Marapu and Farming: How Tourism Shape Rural Development and Ancient Tradition of Sumba Indigenous Community – Indonesia

Abstract

Tourism National Product during 2016 – 2017. Tourism development has extended beyond “Bali” Island in Eastern Indonesia in recent years. One of the famous and well-known tourism destinations in Eastern Indonesia is located in Sumba Island. This Island settled Indigenous communities practice Marapu belief system that closed related to the traditional practicing farming that attract Tourism. The paper explores Marapu and farming traditions and how recent Tourism promotions of Sumba Island have shaped rural development and ancient traditions. Data for this study were gathered as part of the first Author study on Farming System Research in Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara (ENT) province in last 10 years. The study showed that Marapu tradition is still practiced for local communities, however they have been able to incorporate some crops into traditional farming system for the market demand. The paper highlight that mixed-cropping system and diversity of food commodities keeps practiced by local communities of Sumba Island in order to minimize risk in fragile ecosystem. Strategy for Tourism development in Sumba Island should strengthen the local traditions/culture particularly in farming and in the same time protecting local resources/environment.

Land Cover Change and Food Security in Central Sumba: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decentralization Era in Indonesia

“…Rice is not only a main staple for Sumbanese people but also a "sacred" commodity that is related to several rituals in farming and the social lives of Sumbanese people [86]; however, there has been progressive change related to the technical aspects of farming in recent years as a direct impact of government interventions [87]. Regarding land reserved for rice farming, particularly irrigated land very limited in a predominantly savannah environment, land for rice is the most precious and protected land by the local people.…”

“…Decentralization and government interventions, especially progressive programs toward rice self-sufficiency implemented in recent years, have brought some gradual changes in social, cultural, and technical practices in rice farming (Table 5). The social and cultural ceremony related to rice farming is also gradually changing as most people are no longer under the local belief system, the so-called Marapu, but rather accept a new religion/belief system (predominantly Christianity) [86]. All respondents had their own rice land, either irrigated or rain-fed lowland.…”

Agricultural innovations and adaptation strategies among upland communities in the state boundary of Kupang District (Indonesia) and Oecusse Enclave (East Timor)

“…Although upland farming practice remains unchanged, local people were able to incorporate some new crops brought by outsiders, particularly by Chinese and Indian traders who buy sandalwood (Schafer 1963). Introducing new crops continued during the Dutch colony, particularly horticultural crops were mostly planted in the highland of Mutis and Amfoang regions to supply local markets in Timor (Ngongo 2011). Upland farming practices and extraction of natural resources in the region are dual economies in subsistence crop production and source of cash income (Chopin et al 2017;Shepherd and Palmer 2015).…”

“…Since 2013, Ministry of Agriculture through East Nusa Tenggara-Assistance Institute for Agricultural Technology (ENT-AIAT) has supported farmers in the boundaries of West Timor (Republic of Indonesia) and Republic Democratic Timor Leste (RDTL) through introducing/improving agricultural innovation in order to increase agricultural production and farmers' income. It is implemented through Agricultural Innovation Field Laboratory (AIFL) and similar program continues up to recently with so-called Agricultural Innovation Support (AIS) in the state boundary of RI-RDTL (Ngongo et al 2018). This paper overview agricultural innovations in remote areas of state boundary of RI-RDTL particularly in Kupang District, and investigate the responses and adaptability of farmers' to the harsh environment.…”