Lembata: Tenun Ikat Ile Ape
THE residents of the peninsula that is dominated by Ile Ape (Gunung Api,
active vulcano) belong to the most traditional part of Lembata Island. The
adat houses on the slopes, in which traditionally spirits are honored, are
still in use and festivities like the 'bean-fest' (pesta kacang) still takes
place.
The women make the nicest ikats of the island. The landscape is very
beautifull. From Ile Ape, you can see the big protected Teluk Waienga in the
east, with deep blue water and surrounded by coconut and lontar-palmtrees.
The weavers of Ile Ape don't use synthetic dye or prefabricated threat. They
make the threat by hand or self-grown cotton and the dye is made from roots
and leaves of flowers. In all villages along the coast women are working
behind their weaving machines.
The best fabrics are expensive, but can be very expensive if you have the
best quality. They form an important part of the bridal treasure. During
marriages the family of the bride gives the nice fabrics to the family of the
groom.
Most villages have KOKER, small huts which are used as temples for the
ancestors.
The koker are outside the village, on the slopes of Ile Ape. Sacrifices are
regularly brought, but the most important spiritual annual event is the 'Bean
Festival', Pesta Kacang.
In the 1960's the Pesta Kacang was hardly performed anymore. The 'ban' on
regional religions is eased now and the government has become aware of the
political and economical benefits of the cultural diversity. In an effort to
bring back to life several local traditiona, the government stimulated the
Pesta Kacang.
The 'new' Pesta Kacang lasts three days. In earlier times it took upto one
week. In a small group the first day is spend on prayers and sacrificing the
village spirites, the goodlike ancestors of the village as well as the spirits
of the soil.
The following two days are public. Several hundred people participate in
the dances (HAMANG). For important guests, among foreigners, a stay for the
night is arranged.
The festivities take place in Lamagute (July), Mawa (August), Lewotolok
(September), Jontana (October) and Lamariang (November).
Under the influence of the modern time the old habits have been changed
slightly. Stickfights, in which young men hit each other on the legs, are
abolished. And married women nowadays cover their breasts.
The road from Lewoleba to Mawa (Napasabok), along the western side of the
vulcano, is reasonably good. The road from Mawa to Tokojaeng at the eastern
coast is not that good and there is no public transport. Between Tokojaeng and
Jontona, only motorcycles, jeeps and people walking can travel. From Jontona,
the road is better; it merges with the better road just north of Lewoleba.
Passenger trucks maintain connections with the villages on the peninsula.
Especially on Mondays there is a lot of traffic because of the market in
Lewoleba. But none of the - mostly overfull - trucks drives around the entire
peninsula. During travelling you will look at a whole lot of dusty faces,
unless you are in the lucky position to sit alongside the driver.
Who travels this area on foot and - where possible - by public transport,
will have to get a nights stay offered by the residents of the villages. This
shouldn't be a problem; look for the kepala desa (village head) and ask
permission to spend the night in the village. It's not expensive. The dinner
is local food (corn, maniok, vegetables and maybe some fish) and in the
mornings there is coffee.
You can also travel on the island by rented motorbike with a driver. The
easiest way to travel is by chartered jeep or bemo. These can transport more
than five persons and comes along with a driver for a cheap price.
The road that runs towards the north from Lewoleba, passes a turn to the
landing strip and leads to the 'neck' or Ile Ape and then follows the western
shore of the island. Meanwhile, small cotton plantations can be seen,
salt-panes and every once in a while a row of reo-trees, which were planted by
the Dutch.
About 12 kilometers from Lewoleba is Waowala, dominated by the mosque. The
road now runs over low coastal hilla; the landscape changes drastically here.
All villages have small fields on the slopes, where maniok, corn, beans and
nuts are grown. There are several coconut trees and the traveller can have a
drink of air kelapa muda (coconut milk).
On the slopes of Ile Ape mountain, the men hunt with their dogs, and
crossbows on wild pigs. In contrary to the eastern coast, the western side is
no place for fishing.
In Lamagute or Mawa, at the northern coast, you can see the production of
ikat fabrics. Take a local guide to the koker of the village. In the most
important is a bronze drum with looks like a timeglass.
Most drums which were found in that region - on Lembata, Solor and mainly
Alor - the copies of the old drums are of those of the Dongson culture, about
2000 years ago. They were used as merchandize and were made in the 17th and
19th century in China and mainland Jawa. The drum of Lamagute is probably an
original dating from the Dongson period.
ILE APE
Who wants to climb the vulcano should realise that young, healthy climbers
from the village take about two hours. Start before sunrise and take a hat,
enough sunblick and water with you. Who wants to spend the night at the summit
and doesn't want to freeze should bring a sleeping bag as well.
East of the peninsula is Teluk Waienga. In Jontona - and also in Lamagute -
you can order people to perform a traditional dance for you.
LEWOLEBA MARKET
The weekly market in Lewoleba is one of the biggest in Eastern Indonesia.
It attracts visitors and merchands from Alor and Pantar in the west, places
like Larantuka, Maumere and Ende on Flores in the west and the islands of Savu
and Raija in the south. In the dry season (March through December) several
thousand people flock to this market in the west of Lembata.
Most visitors come to sell and buy their food: fishermen, farmers and women
from the highlands with their colorfull ikat-decorated fabrics.
They sell and buy food, clothing, spices, cattle and tools. Other visitors
to there to gossip or to enjoy the atmosphere. And for the children the market
place is one big playing field.
Around 4 A.M. trucks deliver the first - sleepy - passengers. Until 11 A.M.
the trucks and bemo keep on driving. Throughout the day all kinds of boats
with marketeers arrive and depart. Canoo's with a diamont-shaped sail glide to
their parking place. Noisy boats with engines move besides the pillared
houses, pull out their engine and load their passengers on a shallow place in
the water. With their merchandize on their heads, the women in colorfull
sarongs walk to the shore.
Sweated farmers arrive on foot, some have a long trip behind them - on foot
- of sometimes eight to ten hours. A trip with a truck is too expensife for
them. They just bring a small bag of nuts, beans or tamarind with them.
A number of farmers uses the transport on Mondays to bring their harvest to
Lewoleba. Kopra is the most important product, followed by green beans, nuts
and tamarind. The government stimulated the cultivation of new crops, among
them coffee, cashewnuts and palmsugar, so they can be bought at the market as
well.
RISE OF LEWOLEBA
In the Dutch time, Lembata was then named Lomblen, Hadakewa – 20 kilometers
east of Lewoleba - was the most important market place of the island. After
the Second World War the small Lewoleba started to grow.
In the early 1950's the first Bajo - semi-nomadic fishermen from the island
of Adonara - built pillar houses off the coast, on grounds that were flooded a
part of the day. But at the end of the 1950's there were stil wild pigs around
Lewoleba and Hadakewa was still much more important.
The Indonesian government and the Catholic Church were at the base of the
rise of Lewoleba by making the village of arts the center of their activites.
Hadakewa now is a neglected provincial capital of a subdistrict.
The trade between the coastal residents and the population in the
hinterlands dates back for many years. The gatherers on the beach needed corn,
maniok, onions and vegetables, because the coastal area was dry and the soil
was infertile. The people from the hinterlands needed proteine and fish.
Most visitors of the market sell or buy small amounts: one kilo of corn, a
few eggs, a handfull tobacco, one or two pineapples and a little bit of
coffee. The women have spread their merchandize on a cloth. Chickens are hung
by the legs, a snorring pig is tied to a rope, just in case. For the entire
day, traders exchange the latest gossip, always chewing on a sirih-prune,
which colors the teeth red.
Some women sell homemade fabrics, which are as usual reasonably cheap.
Every once in a while you can find a great ikat, often a heirloom, saved for a
bridal treasury. These can be very expensive.
Traders from Savu also bring ikat; it looks like useless, but the designs
from Savu are very well received among the women on the market. They trade
their threads for these sarongs. Handmade cotton is popular because natural
dyes maintain better than the manufactured fabrics.
The most serious trade is that in daily needs: dried fish, nuts, rice,
corn, beans, maniok and kerosine. Everyone knows the price - trading level -
of these goods. As soon as a sale is approved - and often before - the men
drink a glass of palmwine.
Sellers of small snacks offer numerous snacks: roasted fish, sticky rice in
banana-leaves, colored cookies and cake, lemonade, fresh bread, popcorn and
fresh roasted peanuts.
Posted by Lambertus L. Hurek at 11:48 AM
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