Cultural history of the Pacific and the bark cloth making in Central Sulawesi

Archaeologists, anthropologists and linguists are now in general agreement about the prehistory of the Austronesian-speakers, but most details are still obscure. The Philippines and the eastern part of Indonesia have received very little attention in research into the cultures of the Pacific region and the settling of the area by the Austronesian peoples. Based on ethnographical and linguistic evidence, bark cloth making has generally been regarded as a common feature of early Austronesian culture. Ethnography informs us that bark cloth making was known in large areas of Southeast Asia and Oceania, and also in Africa and Central and South America. The importance and position of bark cloth as part of the culture of the Austronesian people is illustrated by the persistence of its manufacture in many places. In this paper I examine in some detail the bark cloth production of the Kaili-Pamona speakers in Central Sulawesi (Celebes) and discuss how the study of their bark cloth may add to research into the cultural history of the Austronesian peoples. I argue that the vitality and important position of bark cloth as part of the culture of the Austronesian peoples is largely due to its central role in religious rituals and social practices. Thus, it is associated with the most sacred powers which represent the continuity and immortality of the society.