Article Komunitas: International Journal of Between Economic Burden Indonesian Society and Culture 9(1) (2017): 92-103 DOI:10.15294/komunitas.v9i1.8672 and Cultural Dignity: © 2017 Semarang State University, Indonesia p-ISSN 2086 - 5465 | e-ISSN 2460-7320 Belis in the Marital Custom http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/komunitas UNNES JOURNALS of the NTT Society Siti Rodliyah1 1Universitas Muhammadiyah Kupang , Indonesia Received: March 2016; Accepted: August 2016; Published: 30 March 2017 Abstract The indigenous marital system giving belis ‘bride price’ practiced by the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Indo- nesia, is one of the Nusantara marital custom phenomena that today has developed and raised issues of both pros and cons which deserves critical scrutiny from Cultural studies and Anthropological perspective. Both perspectives facilitate the critical standpoint of the NTT society’s mindset summarized in the cultural or customary marriage rules requiring a marriage with belis. This study revealed that in the attitude towards belis, the East Nusa Tenggara women agreed and taken for granted the construction of their reality and power production through various discourses. Current practice of belis raises the economic capitalism up to the identity contestations. Lately, the essence and value of belis have changed and are likely to be more commercial. Even some may view it as mere a symbol and customary fixtures, such as in the region of Lamaholot imposing the elephant tusks, and the Allor society with their Moko as the payment methods of belis. Belis has left biggest challenge for the communities who are not able to afford higher bride-price ob- jects, this consequently lead to a more emerging unlawful marriages as a resistance against the unresolved poverty problems. Keywords belis; economic capitalism, marital custom, payment; symbols INTRODUCTION provision of money or goods at a marriage ceremony. Marriage system in the tradition Indonesian people are a nation built on the of NTT people generally embraces a patri- foundation of diversities in terms of the lineal genealogical system (following the culture and the society. One of the cultural paternal line) and regards the clan or tribe diversities is reflected in the way a marriage as an important identity. In principle, every is traditionally carried out by the communi- marriage will form an alliance and involves a ties. The marital system of the indigenous - people in the East Nusa Tenggara is popu - system of exchange of assets between fami larly known for adopting marital system of lies or tribes. bride price, traditionally called ‘belis’. Belis is People of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) usually provided by the family of the groom conceptually enact belis as a primary condi- to the bride and her family. Just a simple say, Corresponding author belis can be interpreted as giving the mate - Jln. KH. Ahmad Dahlan No 17, Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia, 82558 rial to relatives or siblings at certain events. Email In general, it is always associated with the [email protected] Komunitas: International Journal of Indonesian Society and Culture 9 (1) (2017): 92-103 93 tion in their marital tradition. The unique- and deeply rooted in the model of marriage ness of belis as a symbolic form of a dowry is systems in Africa and Asia (Claassens 2013; neither pay with money nor with gold, but Lipi 2016; Nasrin 2011; Rautenbach 2010). elephant tusk, like many found in regions The custom of transacting and spending around the East Flores. Belis has to be paid expenditure, cattle, and source from the by a groom to the bride as the one who will groom’s side to the bride and her family of be his wife. The amount ofBelis is determin- the East Nusa Tenggara people is known as ed by agreement of both the bridegroom’s paying for belis. Lately, the essence and - va families. For the East Nusa Tenggara peop - lue of belis have changed and are likely to le, belis is one of the required attributes en- be commercial. Even some may still view it compassing a series of traditional wedding as only a symbol and custom fixtures, such ceremony, which is still well-maintained as in the region of Lamaholot imposing the till this day. East Nusa Tenggara Province elephant tusks as the payment method of consists of six major islands, namely Flores, belis. In addition, belis is customary dee- Sumba, Timor, Rote, Sabu and Alor com- med to be the compensation to the bride’s monly known by the acronym FLOBAMO- family which seems to be eroded over time RA. These districts have different percep- that is quite significantly changed due to tions regarding the essence and media ofthe influence of economic capitalism. Of belis payment. The wordbelis here is derived course, people of NTT and their customa- from the root word of ‘buying’, which means ry law of marriage that centralizesbelis will purchasing or sort of obligation to give and be targeted to being trading commodity for receive something (as dowry) to the family customs purposes which successfully im- of the woman before undergoing the wed - pose public expenditure and their financial ding procession with a cash payment or a resources. Not to mention the problems of debt (Abdurrasyid & Hidayat 2008, pp. 414). the economic situations that have been long The payment of belis becomes an im- happened in the province. Although some portant validity prerequisite of the marriage groups would see belis as a form of protec- and is believed to be a unifying symbol of tion for women by giving them respect, sta- man and woman as husband and wife, as tus and recognition in the society, but in the a key condition for clan attestation displa- process of implementation, it subordinates cement / wife’s tribe into the husband’s, as the women for it is often found thatbelis as- well as compensation for the services of the sociates with the domestic violence within bride’s parent for raising her until marriage households. On the other hand, it is a case comes. Similar facts about belis, bride-price of the people’s mentality that would feel va- have been extensively practiced in most so- lued in the community if in an event of mar- cieties of Africa and Asia to validate their riage wherein the groom could not pay the traditional marriage etc. (cf. Thiara and Ha- determined amount of belis (cf. Thiara and gue 2011, Baluku 2012; Albertyn 2013; Muko- Hague in 2011 on the case of dowry). va 2012; Ojilere 2015). Traditionally, the East This study aims to develop an under- Nusa Tenggara people implementsbelis in stand the issues surrounding the practice of their marital system as a means to honor the marital system implementing bride-price, bride and her family. Typically, belis consists traditionally called belis as a perquisite for of the marriage contract, in which mate - marriage validity. It seeks to provide under- rial goods (generally in the form of cows or standing of both historical and critical view- elephant tusks and other animals), or (cur - points on the procurement of belis objects rently may have changed with money) paid which is customarily given by the groom’s by the groom to the bride’s family as a kind sides to the bride and the family. It is an at- of exchange for the bride. tempt of disclosing the reality in the marital The customary marriage system enac - system of the East Nusa Tenggara society ting the bride-price or dowry is essentially a through both historical reflections and the form of transaction that is mostly practiced perspective of cultural and anthropological UNNES JOURNALS 94 Siti Rodliyah, Between Economic Burden and Cultural Dignity: Belis in the Marital Custom of the NTT studies. The discourse approach is used as government during the colonial era in the an underlying method which does not al- 16th century, it implies thatbelis is strongly ways control what is said on the specific -so influenced by elements of feudalism absor- cio-cultural situation, but also control who, bed by the society of NTT (Lewis 1988, p. where and when a phenomenon is conside- 7; Kunst 1942, p. 1-2). The phenomenon of red as a discourse. Additionally, any arising the implementation of belis in the form of phenomenon is called a discourse. elephant tusks practiced for generations by Relevant studies related to belis and the people of NTT in Lamaholot, Adonara social lives of NTT people have been re- and Sikka-Flores is the fruits of past trade searched by a number of historians and through barter system (Bomas p. 2016). This anthropologists such as Frederik Fernandezis also confirmed by the statement of the (2010) in his dissertation “Social Capital Inhead of customs in the West Adonara rela- Customary Events of Marriages & Deathsted to the history of the use of elephant tus- Among the Ethnic Lamaholot and Peop- ks as belis. It originated from commercial le of Nagi in East Flores”, who alluded thetrade made by the society living in the west system of marriage withlikat telo but with of Adonara with foreigners across nations the emphasis that this marriage system is (such as India and Africa), which exchan- undergoing adjustments as a result of the ged the results of their local sources with a changes and demands of the times. As a re- few sticks of ivory (Oceannaz 2008; Jianqin sult, people who get married is no longer on 2016; Mawere 2010; Rudwick 2015). The the path that has been set by custom. This phenomenon of the entering of elephant is because belis has shaped the elephant tusks to the local customs through a bar- tusks circulation outside of the system and ter system as sacred objects is quite reaso- perceived in terms of the economical side nable.