Commodity Geology and Indigenous Geological Governance in Southeast Asia
Convener: Fathun Karib
Co-convener: Fahmi Rizki Fahroji
The production and circulation of commodities in Southeast Asia, including both agricultural and mineral resources, are central to scholarly inquiry in Southeast Asian Studies. Scholars investigate commodities such as sugar, coffee, tea, palm oil, and geological resources like coal, nickel, and oil and gas, and trace the processes from the colonial period to the present through disciplinary lenses such as anthropology, history, and geography. Many of these commodities are raw materials exported through global commodity chains to industrialized nations, where they are transformed into finished goods. This dynamic illustrates Southeast Asia’s position as a resource frontier in the global division of labor. This panel aims to integrate geological insights inspired by commodity geology, defined as “the application of geological science to understand the geological and economic aspects of mineral resources” (DeYoung Jr., 1977). By geologizing work on commodity studies by scholars such as Kano (2009), Nevins and Peluso (2008), Bankoff and Boomgaard (2007), and Dixon (1991), we seek to highlight the importance of geological materials, knowledge, and events in shaping the region’s commodity landscapes and futures. It emphasizes various raw materials and end products derived from earth materials and inherently geological, a crucial yet often underexamined aspect of Southeast Asian studies.
The aim of the panel is to explore “geological agencies as part of one of the symposium themes on exploring the multispecies, ecological, spiritual, and relational forms of future making in times of environmental crisis. Moreover, the geology of commodities is closely intertwined with politics. The exploration, extraction, and management of geological entities serve as tools for colonial empires and postcolonial nation-states, shaping how governments control territory, regulate access to resources, and define national identities. Geological characteristics, such as mineral wealth and seismic activity, can directly influence the formation of the state and its development. Meanwhile, indigenous communities across Southeast Asia have long held their own connections with earthly and geological materials. Their interactions with colonial empires, postcolonial states, and modern corporations reveal distinct systems of knowledge, governance, and practice related to the extraction, production, and consumption of these materials. Rather than being passive recipients of external influence, indigenous groups possess deep understandings of their landscapes, often rooted in spiritual, ecological, and communal values that contrast with the profit-driven motives of colonial and industrial enterprises. The encounters, whether through mining projects, territorial negotiations, or trade, have generated complex dynamics of tension, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. By foregrounding these connections, this panel advocates for a more integrated approach that recognizes geological materials as economic inputs and active agents shaping Southeast Asia’s political, social, religious, and environmental realities.