Raja Empat continued from page 37
All this talk makes me wonder, where does someone like James fit in? I ask him if he still would like to be a guide. He nods his head yes and agrees that it is important that he learn English to communicate with tourists and to share his knowledge of the natural world. Beyond that, I doubt he’s aware of the greater challenge of bridging
met, then he modestly turned his face down- ward, though I did notice a friendly grin on his face. I couldn’t tell if he was shy, embar- rassed, or just not used to dealing with west- erners, but now I think it might have been a little of all three. Otto, I hope, will be his mentor. Several years ago, Max immediately saw Otto’s
How can we help him understand the connection between paying eco- tourists and nature—that fish, turtles, and other life can be more valu- able alive than dead, especially in the long run?
the divide between a Papuan islander and western tourists.How can we help him understand the connection between paying eco-tourists and nature—that fish, turtles, and other life can be more valuable alive than dead, especially in the long run? He is strong, resilient, and curious—important qualities—but it will take time to build bet- ter judgment. I think back to our awkward introduction.We shook hands and our eyes
potential, taught him to dive,and now would like him to take over Irian Diving.He is Papuan through and through—his family has strong ties to the Free Papua Movement—has successfully taught himself English, and seems to garner respect in every situation.He knows how to deal with the wide-ranging demands of tourists, be they Germans, French, Japanese, or Americans,and yet he seems firmly
anchored in his Papuan world. He is smart and hard
working.To me, Otto represents the future and James the potential of Papuan conservation. Before dawn one morning at Wayag, I
wake to see Otto paddling a kayak to a small island in the middle of the lagoon, one that is barely big enough to stand on. Strapped to the back of the kayak is a recently sprouted coconut tree. I am perplexed,so when he returns,I ask him what he was doing. He tells me it is a Papuan tradition. If you are the first to plant a coconut tree on an island and it survives, the island belongs to you for as long as you live. I am struck by the sym- bolism of this simple act. Patience, persever- ance, tradition—if Papuans can bring these qualities to the conservation table, then maybe the Raja Empat have a future.
Tony Moats is a Boulder, Colorado-based freelance writer and educator. His kayak travels have taken him to the Carribean, Baja Mexico and various locales in Indonesia. For more information on the Raja Empat, you can email Tony at
AMoats6900@aol.com.
ADVENTUREkayakmag.com 43
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