Local wisdom and democracy are two concepts that are now juxtaposed in various academic and practical discussions. Localization of democracy ??gain room for appreciation, both by the government and other non-government institutions. This appreciation is driven by conditions of modernization that continuously move, blurring geographical and ethnic boundaries. However, it is also creating various problems in several non-western countries. Thus, democracy as a product of modernization needs to melt with local wisdom. We conducted ethnographic research among the Dani community in the highland of Puncak Jaya Regency, looking at the form of intersection between local wisdom and democracy. We look at the formative efforts of the two through the reconstruction process using participant observations and in-depth interviews as data collection methods.
By analyzing findings using emic and etic perspectives, we found the harmonization of the Dani highlanders in the context of social, cultural and political life. Local government bring their own local perspective into the bureaucracy. Governments adopt elements of the local wisdom from ??the community. The reconstruction of values ??continues in the context of socio-cultural, political, and governance to be the most crucial line in the changes among the Dani community. The implementation of formal government requires the involvement of the community as a whole since the community is central for Dani people.
The implication of the local wisdom and democratic system reconstruction creates a harmonious life between the mountain people in the regency. Matters such as security, welfare and, justice for their lives have changed for the better after the reconstruction. This harmonization grows and continues to be maintained along with the existence of the Dani. Further, this harmonization is a refutation of sceptical assumptions and arguments among the scholars, particularly anthropologists, claiming that local wisdom ??are not possible along with democracy.
