Identity construction of Emeyode ethnic group through sago: The Local Knowledge of the Relationship between Sago and Emeyode Ethnic Group in South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua Province

The research aims at understanding how Emeyode ethnic group interact and manage the sago forest and how the construction of Emeyode ethnic group identity is shaped through interaction with the sago forest. The study is done through the lense of Anthropology to unearth the relationship of culture and ecology of Sago. Sago plants are native plants of Indonesia, in which approximately 90% of the world's sago is found in Indonesia. Sago area in Indonesia is approximately 5.5 million hectares, and approximately 5.2 million hectares of sago plantations are found in Papua and Southwest Papua Provinces.  Meanwhile, Southwest Papua has the largest area of sago plants in Indonesia with an area of approximately 4,749,424 million hectares, and South Sorong Regency is an area that has the largest area of sago plants.  Of the area of sago forest in Southwest Papua Province 510,213, South Sorong Regency has the largest sago forest with 148,004, or approximately 29%.  Therefore, there is a strong indication that sago plants have origins in the province of Papua and the province Southwest Papua.  The research is conducted through ethnographic approach. The characteristic of the ethnographic method is the collection of data using participant observation and in-depth interview. The researcher is directly involved in observing the sago plants, and also observing the Emeyode ethnic group in terms of their relation to sago in their daily activities. The in-depth interview is utilized to uncover the relations of sago with the Emeyode ethnic group through culture. The research shows that there is a kind of relationship between sago plants and the Emeyode ethnic group in terms of cultural values. Specifically, sago is perceived as a gift from the "giver" to the Emeyode ethnic group as a source of food, as well as a symbol of the construction of the Emeyode ethnic group's identity. Therefore, maintaining and preserving sago plants means protecting the life of the Emeyode Ethnic Group.