Guardian of Maria Village’s Customs

KOMPAS/ARIS PRASETYO

Hasan Abubakar

At the age of 81 years, Hasan Abubakar still faithfully preserves the adat (customs) of Maria village, Wawo district, Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara, and he also records all events that take place there. His handwritten notes are neatly stored in his locker.

Hasan really appreciates every guest who visits his house. He welcomed the Kompas daily’s Wallacea Expedition Team that visited his residence on a June (16/7/2019) afternoon. He wore traditional Bima clothes, including a keris (dagger) tucked into a waistband.

"When I tell stories, I want people to know the customs of Bima, including in the clothes I\'m wearing," said the chairperson of the Maria Village Customs Institution.

He is happy if his guests ask about the customs and culture in his area. It gives Hasar the opportunity to introduce them to the culture of Maria village. He talks in a clear voice. His age of 81 years does not make him frail or silent.

Maria is one of the villages that still upholds ancestral customs, including preserving the Uma Lengge (community barns). Barns are an important part of Bima culture. Only in Maria village, about 100 barns still stand intact and function properly.

The barn preserves local food. Until now the people have been loyal to sorghum, sticky rice, or corn as a substitute for rice.

"We have preserved the traditional barns for generations. During the rice harvest that usually falls in August, the Ampa Fare [thanksgiving] ceremony must be held at an Uma Lengge," he said.

The barn is still preserved because it has been proven that it helps protect many residents from starvation. "Our village fields can only be harvested once a year. What would happen if there were no barns?" he asked.

The barns not only have physical value, but also give soul to the people of Maria village. The spirit of hard work, efficiency and obedience is inherent and reflected through the culture of the barns. Residents, for example, will feel ashamed if their barns quickly empty.

The barn also preserves local food. Until now the people have been loyal to sorghum, sticky rice, or corn as a substitute for rice. At least the food must be served during celebrations or traditional ceremonies.

Recording history

In Maria village, the rich customs are not only practiced, but also recorded. Hasan, as the leader of the customary institution, has been keeping important records about Maria village and the culture of the Mbojo, the indigenous tribe in Bima. The records include the history of the Uma Lengge, the arrival of Islam to Bima and the values ​​of the ancestral heritage of Maria village, the customary procession.

Hasan did the same thing for traditional cooking utensils, such as pots made of bamboo or wooden mortars.

For example, he wrote about the local wisdom in Wawo, starting from people’s food choices to the poetry that was sung during traditional ceremonies. From that record, people will know that the people of Wawo store a variety of local foods: not only rice, but also sticky rice, latu rice or Bima wheat and sorghum. Such variety makes for food balance. If the rice harvest fails, residents can still eat other food.

Hasan also described details of the various grains known in his village. He did the same thing for traditional cooking utensils, such as pots made of bamboo or wooden mortars. He also wrote about the process of cooking food. "Why is it important? Because this will be a legacy so that our successors will not lose track of how we process food," he said.

He also recorded important events, such as the typhoon that hit in 1970s that brought down the barns and the 1967 famine that caused difficulties for residents. The records describe how residents worked together to survive.

There are now at least 100 records about culture and customs in Bima. Hasan said he hoped that when he could no longer tell stories, the records would speak. With that note, anyone can easily trace the history and customary values ​​of Maria village. "Anyone is free to read and copy it," Hasan said as he invited some of his records to be reproduced.

Hasan was chosen because he was the most active figure in the institution, including regularly inviting young people to join the customary institutions.

Hasan began to deal with adat since he retired as a school principal in Bima in 1998. From 2003 to 2005, he represented the community on the Bima Legislative Council. After that, he became an active member of the Maria village customs institution.

For the past 13 years Hasan was trusted to be the chairperson of the village customs institution. Hasan was chosen because he was the most active figure in the institution, including regularly inviting young people to join the customary institutions.

As the head of adat, he not only takes care of Uma Lengge, but also makes sure the criminal, civil, customary and cultural laws are implemented. If there is a problem, the residents usually resolve it through customary law. On an issue such as village expansion, for example, the customs institution will discuss the matter with residents.

"There are concerns that I feel. Elsewhere, farmers are evicted from the rice fields and the fields are made into housing complexes and people have to buy rice [instead of growing it themselves]. Here, we as much as possible try to prevent it from happening," he said.

Based on the agreement of the residents, the village can be expanded.

The rice fields and the Uma Lengge complex are still preserved. The support of the Bima regency administration to preserve Uma Lengge has made the villagers more enthusiastic. Now residents who do not yet have barns are starting to build them even though they are outside the complex of Uma Lengge.

KOMPAS/LUKI AULIA

Hasan Abubakar

Hasan H Abubakar

Born: Bima, 1 July 1938

Wife: Siti Fatima

Children: 6 people

Education: Diploma in History Teaching (1969)

Awards:

Prominent Figure in Customs and Culture in Bima regency, 2016; Prominent Figure in Customs and Culture in West Nusa Tenggara, 2018