Indonesian sea nomads: money, magic, and fear of the Orang Suku Laut

The Orang Suku Laut consider themselves indigenous Malays. Yet their interaction with others who call themselves Malays is characterized on both sides by fear of harmful magic and witchcraft. The nomadic Orang Suku Laut believe that the Qur'an contains elements of black magic, while the settled Malays consider the nomads dangerous, dirty and backward. At the center of this study, based on first-hand anthropological data, is the symbolism of money and the powerful influence it has on social relationships within the Riau archipelago. The first major publication on these maritime nomadic communit