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Shifting from Head-Hunting to Cash Crops: The Journey of People in Routa, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Yani Taufik*

This paper discusses the way that this frontier area has developed through initiative and hard work. Routa is a sub-district (kecamatan) located on the frontier between three provinces (South, Southeast and Central Sulawesi). This remote area in the interior of central Sulawesi had been popular as a place of head-hunting before the Dutch reached Central Sulawesi.

The changing conditions in Routa have been brought about by both outside influences and those within brought about by cocoa and current pepper boom. There are both population and landscape changes in Routa due to development initiated by its own residents and a steady trickle of migrants encouraged by the pepper boom. To date, people have been able to accommodate their increasing needs because of the abundance of natural forest areas which can be converted to arable land. But land is a finite resource. Already there are signs that the pressure of largescale capitalism is requiring more space, more natural resources. There is a big oil palm plantation has located in a village which is very likely will expand their location to other villages as well as a mining company which has started to identify locations. For the local people and those who come to farm, it will be harder to achieve their dreams if land becomes a scarce resource. When government decision favours big business over the small landholder, both the pace and directions of change are influenced. In the future, the frontier features which made this area a magnet for people will fall victim to what is loosely called progress.