International Journal of Research and Review www.ijrrjournal.com E-ISSN: 2349-9788; P-ISSN: 2454-2237 Research Paper Revitalization of Manjapuik Marapulai Tradition in Minangkabau Marriage Customs Srimaharani Tanjung, Tengku Silvana Sinar, Ikhwanuddin Nasution, Muhammad Takari Doctoral Program of Linguistics, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universityof Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia Corresponding Author: Srimaharani Tanjung ABSTRACT The paper describes the perspective of manjapuik marapulai (literally ‘to pick a bride-groom up’) tradition and the attempts to revitalize such tradition which is mainly found in Pariaman regency and becomes an oral tradition that requires indigenous actors who have indigenous knowledge and expertise in speaking and in using indigenous language. The actors are considered customary actors (or pelaku adat) who, in this case, deliver custom speechor tribute (pasambahan or pidato adat) which is aimed at declaring the intention and the purposes of the tradition. The research method is qualitative descriptive and attempted to obtain the necessary information from informants with observation techniques and in-depth interviews. The results show that since the actors’ existence is lack of appreciation today, the tradition undergoes significant changes; therefore, a model of revitalization to the tradition has been created and is hopefully accepted by local communities. In prctice, the revitalization is carried out in three stages, namely: the revival of interest, the applicable management, and the transmitting. The first refers to the ways to socializethe manjapuik marapulai oral tradition in educational institutions, such as schools, academies, institutes, and universities. The second is carried out by re-functioning the manjapuik marapulai’s traditional processes and by forming the youth organizations. Management can also be done by holding training and promotion, and by involving young people in a series of events. The last may cover the radio and TV broadcasting in local television, the aadvertisement to stimulate cultural appreciation, and the inventory. It is suggested that Pariaman should have proficient and capable actors because the core of the tradition is the actors themselves. Keywords: Manjapuik marapulai, revitalization, pasambahan, customary actors INTRODUCTION knowledge), cadiak pandai (smart people Minangkabau customs (or adat who have extensive knowledge), bundo Minangkabau) regulate the community kanduang (women who lead families), and order and adjust the interaction among tribes pemuda (youth); they are adaptable to the in anagari (region or area), which current era and are tied by the basic ethics areadapted to the local nagari culture. The of the Minangkabau customsand by the customs are determined by mutual Islamic teachings. agreements among parties, such as panghulu In Minangkabau there are two types (adat leaders who have appellation), ninik of customs; the first refers to the one which mamak (a group of adat functionaries no body can change it at any time, therefore, chosen from tribes), alim ulama (honorable it is called nan indak lakang dek paneh nan people who have sufficient Islamic indak lapuak dek hujan; dibubuik indaknyo International Journal of Research & Review (www.ijrrjournal.com) 400 Vol.5; Issue: 10; October 2018 Srimaharani Tanjung et.al. Revitalization of Manjapuik Marapulai Tradition in Minangkabau Marriage Customs layua dianjak indaknyo mati (it is neither the manjapuik marapulai tradition which is easily cracked by heat, nor obsolete by rain; considered successful in maintaining local when being transformed, it is not withered people’s life from the past to the present and and when being revoked, it is not perish). from the past generation to the present The customs primarily comprise all generation. regulations in the form of a variety of However, as time goes by, the customs, for example marriage customs, tradition undergoes eroded; this is due to the wedding ceremony among others,relating to increasing number of people who no longer methods of rearing the silaturahmi consider that adat is a must. Moreover, (friendship), taking care of communication, Minangkabau youths leave their hometowns maintaining integration, and making to find work for their survival (this is called socialization among community members of budaya merantau [the culture of a nagari. The second is termed adaik nan migration]). As a result, they have different babuhua sintak (customs that are not bound ideas on their adat which is no longer to defunct) and this is actually meant by considered important and necessary. The tradition; because it is not permanently integration of Minangkabau people with bound so it can be changed when necessary other ethnicities, such as Malays, by the agreements made by penghulu, ninik Mandailing, Angkola, Javanese among mamak, alim ulama, cadiak pandai, bundo others by a mixed marriage cause a mixture kanduang,andyouth. Minangkabauis famous of customes which are based on the for its strong philosophy of adaik basandi agreement among them. The situation shifts syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah (customs the meaning of adat. are based on shar’i; shar’i is based on Al The reduced value of the manjapuik Qur’an the Holy Book ). All the teachings in marapulai tradition, especially the the cuatoms are dynamic and creative. pasambahan, can be seen from the less The philosophy of adaik nan sabana traditional procession; people seem to think adaik (customs that become the real of uang japuik (the money given to the customs), which refer to the obligation that prospective bridegroom by bride’s parents Minangkabau people must be Moslems, or family). In the past, the pasambahan cannot be replaced (or it is adopted forever) required several representatives at each and they would loose their Minangkabau party and was held in a relatively long time; identity when they leave Islam. Thus, in the however, today, only one representative procession of traditional wedding ceremony, from anak daro (bride party) and from Islam becomes the main foundation for marapulai (bride-groom party) is allowed to marriage contracts. The Minangkabau speak in a relatively short time. Therefore, community is one of the largest matrilineal revitalization might become the most societies in the world after India. Amir effective way to maintain such tradition (2011: 9) argued the matrilineal kinship consistently and continuously. system has three dominant elements, namely: a) maternal lineage, b) marriage LITERATURE REVIEW must be with another group (or with outside A. Minangkabau Culture the group) known as matrilineal exogamy, 1. Culture and c) mother holds the central role in Culture is a way of life that is education, wealth security, and family developed and shared by a group of people welfare. In principle, the Minangkabau and transmitted from generation to people, especially those living in Sungai generation. Grammatically, the notion of Geringging subdistrict, Pariaman regency, culture is derived from a cultural word that still maintain their traditions compared to tends to refer to the human mindset. Culture other Minangkabau sub-ethnic groups. itself is defined as all things related to People in the sub-district remain to preserve human sense or mind, so that it can show to International Journal of Research & Review (www.ijrrjournal.com) 401 Vol.5; Issue: 10; October 2018 Srimaharani Tanjung et.al. Revitalization of Manjapuik Marapulai Tradition in Minangkabau Marriage Customs the mindset, behavior and physical work of regulate the life of Minangkabau. One of the a group of humans. Culture is also defined most important transitional periods in life is as something that will affect the level of the marriage. The matrilocal system in knowledge and include the system of ideas Minangkabau allows the marapulai or ideas contained in the human mind, so (husband) living in the area around his that in everyday life, the culture is abstract. wife’s residence so that he is regarded as a Because it deals to everyday life, culture is new comer or an honorable guest. closely related to society. Culture in general Therefore, he is required to be able to get is a way of life that regulates that every along well with his wife’s family. Since he human being understands and understands must try hard to adapt to his wife’s family, how they should act, behave, commit and his position is quite dramatic and he is easy determine attitudes when dealing with to get rid of. Basically, Pariaman traditional others. All these things are related to the wedding procession consists of several way communication or language, customs stages: manyilau (looking for information and habits that occur in the environment. about the prospective bride-groom), E.B Taylor (1987) defined culture as maminang (proposal for a marriage), the whole behavior that includes knowledge, batimbang tando (getting engaged), akad belief, art, morals, law, costum, as well as nikah (marriage contract), manjapuik other abilities and habits that humans gain (picking bride-groom up), baralek (wedding as members of society. Meanwhile, Robert party), and manjalang (visiting bride- states that "culture is anything that groom’s parents). individuals acquire from society including The manjapuik marapulai tradition beliefs, customs, artistic norms, eating is full of significant elements of orality habits, skills acquired not from their own which is reflecting the rules of oral creativity but rather the inheritance of the composition and in an oral environment,