Photo exhibition explores lives of Java's Samin tribes

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 03/08/2008 6:18 PM | Arts & Design

Identity cards display more than just your name, date of birth and address. They also reveal your job, your marital status and your religion.

If you take a close look at the ID card of a Central Javanese Samin tribesperson, you will notice the religion section is left blank.

"It's because our religion is not one of the five religions recognized by the government," said Gun Retno, a Samin from Surabaya.

Little is known about the Samin tribe and, unfortunately, they are often stereotyped as lazy and anti-development.

This stereotype is derived from Samin Surantiko, a public figure who lived in the Samin community at the border of East Java and Central Java. Samin led his people through the struggles of Dutch colonialism and was known to refuse to do anything ordered by the Dutch.

His resistance inspired people in Pati, Blora, Kudus and Bojonegoro to respond to the Dutch in the same way. Their resistance to the Dutch, however, created the Samin stereotype, known as sedulur sirep.

Peter Dwiyanto, a photographer from Surabaya and alumni of Petra Christian University, has long felt troubled by the stereotype. He felt motivated to research the tribe for his final major work as a student. He lived for a month with the Samin tribes in Pati, Kudus and Blora to learn more about them.

He learned the people, who wear black clothes and batik headscarves, value honesty, reflected in a list of the tribes' 20 taboos.

The taboos include being jealous, envious, frugal and easily upset. Stealing, pilfering, touting, lying and being ungrateful are also taboo.

"Essentially the Samin people are honest in their activities and attitudes," Peter said.

Following this philosophy allowed Peter to enjoy unforgettable experiences during his stay in the communities.

"Someone left some money in a Samin community in the 80s and it is still being well-kept," he said.

Gun said the Samin maintained honesty in everything they say and do. They do what they say and say what they do. If they think they will not be able to do it, they will not say they can. Because of this tradition, the Samin are often regarded as strange.

Gun, who has four children, is reluctant to speak Indonesian because he thinks he is not proficient in the language.

"I prefer to speak Javanese because this is the language I know and understand best. When I speak Indonesian, I feel afraid I will make mistakes," he said in Javanese.

The farmer in black said that his choice to speak Javanese did not mean that the Samin rejected anything new introduced to them, including technology.

"We also have TVs, tractors to harvest the rice fields and other modern items in our village. But we only use them when necessary, not excessively," he said.

When it comes to education, the Samin prefer to teach their children about life based on their own experiences. The sons learn how to farm from their fathers while the girls learn cooking from their mothers.

"We don't teach them reading and writing, but if they want to, they can learn from their friends," he said.

As a result, most of the Samin do not have the same type of education as other Indonesians. After graduating from elementary school, they work on the land.

The Samin refuse to pretend they belong to one of six recognized faiths -- Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

"If we say we are Muslim or Christian, we have to live a way of life in accordance with the religion. But we are not Muslim and we are not Christian and we don't have any religion recognized by the government," he said.

The Samin have their own religion they call Adam so they prefer to keep the religion section on their ID cards blank.

"It seems we can't do that anymore because we have to fill in that part," he said.

A two-week photo exhibition featuring the life of the Samin people is being held at the French Cultural Center in Surabaya until March 11.

East Java town of Pacitan celebrates ancestors, 632rd anniversary

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Pacitan | Fri, 02/29/2008 11:56 AM | Java Brew

Ki Bonokeling, Ki Setroketipo and Kanjeng Jimat probably never imagined their lives in Pacitan would continue to be remembered by their descendants until today.

But it was at their graves that Pacitan residents recently held a series of celebrations to mark the East Java town's 623rd anniversary.

Unlike most cemeteries, the graveyard complex of Giri Sampoerno in Tanjung Asri village of Pacitan subdistrict is located on the top of a hill.

The graves there cover most parts of the hill, which is located one kilometer away from the heart of the town where President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono grew up.

The grave of Joyoniman, also known as Kanjeng Jimat, the 12th Pacitan regent who is remembered as the great leader who developed the town, can be found there.

He was also considered a holy man because it was through him that Islam began to spread through Pacitan.

"After Kanjeng Jimat gained power, Pacitan grew to become an advanced region," Imam Koesno, a senior citizen who is also the juru kunci (caretaker) of Kanjeng Jimat's grave, told The Jakarta Post.

Pacitan is known as the place where Javanese kings went to meditate and the place where the great Sudirman, a national hero, chose to hide when he was being pursued by the Dutch.

"I heard there's one cave where kings meditated and which was also used by the late former president Soeharto," Fathoni, head of the Pacitan Tourism Office, told the Post.

The history of Pacitan started with the arrival of Ki Bonokeling -- one of the messengers of King Brawijaya who was sent to the area bordering East Java and Central Java in the 12th century. Ki Bonokeling's descendants remained as significant figures for four generations.

When Islam arrived, the fourth Ki Bonokeling, the area's ruler, objected when Kyai Ageng Petung, who was also spreading Islam in Java, brought his religion to Pacitan. The two clashed and waged war.

It was believed the fourth Ki Bonokeling held divine powers which rendered him immortal.

However, Kyai Ageng Petung killed him by cutting his body into three; each body part was then buried in a different location and separated by a river. From then on, Islam began to grow in Pacitan.

The name Pacitan itself is believed to come from the word pace -- the fruit of the small bengkudu tree; the roots of which are used to produce dyes.

King Mangkubumi, who recovered from paralysis by drinking the juice of the fruit, was believed to be the first to mention the name. Setroetipo, a fifth-generation descendant of Bonokeling and who was a Muslim, was the person who gave the juice to Mangubumi.

"The story continued until Pacitan was controlled by Joyoniman or Kanjeng Jimat, the descendant of the tenth Bonokeling who held authority from 1840," said Koesno quoting the Babad Pacitan (the story told in Javanese and the languages of Sunda, Bali and Madura, which recounts the history of Pacitan).

Kanjeng Jimat himself was a simple man and a dutiful follower of Islam. One of his ambitions was to turn Pacitan into an Islamic city, so when he passed away, his wish was to be buried on top of a hill facing Pacitan city.

From his grave, a visitor can view Pacitan city and its surrounds all the way to Teleng Ria beach in the south.

The grave itself is simple and has no special monuments, but has become a magnet drawing Pacitan residents who believe some graves are sacred and hold special powers.

"There are three graves in Pacitan which are often visited and where people pray -- the graves of Kanjeng Jimat, Setroketipo and Buonokeling," said Koesno.

The simplicity and sanctity of Kanjeng Jimat is the inspiration for the celebration of Pacitan's anniversary in 2008.

Popular performances from the regency's 12 subdistricts, such as the traditional kirab parade and puppet shows, were organized for residents.

"Our philosophy is to use the celebration of Pacitan's birthday to improve the city and religious observance," Fathoni said.