Nutmeg as a medium of social solidarity between indigenous and migrant communities in the Banda islands

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.), the flagship commodity of the Banda Islands, possesses high economic value and has attracted considerable scholarly attention in numerous studies. However, its role as a medium for fostering social solidarity among the inhabitants of the Banda Islands has received little academic attention. This study aims to analyze the harmonious social solidarity that exists between indigenous and migrant communities in the Banda Islands and to explain the role of nutmeg in sustaining this relationship. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach through field research and literature review. Primary data were collected from key informants, including traditional leaders, village chiefs, religious leaders, and community members selected through purposive and random sampling from major nutmeg-producing islands in the Banda archipelago, as well as Banda migrants who relocated outside the islands following the Maluku conflict. The findings reveal that social solidarity in the Banda Islands is deeply rooted in nutmeg cultivation and trade. Community members, whether as landowners or employees in nutmeg plantations and enterprises, share similar economic responsibilities and life challenges. These shared experiences foster mutual trust, common moral values, collective social consciousness, and shared life aspirations. Over time, this has generated a strong sense of togetherness and mutual responsibility, creating enduring associative social bonds. Continuous interaction and integration have gradually diminished ethnic distinctions among migrant communities, allowing them to become fully integrated into Banda society. Overall, the study demonstrates that nutmeg has functioned as an important social institution through which the people of the Banda Islands have practiced both mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity, consistent with the sociological theory proposed by Durkheim.