Yuri Pratiwi Gagarin Br.Surbakti /AP FIA UB/2019

Parai Marapu Cultures as Causes Poverty in East , Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) *Yuri Pratiwi Gagarin Br.Surbakti a, Farida Nurani b *a,b Public Administration ,Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang, Jawa Timur, .

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the phenomenon of poverty and the culture of the people of East Nusa Tenggara. Where if referred to from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data in March 2019, the number of poor people in NTT reached 1. 146.32 thousand people. When compared to the situation in September 2018 where it reached 1.134.11 thousand people, the number of poor people was increased by around 12.21 thousand people. I found that the problem of poverty in NTT was not only caused by the lack of attention from the government and natural resources, but Keywords:Perspective,Culture, Poverty. the social behavior and outlook of the NTT community regarding local culture and traditions and the community that prioritized the prestige of social and customs causing almost people in the NTT region are willing

to spend hundreds of millions of money on a traditional event, wedding or other ceremonial events for the motive and social prestige.

1.Introduction Poverty is one of the fundamental problems in In March 2019, the Central Statistics Agency Indonesia and is the center of attention of the noted that East Nusa Tenggara was ranked as the third government. Especially in Indonesia still has a fairly poorest province in Indonesia. This is certainly not complicated problem in eradicating poverty. Of course, pleasant news to listen to for the people of NTT, but not only Indonesia has it this kind of problem. Many that is the reality. East Nusa Tenggara has 24 districts countries are also struggling with the problem of and 1 municipality. One of the contributors to the poverty, even worse than Indonesia. The causes of poverty rate in East Nusa Tenggara is East Sumba poverty are so diverse, one of the causes is a cultural Regency, which is one of the regencies with the third problem, where culture and tradition can be an obstacle most poor population in NTT, 30.13 thousand people for people to have perceptions and perspectives for (BPS 2018. East Sumba Regency has 22 districts, 16 more advanced and innovative. This does not mean I villages, and 156 villages. Poverty conditions in East state that culture as an obstacle for an area to be Sumba Regency are considered by many to be caused developed. Because as mentioned by BPS in 2010, by factors,such as barren nature,poor/poor Indonesia has more than 300 ethnic groups or ethnic infrastructure, minimal human resources, corrupt groups, more precisely there are 1,331 ethnic groups in behavior of public officials and the lack of application the country this shows that Indonesia is rich in culture of the principles the principle of good governance in and is a civilized country, and of course we are obliged government governance.But if traced many other to implement it. things that cause poverty in this regency, one cause is the structure of the building owned by the people.

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Yuri Pratiwi Gagarin Br.Surbakti /AP FIA UB/2019

The people of East Sumba still adhere to the money to spend with parties and is used for traditions of their ancestors who invite the most noble development.It cannot be denied that the noble values heritage is a culture of burial of the dead on Sumba can of culture have resulted in a generation that upholds the spend buffalo tails or horses and pigs While these solidarity, kinship and familiarity of the people of East animals have a sale value that can improve people's Sumba. But that does not mean that attention,energy lives.Another hidden reality behind the traditional and material are completely sucked into it.There are that the prestige requirements in the still other dimensions whose proportions are no less stratification of the Sumba community are many animal important to consider. victims obtained by way of debt the community spends

2.Literature Review 2.1. Poverty .Marapu is a local region of held by the people of more than half the population of Sumba. Poverty is a multidimensional structural and Marapu can be interpreted as a belief in the ability of cultural problem, which includes politics, social, ancestral spirits to connect humans with the Creator. economic, assets, natural resources, and others (Keppi The majority of believe that ancestors Sukesi, 2015: 1). In line with this according to Ali, who have died can communicate with . Because of Arya, Saharuddin, Alfiasari, Dadang Sukandar, and its powers, ancestral spirits mediated Hidayat (in Sholeh, 2010) poverty is a between humans and God. Marapu adherents convey multidimensional development problem because their requests to God through the spirits of the ancestors overcoming it is not only limited to matters relating to through traditional ceremonies. Marapu's followers cause and effect relationships but also involves generally live together in traditional villages. The preferences, values and politics. Poverty is not only in existence of the Marapu traditional village can be easily the form of numerical calculations statistical-economic, found on Sumba Island. They are generally in the but poverty must also include social humanities lowlands and hills far from the center of the crowd. arguments so that the calculation is perfect (Djonet Houses in traditional villages stand parallel to a Santoso, 2018: 7). The problem of poverty can be courtyard. In the court, the followers of the Marapu overcome by looking from two sides, namely from the used to hold traditional ceremonies or religious external and internal. External side means we see the rituals at certain moments. One of the Marapu environment and power society, on the other hand, traditional ceremonies is the Marapu Parai. Where the when viewed internally, we need to look at individuals, bodies of the dead are buried around three to one week. what men y because the person is poor (Keppi Sukesi, This is because the bereaved family must invite the 2015:4).Poverty requires a comprehensive whole family and their relatives. Some were close and countermeasure, and needs to see from various sides the some were far away. The invited families did not come causes of poverty (Rabina and Mansyur, 2018: 2). to mourn, but they came with a piece of woven fabric. 2.2 Culture of Parai Marapu But for close relatives and close friends, it was not easy to immediately come to mourn. For example, a sister Culture is a complex thing, culture consists of from a bereaved family who has married (married), various elements, namely , art, economics, according to their customary law, is required to bring social-politics, knowledge and others (JWM Bakker, animals, can be a horse, cow, or buffalo. Whereas the 2005: 97). According to (Melville and Brinislaw) brother of the wife in the bereaved family is required to culture is something that is passed down through bring the pig. Also, the uncle (uncle) from the bereaved generations from one generation to another, which is family is obliged to bring the pig. Intimate friends can then called superorganic power. Humans who are in a choose the type of animal they carry. culture of relationships are formed or form culture, then The size of the animals brought, adjusting the grieving he will only see that culture as a trail (Seno Gumira family's social status or as previously done by the Ajidarma, 2011). Because culture is a system of grieving family. Usually, the animals brought are pigs patterns integrated, which is largely below the threshold with a price range of 5 million rupiahs and the fanged of consciousness, but all that regulate human behavior one can be around 20 million rupiahs. The small horse as surely as strings are manipulated from the puppet is around 5 million and the big one is under 10 million control of his movements (Croydon, 1973: 4). The rupiah. Some carry a cow at a price of around Rp 7.5 system of cultural patterns that govern community million and the big one is more than 25 million rupiahs. behavior can be seen in the Marapu culture. As for the buffalo, the small one costs a minimum of 6.5 million and the biggest one can be more than 40 2

Yuri Pratiwi Gagarin Br.Surbakti /AP FIA UB/2019 million rupiahs. The material meaning carried by the The north is bordered by the Sumba Strait,the mourners is an expression of respect and affection for south is bordered by the Indian Ocean, the east is the deceased. These fabrics are intended as clothing bordered by the Savu Sea, the west is bordered by carried by the deceased person. Either to use alone, or Central Sumba Regency. The East Sumba Regency has to replace, or as a souvenir for his family that is already an area of 7,000.5 Km², while the sea area is 8,373.53 in the spirit realm. Despite the fact, only a few fabrics Km² with a coastline length of 433.6 Km. were included at the time of burial. The rest belongs to Administratively, since 2007 a number of sub-districts the family that is still alive. While the animals are used in East Sumba have been divided into 22 sub-districts, as side dishes, especially pigs. While buffaloes and 16 sub-districts and 140 villages. East Sumba Regency cows and sometimes also horses are slaughtered, then is led by a Regent with the regency capital is Waingapu the meat is distributed to all mourners. Each one gets at located in Waingapu City Sub-district. The East Sumba least half a kilogram. This was carried out after the mainland area is spread over 1 main island (Sumba funeral service. Island) and 3 small islands namely Prai Salura Island, Mengkudu Island and Nuha Island (uninhabited). 3.Writing Method Approximately 40% of East Sumba's area is a steep The research method can be interpreted as a hilly area, especially in the southern regions, where the scientific way to obtain valid data with the aim to hillsides are fertile enough land, while the northern understand, prove, solve and anticipate problems. The regions are rocky and less fertile. SKPT East Sumba (in research method used to see the relationship between BPS, East Sumba Regency, 2016). The population of poverty and culture in East Sumba Regency. The East Sumba Regency is generally the original Sumba method used in this study is the method literature tribe, but there are also Sabu tribes, descendants of review by reading scientific literature, and conducting Chinese, Arabs, Bugis, Javanese and other residents in-depth and critical evaluations of previous research on from the East Nusa Tenggara region. The regional poverty and culture. Data obtained by researchers is language used is Sumba Kambera. Most of the summarized using clear sentences so that it is easier to population in this district is Protestant. The rest are understand. Presentation of data (display data) in , and . Around 39 percent are qualitative research can be done in the form of traditional Marapu religion. The livelihoods of narratives, charts, relationships between categories and residents of East Sumba Regency are still dominated in others. In this study, the presentation of data is done by agriculture, including the livestock and fisheries sub- organizing data from the results of data reduction in sector, especially in rural areas (SKPT East Sumba, narrative form or other forms that allow for drawing 2016). conclusions. 4.2. Description of Discussion 4.Discussion and Result Based on the results of research on the problem Based on data collected by researchers through of poverty caused by the perspective and social the process of data collection and evaluation of data behavior of the people of East Sumba Regency towards sources related to poverty problems caused by the the local culture are as follows: perspective and social behavior of the people of East The people of East Sumba Regency highly Sumba Regency towards culture can be described as uphold customs and cultural values. For the people of follows: East Sumba, the dynamics of culture is to increase the 4.1. Description of Location dignity and support of their supporting communities. Prestige of the East Sumba community depends on how East Sumba Regency is one of the Regencies in much the procession of adat is carried out and how the East Nusa Tenggara Province located in the South many relatives are invited. One of the An important and one of the four Regencies located on Sumba Island. traditional procession for the people of East Sumba is East Sumba Regency has 3 small islands namely Prai the Death and Burial Ceremony. This is believed Salura Island, Noni Island and Nuha Island to originate from the megalithic era, which is the stone (uninhabited). (BPS of East Sumba Regency - East grave ceremony. The Sumba people, believe in and Sumba in Figures, 2016). have an ideal conception of post-death life, namely the Marapu Parai, according to the community, to glorify Geographically, East Sumba Regency is the dead through the holding of death ceremonies, the located between 119 ° 45 - 120 ° 52 East Longitude provision of grave provisions, and offering of sacrificial (BT) and 9 ° 16 - 10 ° 20 South Latitude (LS). with the following regional boundaries (BPS, Regency of East Sumba - East Sumba in Figures, 2016). 3

Yuri Pratiwi Gagarin Br.Surbakti /AP FIA UB/2019 animals. The people of Sumba see death from the or family, then before the burial the problem must be transition between worldly life and the hereafter and are resolved in the form of peace. Inviting distant families important events in one's journey to true . who must be visited one by one using the traditional Therefore burial must be carried out with a special customs as a means of speaking that requires time and ceremony so that the human is fit to enter Parai material and to reconcile the families of the conflict. it marapu (Heaven). This ceremony is held colossally by also takes time (Frans Sarong, 2012). This of course can involving a wide network of relatives, slaughtering also cause problems for families who are grieving. animals in large numbers, the use of traditional cloth Since many families are invited, the grieving family full of meaning, and various ritual stages intended to must have preparations. In addition, it becomes another take the corpse to the ancestral realm (Marapu parai). problem for families who are grieving, when after the burial where all the people who help must be guided as After the corpse has been stored for even years, a sign of gratitude, they must be rewarded by large numbers of buffalo and horse cattle are slaughtering pigs or given animals. After the funeral slaughtered (depending on social status) as a funeral service, the family who had been helped had nothing accompaniment. This ceremony consists of two stages, else, often even had a lot of debt. (Frans W. Hebi, first the body is wrapped in layers of cloth and then 2014). placed in a wooden crate with a diameter of 1.50 cm (in the past it did not use wooden crates, but instead used Thus, the assistance that is still available can be dried buffalo skin). The body was placed in a squatting used for other purposes, for example to send children position (such as the position of the fetus in the mother's who have been less attention. Often we hear complaints womb, which means "New Born") and then placed in a either from the children themselves or from others who traditional house while waiting for the next ceremony. say that parents are more concerned with parties than The body is guarded by Papanggang / Ata Ngandi paying attention to children's education. If you make a (Default Servant) who also acts as a mediator with the party parents are not half-hearted. Whereas children's spirit. The day before the end of the first stage there was education is a future asset for survival both for parents a Pahadang ceremony led by Ratu (Rev. Marapu). and for their own children. Before the second stage, the grave had been 5. Closing prepared with a size depending on social status. The stone must be pulled from outside the village, which 5.1.Conclusion begins and ends with a special ceremony. The body was Poverty is not only limited to the lack of carried and paraded in a procession while accompanied human resources to build a better life. More than that by a procession of ornate horses ridden by his servant poverty is also seen from cultural factors. Researchers (Ata Ngandi) to the burial place where the corpse was highlight the phenomenon of poverty in East Sumba as placed in a megalithic tomb (NTT tour,2014). However, a result of the cultural structure of the community. The despite the complexity and uniqueness of the process of people of East Sumba who generally still uphold the death, it turned out to cost money. which is very large. traditions of their ancestors are considered as the most Like if the deceased was made grave in the noble heritage.It is undeniable that cultural noble values form of dolmen which cost millions of rupiah. Besides, have resulted in a generation that upholds solidarity, during the procession also requires a large cost kinship and familiarity of the people of East Sumba. especially if there are many invited relatives. Because However, behind these noble values, implicit social if someone dies they have to invite all related relatives. behavior is draining property. Sometimes the budget for If not, then the grieving family will face the problem of implementing cultural rituals is obtained by way of adat. Long-term storage of uncertain bodies, also debt. This is really ironic, because after completing the becomes a problem, because in East Sumba there is no traditional party, people are busy working to pay off time limit storage of remains in a funeral home, can be debts. According to Bradshaw (2006) individual one year or even years. For example, on July 29, 1973 weaknesses and cultural systems that support the there was a massacre by a gold robber in Papipit village, poverty sub-culture are some of the causes of the Hahar District, East Sumba Regency, the burial was occurrence of poverty. This is in line with the situation only carried out in 2000, when asked why the storage that occurs in East Sumba. of the corpses was too long, the elders' answer was that, all the good families those who are far and near must be 5.2.Suggestion invited, otherwise there will be a dispute because they As civilized creatures and obliged to carry it are obliged to witness that their family is really dead. out, it is indeed difficult for us to keep away from all The death event is a moment where all families can forms of processes and rituals. But that does not mean gather. If there are those who are hostile to the deceased that our attention, energy, and material are completely 4

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