"In general, ethnographic information is sparse when compared to the Pacific, the Americas, or the rest of the Asia; there are plenty of unrecorded groups and unstudied languages, and there are only a few dedicated professional ethnographers working on eastern Indonesia. There are too few archaeologists, as well, and the linguistic picture that I've presented above is contested (a little, at least). As I said in my last post, however, life is generally on the up in eastern Indonesia, with life expectancy, literacy, gender equality, and other positive things all on the rise. I hope that the fascinating cultural diversity of the region isn't lost as economic development kicks in."












