Review by Choice Review
The Yonggom people of Papua New Guinea (PNG) have, in the words of a Yonggom man, been "punished twice." Mining activities at Ok Tedi have caused extensive deforestation and other environmental damage to their territory. Many Yonggom opposed to Indonesian control over West Papua have sought refuge with relatives across the border in Papua New Guinea, but depleted resources there have made it difficult to support them. Kirsch (Univ. of Michigan) describes how Yonggom views of the world provide them with a framework for interpreting events that extend from first contact and colonial administration to the arrival of anthropologists, their current interaction with a multinational mining company, and their relations with the Indonesian and PNG states. By attending to emic viewpoints and applying rich ethnographic detail, Kirsch shows how the Yonggom have mobilized politically to challenge the mining company and to cope with the problems of the refugees. This book reveals how the Yonggom interpret and respond to their circumstances; it serves as a model for culturally appropriate solutions to contemporary local problems. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. R. Scaglion University of Pittsburgh
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
