Dozens of Udayana University Cultural Anthropology students ask questions at Mentawai Ethnography Public Lecture

• By Admin
• Rabu, 29 November 2023

The Cultural Anthropology Study Program on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 had an anthropology lecturer from Andalas University who focused on Mentawai ethnography. Dr. Maskota Delfi, M.Hum., nicknamed "Bunda", had the opportunity to give a public lecture at the Ir. Soekarno Hall, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Udayana University.

Her arrival was greeted by 120 students from Udayana University's Cultural Anthropology program, who were very enthusiastic about Mentawai culture. The event, hosted by Ida Bagus Oka Wedasantara, S.Sos., M.Si. did not even expect the two discussion sessions she opened, each of which had to be given to six people who asked questions from among the students. Due to the high interest of the students in the material presented by the speakers, a third session was opened to satisfy the curiosity of the students who were interested in Mentawai ethnography.

Bunda Maskota Delfi answered all the questions without fail. This is because the speaker is an academic who has been researching the Mentawai Islands for decades. Not only did she address cultural and environmental issues within the framework of local wisdom, she also traced the issues of change that have occurred in the local community in relation to the issue of rolling tourism, which has resulted in the commodification of local cultures.

At the end of the public lecture, the speaker opened up an interactive space for students to ask questions about her research experiences. An extraordinary experience for Bunda, who had the opportunity to share her insights with the younger generation of anthropologists at Udayana University. (ows)