The USI Anthropology Speaker Series presented “The Ancestors and I: Studying Ancestor Worship in Indonesia” Friday, April 10, in Kleymeyer Hall.

The event consisted of a lecture given by Kyle Clark, assistant professor of anthropology. This lecture discussed the important connections between ancestral descent, cultural traditions and development from an evolutionary perspective.

During his time studying at the University of Oregon, Clark attended an introduction to anthropology as well as a human life history class.

His professor in human life history, Lawrence Sugiyama, served as a motivational figure and the cause for Clark’s anthropological career.

The other main drive that influenced this anthropological pursuit was one question Clark always wished to answer: What is the meaning of life?

In this presentation, Clark gets closer to a probable answer to this question by using systematic quantitative reasoning while discussing evolution.

While temporarily residing in Southeast Asia, Clark studied an indigenous group primarily living on the border of Malaysia; the Iban people. This sub-ethnic group, as described by Clark, is an ideal example of syncretism with Christianity, for it blends Iban kinship and ancestral religion with the integration of Christian theology into their existing worldview.

At the beginning of the lecture, Clark discussed the Iban ancestors and the tradition of worshipping them. He brought up how the Iban people believe in ngarongs, or “secret helpers,” who are reincarnated dead relatives that become special protectors for individuals.

As far as Clark is aware, most ngarongs are inherited or given by parents. These are not to be confused with Antu, malevolent spirits who wreak havoc upon the Iban people. There are also Orang Panggau, mythic heroes who are considered to be gods or ancestors.

In the latter half of the presentation, Clark discussed the influence and importance of these Iban ancestors.

He believes that altruism, the unselfish act of helping people without expecting personal gain, sprouts from the combination of parental cooperation and control.

In his words, Clark argued that ancestor worship is important because it’s sort of a “meta tradition” that essentially combines two forms of altruism: kin recognition, the ability to distinguish the difference between kin and non-kin, and kin socialization, the networking of relationships between people.