Page 33 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

Tiang layar
From the perspective of archipelagic geography, the four regions have the opportunity
Penggiling
to excel in their maritime context. The ability to manage marine resources which are rarely
Haluan
depleted can help build strong countries with a maritime identity. Their geographical
Layar tajak
locations are very strategic at the crossing paths that connect the three continents
Asia, America, and Australia. The geographical position of the –nesia
Buritan
countries gives them a strong bargaining position geopolitically as well as
giving them opportunities for economic development and maritime technology.
Katir
Indonesia, and the three Pacific regions Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia
Outrigger canoe: a single have strong links in their history and cultural roots. Indonesia, Micronesia and Polynesia
rudder of fishing canoe. (and part of Melanesia) on the one hand have a joint history regarding the origin and
Source: Yopie 1981
distribution of their ancestors who, based on archeological and linguistic evidence,
originated from Taiwan (Bellwood, 2000). Belonging to the Mongolic group, speaking
Austronesian languages and exhibiting Neolithic Culture, they entered the Indonesian
archipelago around 4,000 years ago and subsequently migrated eastward till they reached
Melanesia around 3,500 years ago. From there, the migration continued to the other
islands in the Pacific eventually developing into the populations we see today.
Indonesia and Melanesia have another joint history, long before the arrival of
Austronesian language speakers. Both have the same ancestors which the experts refer to
as early modern humans (EMH) or anatomically modern humans (AMH).
These early modern humans entered Indonesia from their migration out of Africa and
then spread out to western Melanesia and Australia. Considering the existence of the
initial ancestors tens of thousands years ago in the archipelago, the genetic journey from
generation to generation up to now has been very long. In this context, we can see that
both the Indonesian and Melanesian regions have had interconnections from thousands
of years ago, and they form the root of the history of Indonesian civilization in particular
and in both regions generally.

The Melanesian Population
The Melanesian population is often treated as a race hence the term “Melanesian race”.
However, this term is not appropriate from the science of biology. Correctly speaking, the
Melanesians are a subgroup within the human race.

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