In the project, I investigate indigeneity as a political force in Indonesia, a force which now struggles for recognition by the state and land titles. The first part sheds light on indigeneity in the context of Indonesia and analyzes how the notion of indigeneity developed dialectically from late colonialism to the post-reformasi era in its relation to the state and the nation. In the second part, the project deals with the case study of South Sulawesi, especially with the process of recognition of indigenous communities in the Duri highlands. The Duri live in the regency of Enrekang, which in 2016 was among the first regencies in Indonesia to adopt a local regulation (peraturan daerah) on the recognition of indigenous communities, a necessary step for indigenous communities which want to apply for land titles.
As analytical tools, I apply Jonas Bens’ concept of the indigenous paradox, Louis Althusser’s notion of ideology and a dialectical method based on Slavoj Žižek’s (2012) reading of Hegel. The research project outlines how indigeneity as ideology comes into existence through its negation and sublation of and by the state, and how indigeneity developed as both a negation and an integral part of the state and its political economy. Also, I discuss how indigeneity can serve as a form of critique and how critical scholars should engage with the critique indigeneity offers.