Mollo: The bulbous house, the sacred mountain of Mutis, and “Mama” who against the marble quarries
If Catholics are taught that the church and his people cannot be separated with the body of Christ, the Indigenous community Mollo, Soe-South Central Timor, believes that human should be united with nature, respect the ancestors, and believe in God. The Philosophy of life doesn’t just apply to them, but also to their guests, including me.
How do they make it happen? How do they invite guests to get to know and abide by and respect their beliefs? Matheos Anin, the traditional leader of Fatumnasi, shows a traditional house roofed thatch grass, which is called a bulbous house.
The traditional house was indeed round, just like the cap-haired weeds. But it’s not about the form; it’s about what’s in it.
When you enter the house, then you should put your head down, because the height of the door is only third of your body. There is a philosophy about putting your head down: “That means guests must be subject to the host, the ancestors, and the Lord God,” said Matheos to me during a visit last weekend.
Christian -Dicky-Senda, Mollo native who has managed to receive tertiary education and established their own community Lakoat.Kajawas in Kapan, still in South Central Timor, agrees with his senior Matheos’ explanation of the philosophy of the traditional house of the South Central Timor.
Dicky took me to the largest, roundest house. Of course, no matter how tall it was, the writer should put her head down upon entering the door.
Inside the house, there is a statue of their oldest ancestors carved from wood. There were also photographs of the ancestors.
There was no division of space in the house and it makes everything more simple. There are no barriers, only a bed, a closet, a living room, where the pigeons roost together and coil in one room. In one of the houses, we could see corn seeds ready for planting hanged, and some cassava which was also suspended.
There is a stove with charcoal that still flaming red in the middle of the house, heat a pot of water. The scenery in the house is reminiscent of the Pandora’s box with all of its magic.
Bulbous house is not just a place to rest, but also a place where the ultimate symbol of their ancestors is buried, a welcoming place where they cultivate their livestock and a place to store their crops. It’s all magic, especially for a writer who hails from the fast-paced island of Java.
Ritual to climb Mount of Mutis
Actually, not only through his architecture course, we can understand who Mollo people are, and why they are so closely with nature. Mollo in Fatumnasi people living at the foot of Mount Mutis, is about 130 kilometers from Kupang, capital of East Nusa Tenggara.
The mountain was not just any mountain to climb. All mountaineers around the world must perform the ritual if they want to feel the grass, the cliff and stepping stones there.
It is a ritual usually performed by Matheos, along with some elders who are considered able to communicate with nature. According to Matheos, in Mount Mutis there is an area called bonsai forest — filled with plants whose growth is purposely stunted. Matheos believe spirits dwell in the forest.
For a writer from the city, this story was a surprise. It’s thousands of kilometers from the island of Java island whose idea of modernization involves embracing a new cement plant in the middle of Karst Kendeng -There is a set of people who still hold tight to the belief that human and nature should be friendly with each other.
Even for the mountain climbing course, the elders must hold a ritual to ask for permission from the spirit of Mutis Mountain. Instead of ascertaining that this is merely a dynamism or a animism ritual, I consider that what Matheos did is his highest honor for the nature.
Supposedly in Fatumnasi, you cannot be indiscriminate when picking flowers. “You can pick flowers, as long as you’re willing to marry with the residents here,” Dicky Senda joked, implying that visitors treat a plant of the oldest indigenous people of Mollo, since the residents, too, are very careful with their nature.
Mama Aleta and female resistance of Mollo
Taking care of the nature is not only a symbol. The spirit of hospitality for the nature earned a Mollo resident named Aleta Baun an international award called The Goldman Environmental Prize in San Francisco, California, United States.
Mama Aleta, as she was commonly addressed, was one of the female heroes who refused marble quarries projects at the foot of Mount Mutis.
Once, as exemplified by Dicky Senda, there are marble quarries projects at the foot of Mount Mutis, just a few streets away from the house of Adat Matheos and Mama Aleta.
According to Dicky, there was no communication between local government and the residents of Mollo, where all the land is customary land. How could it issue licenses without the approval of the residents?
But the arbitrary annexation of land has occurred since the New Order. According to Dicky again, in the Soeharto era, lots of communal land was freed up arbitrarily by the Ministry of Forestry. There was no communication, especially the dialogue with indigenous elders. Everything was done unilaterally. If it was not presumptuous, then what was it?
Back to the marble quarry, Mama Aleta Mollo then mobilized women to come together against the mining company. Mama then asked the others to weave in stone, so that heavy equipment wouldn’t budge. For three years, they performed many of the protests which go to show that women of Mollo can fight with strength and without violence.
Finally, a mining company was successfully expelled.
What makes Mama Aleta sure they must keep fighting?
“Indigenous Tribe Molo has a spiritual relationship with the land and believe that everything is interrelated. Our slogan is that the ground meat, water is blood, stones are the bones, blood vessels and the forest are the hair. We believe that if we were to separate from one element of the nature of this, or if one of these elements breaks, we’ll die and lose our identity. It is important for us to protect our land, “ she said in an interview with the media.
Unfortunately, the writer only had a short visit in Fatumnasi, Mollo, South Central Timor. Many stories that inspired the writer to write a book.
How to force a local genius in Mollo has led society into a prosperous society and live in peace.
I had to leave the green pastures of Mollo, the cows and horses that go around grazing, cypress trees and countless biodiversity, and Matheos who was friendly and humorous.
Maybe one day the writer can enjoy the sunrise and sunset in Mollo again. Maybe, someday, at home naked in front of the hill. Bye Mollo!
This article is part of travel series writing from the writer who teach journalism throughout Indonesia.
To all foreign fellow who wants to visit Molo, you can contact Dicky Senda via twitter. He is the project director of @lakoatkujawas, and also a social entrepreneur based in Mollo, South Central Timor.
