Page 330 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

CHAPTER 9 Gregorius Neonbasu

Searching for the Essence of Melanesia: History, Culture,

Ecology and Spirituality

Indonesian History in Melanesian Imagery
Different from the previous chapter, what will be discussed here is the history behind the
shadow of the Melanesian imagery. The main point of this writing is a discourse in the
history of the Indonesian people during the era of kingdoms, which were the socio-political
communities before the independence of Indonesia. The key is to avoid explaining it in a
numeric system, rather going to the most significant events, which are messages in the
form of humanistic nuances from the important people in the history of Indonesia which
have something to do with Melanesia.
There are three fundamental things in the historical exposition of Indonesian people’s
lives, especially in the frame of the Melanesian people. First is the meaning of unity of
the groups of people in the royal communities. Second, the meaning of humanity always
becomes the spearhead of the struggle and fight of all the people living in the kingdoms.
Third, the meaning of wealth of prosperity as the goal people strive for in order to retain the
strategy of life and the stability of the system and order of the kingdoms. These elements
of genuineness can be seen in the cultural heritage and local wisdom Indonesian people
have, including the people in Pacific who are incorporated into the Melanesian Spearhead
Group (MSG), and even in Micronesia and Polynesia.

The Meaning of Unity
Melanesian elements have been in Indonesian people before the name Indonesia came in
the 1900s. To explain the meaning of unity, we need to review the ‘backyard of life’ that
becomes the base of the formation of the kingdoms in Indonesia, who saw unity as the
highest and the most sacred thing people need to pay attention to. Each old kingdom in
Indonesia before independence in 1945 always fought for something dignified, something
that has become life goal of the nation’s ancestor, to live a peaceful life together.
A macro reflection is projected structurally to review deeper the basic idea of alliance by
looking at several kingdoms as examples (Hägerdal, 2012). First was the Sriwijaya Kingdom

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