Tanjungpandan, Belitung, (ANTARA Babel) - A researcher, Akifumi Iwabuchi, has initiated the formation of an organization to unite members of the Sekak tribe that has been in existence in Bangka Belitung for 500 years.
"Seventy percent of the Sekak culture has been extinct while the tribe population now numbers only 900 and they have even mixed with Malay and other tribes and therefore the organization is very important," said Akifumi here, Thursday.
With the organization hopefully they can support each other in preserving their customs and culture, he said.
Akifumi Iwabuchi, Ph.D. explained the Sekak people live separately in small groups making younger Sekak generation difficult to find elders who can teach them the Sekak culture.
"A lot of Sekak younger generation members told me they want to learn the native culture of Sekak, but unfortunately they can not find teachers or elders who can do it," he said.
Sekak culture extinction, said Akifumi, can be seen from the availability of only few Sekak language speakers and the absence of Sekak traditional ceremonies such as "Buang Patong" and "Kundang Nambak".
"After the 60s, the traditions were gone because almost everyone embraced Islam and the ceremonies were considered not Islamic," he said.
Therefore, Akifumi's initiative to gather elders of the Sekak tribe and tribal shamans from five regions in the Bangka Belitung Islands; Semujur Island, Selat Kelabat, Pongok Lepar Island, Tanjung Pandan, and Gantong Manggar.
"I will gather them on Monday (19/11) to discuss the issue, so that efforts to save the indigenous cultures of Belitung can be done as soon as possible," he said.
Akifumi who has done a research on the Sekak tribe on Bangka and Belitung Islands for a year has expressed regret over the loss of the Sekak indigenous culture of Indonesia.
"I'm not a Sekak, I am not Indonesian, but I want to help. Culture is important for our children to recognize their ancestors, I hope Sekak people can determine their next steps to save their culture," he said.
Akifumi Iwabuchi is Professor of Marine Culturology at the Tokyo University of Marine Science & Technology in Japan, where he has been teaching Maritime Anthropology and Underwater Archaeology since 1994. He received his doctorate degree in Social Anthropology from Oxford University in 1990.
The Sekak tribe inhabit the Bangka Belitung coastal area and their livelihood is fishing. For many years, Sekak people live in traditional houseboats where they do all the activities there.
But then, little by little, Sekak people have assimilated with other tribes such as the Bangka Belitung Malay people and left their maritime tradition.
"Based on my research, currently only one group of Sekak people left living in boats, others are living on land and mixed with the Malay and other tribes," he said.
Sekak people are well known for their respect for the sea. They are not greedy and just take what they need to eat for one day.
For centuries, Sekak people only use spear to catch fish before they assimilated with other tribes in Bangka Belitung.
Now Sekak people can be found in Bangka Belitung living in wood houses in the coastal area.
"In the 80s, the Indonesian government asked the Sekak people to leave their boathouses to live on land, unfortunately it erode Sekak culture," Iwabuchi said.
Sekak people have not 100 percent left their maritime tradition, but things have no longer been the same.
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Bangka Belitung 2012
"Seventy percent of the Sekak culture has been extinct while the tribe population now numbers only 900 and they have even mixed with Malay and other tribes and therefore the organization is very important," said Akifumi here, Thursday.
With the organization hopefully they can support each other in preserving their customs and culture, he said.
Akifumi Iwabuchi, Ph.D. explained the Sekak people live separately in small groups making younger Sekak generation difficult to find elders who can teach them the Sekak culture.
"A lot of Sekak younger generation members told me they want to learn the native culture of Sekak, but unfortunately they can not find teachers or elders who can do it," he said.
Sekak culture extinction, said Akifumi, can be seen from the availability of only few Sekak language speakers and the absence of Sekak traditional ceremonies such as "Buang Patong" and "Kundang Nambak".
"After the 60s, the traditions were gone because almost everyone embraced Islam and the ceremonies were considered not Islamic," he said.
Therefore, Akifumi's initiative to gather elders of the Sekak tribe and tribal shamans from five regions in the Bangka Belitung Islands; Semujur Island, Selat Kelabat, Pongok Lepar Island, Tanjung Pandan, and Gantong Manggar.
"I will gather them on Monday (19/11) to discuss the issue, so that efforts to save the indigenous cultures of Belitung can be done as soon as possible," he said.
Akifumi who has done a research on the Sekak tribe on Bangka and Belitung Islands for a year has expressed regret over the loss of the Sekak indigenous culture of Indonesia.
"I'm not a Sekak, I am not Indonesian, but I want to help. Culture is important for our children to recognize their ancestors, I hope Sekak people can determine their next steps to save their culture," he said.
Akifumi Iwabuchi is Professor of Marine Culturology at the Tokyo University of Marine Science & Technology in Japan, where he has been teaching Maritime Anthropology and Underwater Archaeology since 1994. He received his doctorate degree in Social Anthropology from Oxford University in 1990.
The Sekak tribe inhabit the Bangka Belitung coastal area and their livelihood is fishing. For many years, Sekak people live in traditional houseboats where they do all the activities there.
But then, little by little, Sekak people have assimilated with other tribes such as the Bangka Belitung Malay people and left their maritime tradition.
"Based on my research, currently only one group of Sekak people left living in boats, others are living on land and mixed with the Malay and other tribes," he said.
Sekak people are well known for their respect for the sea. They are not greedy and just take what they need to eat for one day.
For centuries, Sekak people only use spear to catch fish before they assimilated with other tribes in Bangka Belitung.
Now Sekak people can be found in Bangka Belitung living in wood houses in the coastal area.
"In the 80s, the Indonesian government asked the Sekak people to leave their boathouses to live on land, unfortunately it erode Sekak culture," Iwabuchi said.
Sekak people have not 100 percent left their maritime tradition, but things have no longer been the same.
Editor : Ida
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Bangka Belitung 2012