Negosiasi Pengembangan Ekowisata pada Ruang Hidup dan Identitas Masyarakat Adat Waropen

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the dynamics of ecotourism negotiations in relation to the living space and identity of the Waropen indigenous community in the coastal region of Papua. This study uses a qualitative approach with the perspectives of tourism anthropology and political ecology to understand how interactions between local communities, the state, and external actors shape ecotourism practices. The results show that ecotourism functions not only as an alternative economic strategy but also as an arena of contestation involving the production of space, the transformation of identity, and the utilization of cultural capital within unequal power relations. The Waropen indigenous community actively negotiates the meaning of their commodified living space, while strategically constructing a cultural identity in response to the demands of the tourism industry, resulting in a form of cultural hybridity. On the other hand, ecotourism practices also give rise to ambivalence, as they open economic opportunities while simultaneously potentially reducing the symbolic and spiritual value of local culture through the phenomena of staged authenticity and cultural commodification. These findings emphasize that indigenous communities are not entirely passive, but rather possess agency in maintaining spatial sovereignty and identity through various adaptive and resistance strategies. This study concludes that the success of indigenous community-based ecotourism is highly dependent on the recognition of customary rights, the integration of local knowledge, and substantive participation in the management and distribution of benefits.

Keywords

• ecotourism
• Waropen indigenous people
• space negotiation
• cultural identity
• cultural commodification