Where the wild things are: An exploration of sacrality, danger, and violence in confined spaces

In the war-torn and transformed landscape of Timor-Leste, culture is arguably one of the victims and survivors of the quarter-century of Indonesian occupation. In the post-Independence period, with the government and international aid agencies focused upon reinstating such fundamental amenities as health, housing, water, and sanitation, and on redeveloping local economies throughout the countryside, issues of heritage and identity appear to be overlooked or relegated to nonessential status. Yet, throughout Timor-Leste the issue of cultural sovereignty is emerging as one of the new domains of struggle and resistance. Out of the ashes of recent history, and liberated from their common identities as Indonesian citizens, various ethnic groups are increasingly demanding their own cultural space and moral authority within the fedgling nation-state.