2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

The Marine Anthropological Research around Bangka Island, Republic of Indonesia

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23401041
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	海外学術
Research Field	Cultural anthropology/Folklore
Research Institution	Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
Principal Investigator	IWABUCHI Akifumi 東京海洋大学, 海洋科学技術研究科, 教授 (80262335)
Project Period (FY)	2011-04-01 – 2014-03-31
Keywords	社会人類学 / 民族誌 / 東南アジア / 漂海民 / 乱婚 / 歌垣
Research Abstract	This study is a marine anthropological research, mainly, upon the sea nomad of Sekak, who lives over the waters around Bangka island and its neighbouring isles of western Indonesia; it is the world-first ethnographical research by a professional anthropologist. Because no proper investigation among the Sekak had not been done since the colonial times by scholars, nobody knew detailed cultural traits and social facts of the Sekak. My collected data gives the population of the Sekak approximately at 900 in 2011, when I started doing my field work in Bangka island. The whole inhabitants are divided into five tribes or ritual units, each of which consists of several bands or flotillas. Usually every band has more than 10 houseboats. The relationship terminology is typical non-lineal and strict monogamous marriages are widely observed among the Sekak. During rituals or ceremonies, however, they conduct verse exchanges and primitive promiscuities.

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