POWER CONTESTATION AND NEGOTIATION IN MERAUKE: INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, LOCAL ELITES, AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF CUSTOMARY AUTHORITY

Abstract

Local politics in Merauke reflects complex relations among Indigenous communities, local elites, government institutions, and economic interests in the control of resources and public decision-making. Customary traditions function not only as sources of social and cultural identity but also as political legitimacy and authority over land and natural resources. This article analyzes power contestation and negotiation between Indigenous communities and local elites and examines their contribution to the transformation of customary authority. The study employs a qualitative approach through literature review and secondary data analysis, drawing on journal articles, theses, regulations, government publications, academic repositories, and online news reports concerning local politics, the Marind Indigenous community, customary institutions, agrarian conflicts, and large-scale food development in Merauke. Data were analyzed through issue categorization, actor-relations interpretation, and cross-source triangulation. The findings show that customary authority is not monolithic. Traditional kinship-based authority interacts with formal customary institutions, bureaucratic structures, and development interests. This creates opportunities for negotiation but may also produce inequalities in political representation. The transformation of customary authority occurs through institutionalization, identity politicization, and commodification of customary resources. Thus, local political change in Merauke represents an ongoing negotiation over legitimacy, resource control, and development direction.