Cultural Artifact #3

[Casey Murano]

For this cultural artifact post, I am exploring two key questions: What do people do for fun and exercise? What does this say about the culture?
Indonesia has a wide range of sports--some of these sports originated in Indonesia. Others came from other countries in Southeast Asia, and others came from parts of Europe. While the traditions of these different physical activities themselves contribute to Indonesia's culture, they also help illuminate some of the deeper cultural values below the cultural iceberg.
Many of the sports listed in the article I chose (https://factsofindonesia.com/traditional-sports-in-indonesia and https://factsofindonesia.com/cycling-in-indonesia) support Indonesia's national identity. For example, Pacu Jalur (which means rowboats), Egrang (which means stilts), and Tarik Tambang (which means Tug of War) support national pride because the competition is hosted during Independence day (August 17). Interestingly, Independence Day for Indonesia is a relatively new holiday, so I wonder if these particular sports had the same significance previous to being unified as a nation, or were they just played for fun. Some of these sports seem more ritualistic than competitive, like Egrang. This sport is performed in a parade without the framework of a competitional structure.
Some of the sports have contested backgrounds but may have a shared heritage with neighboring countries. For example, Pencek Silat (which means martial arts) came from Malay, and Sepak Traw, which is a hybrid between football and volleyball may have come from one of several countries in Southeast Asia.
Clogs, for example, a game from West Sumatra requires the collaboration of students as they try to slide to the finish line and can teach how to work together.
Some sports came from a legacy of colonization by the Dutch, such as cycling. While bikes were common for nobility when the dutch first arrived, most Indonesians use motorbikes. There are still bike tours, European influence in Indonesia.
I was intrigued that the article included on the list of traditional supports were also tug of war and sack races, which are games I've played in the United States before. The article didn't specify where these originated, though.
From this article, I get the sense that sports are associated with national pride because so many are celebrated on independence day. Sports serve more celebratory, ritualistic purposes than in the US, where we have a year-round sports entertainment industry.
As a collectivist culture, Indonesia has many team sports like rowing and clogs, though there are also some individual ones. Some of the sports have performative aspects like stilts and rocks jumping. I think these may connect with the concept of saving face, which is making a good impression in public. Comparing some of these sports to ones in the United States - in football, basketball, and baseball, we prioritize competition--but in Indonesia, most sports have some performative aspect. Ultimately, traditional sports in Indonesia creates a sense of unity for Indonesian across the Archipelago.
If I am an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia, participating in sports will be a great way to build community connections with my hosts. Playing together is fun and also provides an inside look at cultural norms that are communicated through subtle actions.