Alfred Russel Wallace has left his legacy in not only eastern Indonesia but also the world.
By
SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS
·6 minutes read
Alfred Russel Wallace has left his legacy in not only eastern Indonesia but also the world. After more than 150 years, he has again set sail in a film that was screened in Makassar, attracting viewers to follow in his wake, some even earning scars as a rite of passage.
Amrullah “Amrul”, 20, could not have imagined it, but a documentary he watched on Sunday (24/11/2019) at the Rumata Artspace in Makassar, South Sulawesi, brought back memories of an experience he had over six years ago. Seated among an audience of more than 20 people in the main hall on that warm day, he followed the journey of Alfred Russel Wallace, the English naturalist, anthropologist and biologist who shook the world through his explorations and ideas.
Amrul, the youngest of six siblings, focused his gaze on the film that was projected on a 3-by-2 meter screen. Bill Bailey, a British comedian, was traveling the island of Sulawesi, tracing Wallace’s footsteps in the “Bill Bailey’s Jungle Hero” BBC documentary series, Wallace in the Spice Islands.
Bailey, accompanied by a guide, enters the jungles of North Sulawesi. In his relaxed, joking manner, he explores the forest, trying to locate the animals Wallace once sought for his research. Panning the canopy, the camera zooms in on an animal perched in a tree. It is a bear cuscus, a rare marsupial endemic to Sulawesi that has claws like a sloth. Aside from the bear cuscus, Bailey also spots a Celebes crested macaque and a tarsier.
This prompted him to sail further to Ternate, where he had his epiphany on the theory of evolution.
“In Sulawesi, he [Wallace] began to notice the differences in the wildlife that became the basis for his invention of the imaginary line known to us today as the Wallace Line,” says Bailey.
Wallace started recognizing the differences between the animals on Borneo, which he had explored earlier, and among the fauna of Sulawesi. This prompted him to sail further to Ternate, where he had his epiphany on the theory of evolution.
Amrul found the animals featured in the documentary meaningful, especially the bear cuscus. The economics student at Makassar’s Indonesian Muslim University has met this marsupial in person.
“When I was a first-year junior high school student, I was playing in the garden near my house, [I saw] this animal in a tree. I was reaching out to touch it, but suddenly it scratched me with its claw,” Amrul said, showing the scars on the back of his left hand.
Only at the screening did Amrul become aware that the animal that scratched his hand was important to the world. “We call it huse in the local language in North Kolaka,” he said.
Amrul comes from Raoda village in Lambai district, North Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi. During his childhood, he saw many huse around his house. His learned more about the bear cuscus after attending the screening of the Wallace documentary, which he had gone to only to accompany his older brother, Khasi, 23.
I’m thinking of creating a website about the endemic fauna and flora of Sulawesi.
Khasi was more enthusiastic about the film than Amrul. Although he said he had never heard of Alfred Russel Wallace before, he was interested in watching the documentary and learning more about him.
After the screening, Khasi had a better idea of the diverse wildlife and environment of Indonesia, particularly Sulawesi. Despite his keen interest in nature documentaries, he had limited knowledge of Indonesia’s natural wealth.
The informatics graduate of the State Islamic University of Makassar said he was now more eager to do something based on Wallace’s journey and legacy. “I’m thinking of creating a website about the endemic fauna and flora of Sulawesi. So people know about and conserve our resources,” he said.
Broad legacy
The screening of the documentary on Wallace and the biological diversity of Wallacea is part of Wallacea Week 2019 on 22-28 Nov. in Makassar, a program arranged by the British Council that also includes an exhibition, symposium and discussions.
Prior to the biographical documentary on Wallace were the screenings of two episodes of the Hunters of the South Seas BBC documentary series by director Will Millard,
The Whale Hunters of Lamalera and The Bajau.
The fact that the two films were screened on different days at different venues, on 22 Nov. at Fort Rotterdam and on 23 Nov. at Rumata Artspace, didn’t deter M. Ikhsan, 26, and Iswa Salmah, 26, from going to watch them.
The former members of a nature lover students club believed it was important to know about the natural resources and traditions of many regions. On Friday evening, Ikhsan and Iswa were absorbed in The Bajau. Millard appeared on the large screen as he arrived on an island inhabited by the Bajau community in Wakatobi Islands regency, Southeast Sulawesi.
The film gave Ikhsan a look into the natural wealth of the region, covering the rich fauna and flora of the area, but also human interaction with nature.
“I admire those who use only what they need for survival. Although they sometimes hunt protected animals, these people are not greedy. They do it only to eat and for their daily needs,” he said.
Iswa noted that the documentary was even more interesting because it covered Indonesian territory, particularly Wallacea, the only one of its kind. However, it faced many threats like environmental damage and fish bombing. “I learned more about Wallace’s journey,” said Iswa.
Wallace’s journey and discoveries, however, were overshadowed by Charles Darwin, who presented his theory of evolution to the world 1.5 centuries ago. Wallace had actually sent a letter from Ternate containing his findings and the thoughts he had on evolutionary theory while exploring the Indonesian archipelago, most notably the region that was later named Wallacea.
Sangkot Marzuki, a patron of the Wallace Foundation, said that a variety of media had covered the legacy of Wallace, which included efforts to raise public awareness, especially among the youth.
The English naturalist has long passed. The time has come for Indonesian youths to take concrete action. The scars left by a bear cuscus years ago is an appeal to use and conserve nature for the benefit of the world.