Bandung, IndonesiaSentinel.com — In the Indian Ocean, about 160 kilometers west of Padang City, lie the Siberut Islands, where the native tribes of these islands known as the Mentawai tribe, exist. This is the story of one of the oldest tribes living in the deep forest on Mentawai Island, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The Mentawai are a Proto-Malay tribe, that settled in the archipelago over 2,500 years ago. Researchers believe the ancestors of the current Mentawai people have inhabited the Mentawai Islands since about 500 BC. Despite coming through centuries, the customs and traditions of the Mentawai have remained very strong, preserved completely for us to see and admire.
The Mentawai have become globally renowned for their traditional and unique body tattoos. The tattoos are deeply connected to Sabulungan, which is the Mentawai tribe’s own unique belief system. Sabulangan is an animist belief in which everything has both a spirit and a soul. Certain objects also carry strong beliefs and are considered sacred. When spirits are not respected well or are forgotten, they may bring bad luck, illness, and haunt those who forget them.
This body art also represents the role and social status of the individual within the community while also showing the spirituality level of the individual. This tattoo came in many symbols and names, allowing them to become the identity for the Mentawai.
One of the most revered tattoos is the tattoo of Sikerei. A Sikerei is a person believed to have a high spiritual power and closeness to ancestral spirits, blessed with the power to cure various diseases. Sikerei are tasked with healing the sick by giving medicinal herbs while performing a special dance to summon ancestral spirits, called Turuk.
In the Mentawai tribes, a Sikerei is held in utmost importance and respect. Carved with a tattoo in the form of a star, signifying fertility, as an embodiment of the guardian warding off evil spirits and keeping the health of its people.
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The tribe are traditionally hunter-gatherers who lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle in the coastal and rainforest environments of the islands. They live in a traditional house, called an Uma, a house provided by nature. Their staple foods come from sago and taro, which are both found naturally in the jungle of the Mentawai Islands. The Mentawai are also keen hunters, making wild boar, deer, and even monkeys a regular part of their diet.
The Mentawai is accustomed to living in nature and can rely entirely on the existing forest. They tend to live in harmony and peace with the nature around them, as they depend on and also believe that all things in nature have some kind of spiritual essence.
Up to now, the Mentawai Tribe is still living peacefully within the forest, on Mentawai Island, Indonesia. The tribe remains and takes pride in living their way of life, preserving their culture and traditions.
(Raidi/Agung)
