The Department of Anthropology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a mini conference to honor Prof. Dr. Heddy Shri Ahimsa Putra, M.A., M.Phil., who has retired after 40 years of contributing to Indonesian Anthropology. This event served as a platform to discuss various theories he has presented and practiced by his students in various places. The mini conference was organized into two panel sessions, each discussing specific themes related to anthropological theory and application.
The first session, themed “Ethnography and Theory,” was led by Agus Indiyanto, S.Sos., M.Si. In this session, presenters shared how they used the key insights provided by Prof. Heddy to analyze issues in their respective fields. Arya Jagad discussed anthropological theories such as dark anthropology and positive anthropology, while Laras talked about climate change. Eko examined the application of anthropological theory (structuralism) in the tourism industry. Fitra Hayunitisna presented an essay on personal experiences meeting Prof. Heddy, and Petsy applied an anthropological approach to research on the mute community in South Sulawesi. Rin Surtantini explored the application of anthropological approaches in education. They shared their experiences using structuralism in research and how Prof. Heddy nurtured this theory.
The second session, themed “General Culture and Anthropology,” was led by Nasrullah, S.Sos., M.A. Suhandano discussed animal symbolicium and ethnobotany, while Adri Primalayli talked about nature schools as an alternative education system. Asliyah Zainal from IAIN Kendari reviewed patron-client relationships and adult education. Dr. Blacius Suprapta discussed the Lévi-Strauss structuralism approach in archaeological studies (ethnoarchaeology), and Evio Tanti Nanita spoke about the sociocultural functions and local wisdom values of Majapahit culture. I Ngurah Suryawan shared news from the villages and civil society movements in Papua in the 1980s, while Maskota Delfi and Johan Weintre discussed the traditional knowledge of the Mentawai community on Siberut Island. Sailal Arini traced the universality of small talk, Safrudin Amin reviewed cultural politics in local political dynamics, Sigit Ricahyoni discussed linguistic studies on “complimenting,” and Zainal Arifin talked about the regional politics of Western South Sumatra and ethnic fragmentation.
The event was attended by Prof. Heddy’s students, colleagues, and friends who paid tribute and appreciation to his work. In his closing remarks, Prof. Heddy gave comments and expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved. He emphasized the importance of understanding ethno-science and the local perspective (native point of view) to address various issues in the studied areas. “Ethno-science must continue even though I am no longer guiding it,” hoped Prof. Heddy.
The mini conference was held at Soegondo Building, 7th Floor, Room 707, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UGM, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This event became a historic moment not only to commemorate Prof. Heddy’s career journey but also to strengthen the scientific network across generations of anthropologists in Indonesia. The conference not only remembered Prof. Heddy’s significant contributions but also strengthened the relationship between generations of anthropologists. Through this event, Prof. Heddy’s academic legacy will continue to live and develop in the future.
Author: Afif Naufal Widiadi
