Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial Period

This article provides some proofs that influenced the increasing number of Marind-Anim people who suffering from venereal diseases. It also provides factual efforts that had been done by the colonial government as well as Catholic missionaries in Merauke to overcome this problem. This study applies...

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Main Authors: Rosmaida Sinaga, Hafnita Sari Dewi Lubis, Yushar Tanjung, Lister Eva Simangunsong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Master Program of History, Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro University 2023-01-01
Series:IHiS (Indonesian Historical Studies)
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Online Access:https://ejournal2.undip.ac.id/index.php/ihis/article/view/16428
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author Rosmaida Sinaga
Hafnita Sari Dewi Lubis
Yushar Tanjung
Lister Eva Simangunsong
author_facet Rosmaida Sinaga
Hafnita Sari Dewi Lubis
Yushar Tanjung
Lister Eva Simangunsong
author_sort Rosmaida Sinaga
collection DOAJ
description This article provides some proofs that influenced the increasing number of Marind-Anim people who suffering from venereal diseases. It also provides factual efforts that had been done by the colonial government as well as Catholic missionaries in Merauke to overcome this problem. This study applies historical methods with four stages: heuristics, verification (internal and external criticism), interpretation/explanation and historiography. Primary sources obtained from National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia i.e., Memorie van Overgave van het Bestuur over de Afdeeling Zuid Nieuw Guinea; letter of the Minister of Colonies to the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies; Report of Assistant Resident Zuid Afdeeling Nieuw Guinea to the Director of Government; and official printed sources, e.g., Volkstelling 1930. Michel Foucault's power relations theory is used to analyze the causes of venereal disease in the Marind Tribe. The results shows that the cause of the increasing number patients who had venereal disease in the Marind tribe, Merauke, was related to their traditional understanding which legalized free sex and deviant sexual activities in the Marind tribe. The imbalanced power relations between men and their wives and between men and adolescence men causing venereal diseases and sexual perversions in the Marind Tribe. The strategy implemented by the colonial government was to involve Catholic missionaries who were trusted to overcome the disease by building a housing model that can only be occupied by nuclear families who are not infected with venereal diseases. The colonial government demolished men’s houses because there were possibilities of homosexual intercourses which become one of the causes of venereal disease among the Marind Tribe. In addition, the government required the cenderawasih bird hunterers to have their genital health checked as a hunting permit. The government built hospitals and clinics and invented doctors who specialize in venereal disease to treat the patients. These strategies has succeeded in treating and eradicating venereal diseases among the Marind Tribe.
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issn 2579-4213
language English
publishDate 2023-01-01
publisher Master Program of History, Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro University
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series IHiS (Indonesian Historical Studies)
spelling doaj-art-627a2365027e4a18a88c44457c2156b12025-01-20T06:45:55ZengMaster Program of History, Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro UniversityIHiS (Indonesian Historical Studies)2579-42132023-01-016216617810.14710/ihis.v6i2.164287377Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial PeriodRosmaida Sinaga0Hafnita Sari Dewi Lubis1Yushar Tanjung2Lister Eva Simangunsong3Study Program of History Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, IndonesiaStudy Program of History Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, IndonesiaStudy Program of History Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, IndonesiaStudy Program of History Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, IndonesiaThis article provides some proofs that influenced the increasing number of Marind-Anim people who suffering from venereal diseases. It also provides factual efforts that had been done by the colonial government as well as Catholic missionaries in Merauke to overcome this problem. This study applies historical methods with four stages: heuristics, verification (internal and external criticism), interpretation/explanation and historiography. Primary sources obtained from National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia i.e., Memorie van Overgave van het Bestuur over de Afdeeling Zuid Nieuw Guinea; letter of the Minister of Colonies to the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies; Report of Assistant Resident Zuid Afdeeling Nieuw Guinea to the Director of Government; and official printed sources, e.g., Volkstelling 1930. Michel Foucault's power relations theory is used to analyze the causes of venereal disease in the Marind Tribe. The results shows that the cause of the increasing number patients who had venereal disease in the Marind tribe, Merauke, was related to their traditional understanding which legalized free sex and deviant sexual activities in the Marind tribe. The imbalanced power relations between men and their wives and between men and adolescence men causing venereal diseases and sexual perversions in the Marind Tribe. The strategy implemented by the colonial government was to involve Catholic missionaries who were trusted to overcome the disease by building a housing model that can only be occupied by nuclear families who are not infected with venereal diseases. The colonial government demolished men’s houses because there were possibilities of homosexual intercourses which become one of the causes of venereal disease among the Marind Tribe. In addition, the government required the cenderawasih bird hunterers to have their genital health checked as a hunting permit. The government built hospitals and clinics and invented doctors who specialize in venereal disease to treat the patients. These strategies has succeeded in treating and eradicating venereal diseases among the Marind Tribe.https://ejournal2.undip.ac.id/index.php/ihis/article/view/16428venereal diseasesmarind (marind-anim) tribedutch colonial governmentcatholic missionariesmerauke
spellingShingle Rosmaida Sinaga
Hafnita Sari Dewi Lubis
Yushar Tanjung
Lister Eva Simangunsong
Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial Period
IHiS (Indonesian Historical Studies)
venereal diseases
marind (marind-anim) tribe
dutch colonial government
catholic missionaries
merauke
title Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial Period
title_full Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial Period
title_fullStr Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial Period
title_full_unstemmed Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial Period
title_short Venereal Diseases Treatment for Merauke’s Marind (Marind-Anim) Tribe in the Dutch Colonial Period
title_sort venereal diseases treatment for merauke s marind marind anim tribe in the dutch colonial period
topic venereal diseases
marind (marind-anim) tribe
dutch colonial government
catholic missionaries
merauke
url https://ejournal2.undip.ac.id/index.php/ihis/article/view/16428
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AT yushartanjung venerealdiseasestreatmentformeraukesmarindmarindanimtribeinthedutchcolonialperiod
AT listerevasimangunsong venerealdiseasestreatmentformeraukesmarindmarindanimtribeinthedutchcolonialperiod