I e'er experience a fleck of phase fright, or to a greater extent than accurately phase thrill, when I detect a novel house I’ve never travelled before. Especially when I know the house is non likewise touristic where I tin john blend amongst nature completely. So when I had an chance to practise social go inwards Siberut Island, Mentawai, my move lust striking me strongly together with I couldn’t assist but eagerly pack my handbag together with go.
Siberut Island is 1 of isle inwards Mentawai, West Sumatra which, according to CNN, is also known every bit 1 of 10 best surfing spots inwards the world. But I would non live exploring surfing beaches. My existent goal was deep inwards the wood where I would remain amongst a remote tribe together with blend amongst the nature together with civilization offered there.
After flight to Padang, followed past times 3.5 hours on the boat to Siberut Island, I finally arrived inwards Muara Siberut, the main village. The innovation was to become to the tribe the adjacent day. Siberut, which is also a National Park nether Unesco’s Man together with Biosphere program, is the isle where the Mentawaian Tribe lives.
Two thirds of the isle is covered past times tropical forests, swamps together with hills. There are 4 big villages where the tribes are located. I decided to become to the closest one, called Rokdok village. It took 2.5 hours past times dugout canoe, made past times cutting a unmarried tree inwards one-half together with hollowing it out past times hand. Oh yes, yous conduct maintain to sit down all the same inwards these narrow boats or yous volition autumn off into the river! This is followed past times trekking through a swamp together with a modest wood earlier arriving inwards Rokdok, where the Sakaliauw Clan live.
I arrived inwards Rokdok at noon together with was warmly greeted past times Pak Kiku, the caput of the clan. The menage unit of measurement allow me helping them railroad train the luncheon together with nosotros were sitting together enjoying our luncheon together with talking nearly his family.
The Sakaliauw alive inwards Uma which agency solid inwards Mentawaian language. Each clan, formed of upwards to xv people across 3 generations, alive inwards a unmarried long house. Uma, built without nails, uses solely rope tied through holes to shape each joint. They don’t conduct maintain a front end door for an entry, using the big terrace inwards front end to have guests.
They split the Uma into 3 big parts. Beyond the front end terrace mentioned earlier in that location is the middle or primal business office where they concur roughly ceremonial events, the main kitchen together with a house to sleep. The dorsum surface area is used for storage together with every bit a minute kitchen to procedure the harvest from their modest farm. It is hither they brand Sagu, their main food, taken from a sure enough form of palm family. The palm is hollowed out to access the Sagu inside. Once processed it looks similar crude oil flour. They railroad train this afterward wrapping it inwards a Sagu leafage straight over an opened upwards fire.
On the walls of the Uma I was fascinated to regard the many drawings symbolising the relationships betwixt humans, plants together with animals. The drawings, done amongst charcoal together with other natural dyes, depict a life of harmony, of living side past times side together with hunting out of need, working amongst nature rather than destroying it. Above the wooden lintel spanning the broad entrance to the Uma they necktie domestic grunter bones. They believe this volition insure the domestic pigs’ spirits volition remain domesticated.
Inside wild creature bones such every bit deer, monkey, turtle, together with wild grunter are displayed throughout. Through this the Mentawaians believe that these wild animals’ spirits volition protect the menage unit of measurement from impairment together with volition live easier to hunt inwards the future. They conduct maintain 2 primary ways of hunting together with catching animals. All hunting activities are done past times the men using arrows poisoned amongst a mix of ingredients, spell catching fish is done past times the women. Food training together with cooking is done past times both.
Any creature caught volition live shared amongst everyone inwards the hamlet no affair how modest the portion for each. The concept of sharing is essential to the Mentawaian ethic. It is their vogue of protecting the clan from hunger, jealousy, hate together with insuring a feel of fairness.
I was lucky plenty to remain inwards a Sikerei place. The Sikerei conduct maintain the highest seat inwards the hamlet cultural status. They are the guardians of the tribe’s traditions, serving every bit the highest priest together with also the medicine man. Mentawaians don’t conduct maintain a hamlet chief. Everybody has his or her ain responsibilities together with role, each considered every bit of import every bit the Sikerei. Like the tattoo maker who is called Sipatiti.
Researchers together with anthropologists admit that the Mentawaian tradition of tattoos is 1 of the oldest inwards the world. For Mentawaians, similar the wall drawings, the tattoo represents the residual betwixt humans, plants together with animals. Besides all the lines drawn inwards their trunk to pull which clan they are from Mentawaians also brand animal-shaped tattoos to pull their connecter amongst the nature.
So…not but whatsoever fellow member of the tribe tin john practise this. To brand tattoos they concur a exceptional ceremony together with each drawing has exceptional meaning. One detail tattoo that solely the Sikerei is allowed to conduct maintain is Sibalu Balu, the sun-shaped tattoo which agency “star of life”. This shows how of import the purpose of Sikerei inwards their tradition.
Spending 2 days inwards the tribe was non enough. The simplicity of their life coupled amongst the richness of their civilization together with local wisdom left me amongst a deep appreciation for this unique tribe. Pak Toikod, who is Pak Kiku’s blood brother accept me to the river side where the canoe was put. One lastly give-and-take he said was Saraina, Meikai Boiki… agency sister, nosotros volition run across again. No wonder I tin john barely resist the urge to become dorsum to Siberut Island together with to enterprise farther afield to detect other remote tribes.
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