Mentawai Tattooing Dying: Sumatra, Indonesia

Although once I was tempted to have a henna tattoo in Bali a couple of years ago, I could never entertain the idea of having a permanent one.

In some parts of the archipelago it represents power within the community and others it is a passage of rite to achieve adulthood. In the Mentawi Islands, a place well known to westerners for surfing, the culture revolves around the mysticism in the art. I was reading a great article in the JP today by Syofiardi Bachyul Jb in which it explains that the art of tattooing on the islands is dying:

Urlik Tatubeket, a 44 year old Mentawai man from Sipora Island, has recently been elected chairman of the Congress of Mentawai Traditional Communities in Tuapejat, Sipora.
Neither he nor the 265 participants in the congress fit the stereotype of Mentawi people one can still see in tourism brochures of the area.

None have tattoos on their bodies called titi, formerly an important part of Mentawai culture.

"In 1950s the government required every resident to choose one of the five major religions the government recognized. Since then the Mentawai people no longer decorated their bodies with tattoos although the practice is still found in several remote villages in Siberut" Urlik said.

On the Sipora, Pagai Utara and Pagai Selatan islands the adornments are now rare and no more than around 10 people on each still have the designs and all elderly people over 70 Urlik said

"You can be sure that in the next 20 years there will no longer a single Mentawai on Sipora and Pagai with a tattoo on his body" he said.

The practice had disappeared from the islands for several reasons he said.

As priest attached to the Mentawai Protestant Christian Church (Saurenuk GKPM) in Sipora, Urlik said the new religious teachings frowned on practices involving Arat Sabulungan, the islanders' traditional animist belief of which tattooing is an integral part.

They also took a long time to create, six months at the least and involved many lengthy rituals and taboos Urlik said.

These days most people especially those educated outside the islands felt little need to decorate themselves in this way. Many Mentawi people he said were relieved they had liberated themselves from the cultural bonds of Arat Sabulungan.

Protestantism which first took root in Mentawai in 1901 most strongly forbid the old beliefs while Islam and Catholicism which entered Mentawai in 1952 and 1955 respectively were less strict Urlik said.

People on Sipora and Pagai are mostly Protestants.

"I still remember seeing when I was a child a tattooed Mentawai man driven out of a church congregation by the priest" he said.

Before a man can be tattooed he first construct an uma, or a Mentawai traditional house.

During this rite several pigs are slaughtered and several taboos are observed - the man is not allowed to have sex, is not allowed to look at women is not allowed to dine and drink before the dining and drinking event starts.

"The rite climaxes with a journey to Siberut island which is believed to be the place of origin of the Mentawai people. This ritual journey is made on a flat-bottomed skiff containing up to 40 passengers.

"Only when all these people after braving huge waves return safely from Siberut with beads unique to this island may the members of the tribe be tattooed" Urlik said.

This is a tough rite for the Sipora people. The last time the Sipora completed it was in the 1950s and because the precondition for the tattooing is now absent, none dare to decorate their skin.

However on Siberut the largest island in Mentawai islands and the center of traditional Mentawai culture there are still a number of remote villages where tattooing is still practiced.

It is common to see villagers in Sarereiket, Ugai, Matotonan, Madobak, Simatalu, Sakudei and Simalegi with tattoos.

Still an increasing numbers of youngsters are abandoning the tradition.

Generally they are wealthier and have been educated outside their home islands in the regency capital or in Padang. Usually the villages where tattooing is still found are Catholic ones.

"Catholicism is not as strict as Protestant Christianity which completely forbids the practice. The more educated however refuse to be tattooed" Urlik said.

Others however believe the Mentawai people's tattoos are part of the world's cultural heritage.

Ady Rosa, a researcher of Indonesian tattoos at Padang State University's fine arts department has come to the conclusion that the Mentawai tradition is one the world's oldest.