, obtained by spreading rotenone in a coral area, being sorted for identification and
preservation. Kampung Pasir Putih, Dodinga District
year in the task of distributing the biological specimens
collected. Only the first seventeen months of fieldwork were
carried out primarily in Boeng-dialect-speaking villages; after
that, my primary fieldsite was a Dodinga-dialect village (Pasir
Putih). My exposure to Dodinga dialect has not only lasted
longer, but also has occurred during the most productive phases
of fieldwork, after I had learned the language, had gained the
trust of Tobelo friends, and had focused on particular research
problems. Thus the Dodinga dialect terminology and classificatory
structure is the "standard" to which other dialects are
compared, and the data summarized in the Appendix is at least
valid for Dodinga dialect unless noted otherwise.
My field methods were simple if sometimes inconvenient
Much of the time involved in the study of folk biology is spent
in making adequate collections of local fauna and flora. I
trained several villagers in biological collecting techniques. In
addition, difficult-to-find items (such as rare animals or
flowering specimens of some bamboos) brought rewards or
prizes to those who found them. In this way, local people were
encouraged to take part in die collection of specimens and in
die discussion of diem, while I was free to record more of tiiose
discussions, botii in die vdlage and on collecting trips, in
addition to doing otiier types of ethnographic work.
The village involvement was essential. Rain and constant
humidity wreaked havoc on all early plant collections—of the
first 2000 vouchers, only a handful could be saved. Finally one
Loleba villager said he could not understand why I pressed and
bound plants in die rainy season, and suggested drying them as
the Tobelo dry their copra and sliced fish at that time: by laying
them out over a fire, a few at a time, on a flat, very hot surface
(ideally of corrugated iron), so that a non-succulent plant would
dry to a fine museum specimen in less than twenty minutes, be
removed, and another placed on die long sheets in its place.
Though die unconventional technique required full-time tending,
it allowed fine herbarium specimens to be produced in all
weather. A fisherman on a small island off Halmahera's coast
was provided with instructions and a small drum of formaldehyde
and occasional updates on fish already in the collection. In
short, the community became involved in the collection of
animals and plants perhaps more tiian in any of die other areas
of my research, greatly increasing my famdiarity with