Johannes Hammerle: Uncovering the mysterious past

Duncan Graham, Contributor, Nias | Wed, 08/18/2010

Wanted: A university with a strong commitment to anthropology and archaeology, or a passionate philanthropist with similar interests.

The task: To build on existing scholarly research and maintain an outstanding collection of artefacts, thereby preserving records of a mysterious past and its unique treasures.

The reward: International acclaim.

Last year Father Johannes Hammerle, the founder and director of the Nias Heritage Museum, had a major health scare undergoing a prostate gland operation at a Sumatra hospital.

No cancer was detected and the German-born priest looks exceedingly spry. But he’s just a few months from turning three score and ten, and there’s nothing like an encounter with a surgeon’s scalpel to sharpen the mind.

Not that a Capuchin friar needs a mortality alert, but it just helps make the need for future planning even more urgent.

Nias was Father Johannes’ first posting. He arrived on July 21, 1971, after spending months in Sumatra learning Indonesian.

“At the time if I’d had the chance to choose I would have stayed in Sumatra,” he said. “Why should I go to a little island?”

Apart from discovering that the majority were Protestant (though ministers say the introduced religions don’t run deep), the first shock was discovering that his Sumatra studies were of limited help.

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City Tour of Gunungsitoli

Text and photo: Tikwan Raya Siregar

After descending from the Merpati Nusantara Airlines flight on the 30^th of April 2010, I was invited to the Bandara Binaka VIP Room. The Director of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board in Medan, Noor Azman Samsudin, and the Consulate General of the USA, Stanley Harsha, were going to be there too. The head of Tourism and Culture in Gunung Sitoli, Yulianus Harefa, honoured to receive the consulate and the director, had prepared some welcome snacks. We were involved in a light discussion before our departure for Gunung Sitoli. Stanley said that he was curious to see how Nias had changed since his last visit. Mr. Yulianus Harefa said that he was sure much had changed.

“Before, it look 8 hours from Gunungsitoli to Teluk Dalam. We even had to wait for the tides in some rivers before being able to cross,” remembers Stanley. They discuss a number of other memories, a discussion I am not involved in, because I have never been to Nias. As it is my first visit, I don’t have any previous memories to compare to, except for the news of the backwardness, tourism, and political conflict after the achievement of autonomy. Of course, the 2004 tsunami, which had completely rearranged the structure of Tanö Niha. The national and international help efforts had helped to improve the infrastructure of Nias, in particular air access to the island.

A half hour later we are accompanied to Miga Beach Hotel in Gunung Sitoli, which is said to be the best hotel in this city. If this is the best, by Gunungsitoli standards, then my perception changed as we entered the lobby.

Let me tell you a little about the lobby. Open walls. The middle of the room has a natural wood structure about 50 cm in diameter. Traditional Nias statues in pagan nudity stand in front of the receptionist’s desk. A wooden bench runs along 4 of the 6 sides of the building, for guest to sit on while checking in or out. The roof of the lobby is thatched in the tradition of the North Nias ethnic group. I feel as it I have been taken back to the Flintstone era.

Around the lobby, there is the atmosphere of a calm Nias village with an open cottage hall, small huts for relaxing and a peer for ships to dock stretching into the sea. Stanley and Noor Azman didn’t think that they would find such a thought out modern concept in Nias. The room have a natural touch, with antique furniture. North Nias accessories are used to decorate the rooms. This hotel is our first surprise on our visit to Gunungsitoli.

***

There were two reasons for coming to Gunung Sitoli. Firstly, we were going to join the “Tourism Revival in Nias” (“Kebangkitan Pariwisata Nias”) seminar, organized by the Head of Culture and Tourism in Gunungsitoli, Yulianus Harefa. The seminar, followed by more than 400 participants was to conceive a strategy and unite the views of all the autonomous regions in Nias in order to revive the tourism industry.

Apart from Stanley Harsha and Noor Azman Samsudin, a number of other speakers were invited to speak on this day, including Frans Teguh, Head of Planning, the Director General of Tourism Development, ILO activitiests from a number of countries, Cosmas Harefa from Medan Tourism Academy, and a number of consulates from various European countries. This programme invited the heads of a number of autonomous regions in Nias, including the Mayor of Gunungsitoli, Martinus Lase.

A day before the seminar, we were invited on city tour of Gunungsitoli. And one of the activities for was visiting a traditional Nias village in the north of Nias. The village is named Tumöri Balöhili in the West Gunungsitoli district. It is only about 8 km from the city centre by a smooth but quite narrow road. Tourists who enjoy cycling would enjoy coming to this location by bicycle, an old village settlement on the top of a low hill.

Besides the warm welcome we received in this village, the interesting thing was the completeness of cultural items in each house. The most interesting and important of which is a stone sculptured to look like a deer head (osa-osa). This stone is an important status symbol. The more stones (a megalithic cultural inheritance) placed in front of house, the higher their social status. In order to obtain the rights of the stone, one must first sacrifice a pig.

Pigs are very important in Nias tradition. Bride price on Nias is measured in pigs. For a wedding, the bridegroom’s family must prepare at least 22 pigs to be slaughtered. This rule has made the Nias women famous as the most “expensive” women in Indonesia, when seen from cultural traditions.

Tradition Nias houses have a stable construction, mainly formed from a criss-cross wooden foundation without nails. Perhaps this construction was what saved every single traditional house on Nias during the earthquake and tsunami in 2004. The living room is the most important part of the building, which is where the family portraits and status symbols are hung. Status in very important for the people of Nias.

The houses in the north and the south of Nias are slightly different, the most noticeable difference being in the roof. Innorthern Nias, the roofs are pointed, while the South Nias roofs are longer. Even though both the ethnic groups are Nias people, the two ethnic groups have different social characters and respond differently to outsiders. The people in North Nias are more educated and aware of the importance of tourism. This is possibly due to the better access to the outside world; including a dock, an airport and better infrastructure.

Gunungsitoli itself was the capital of North Nias regency before the island was divided to become 5 autonomous regions. Meanwhile, the people of South Nias, in particular those who live in traditional villages are still quite wild and shut themselves off from the outside world.

The village of Tumöri Balöhili itself, is part of the Gunungsitoli tourism programme. Despite this, until today, there is no special culinary or dishes to be found in this village. The only entertainment to be had was the traditional palm wine tuo ni faro from the small shops next to the road. Stanley Harsha was curious about what he had heard about Nias palm wine or tuak, and wished to try. He had only had one at a palm wine shack, when his face began to turn red and he began to talk about the differences between Asian and European women. When we accused him of being drunk, he denied it and wanted everyone to sing.

The village of Tumöri Balöhili and its hard liquour was the second surprise for us.

***

However, the high point of our short visit to Gunungsitoli is a project called Nias Heritage Museum (Museum Pusaka Nias), passionately run by Pastor Johannes M. Hämmerle, a Catholic priest. Nias Heritage Museum dedicated to collecting hundreds of cultural items from all over Nias. Some of the artifacts are thousands of years old. This project is valuable due to its age and the variety of the different cultural items. For example, there are traditional costumes from different periods. The oldest is a costume made from bark and animal skins. The newest costumes are the product of modern weaving techniques showing the evolution of Nias identity.

The pastor is not only a collector of artifacts, but has written more than 8 books about Nias culture, folklore, ethnography, art and the story of Catholic missionaries in Nias. All visitors agree that the Museum Pusaka Nias is run at an international standard. If it is seen from the concept, technology and the unique culture to be found here, then this museum is the best city museum in Sumatera, alongside the Rahmat International Wildlife Gallery and the Museum Negeri Sumatera Utara (North Sumatera National Museum). The people of Gunungsitoli should be proud of this project because even Medan, as the capital of North Sumatera, doesn’t have a city museum (the national museum is run by the provincial government although it’s situated in Medan).

Another unique fact about the Museum Pusaka Nias is that their work is not limited to the museum complex itself. At the moment, Pastor Johannes and the museum staff which consists of original Nias people are running the “living museum” programme, which is aimed at conserving the traditional culture in Nias’ exotic and culture is an integral part of their daily lives. One of the other activities run by the museum is implementing cultural heritage curriculum in village elementary schools.

It is practically unbelievable that the person behind this labour of love is a German priest who originally didn’t feel an emotional tie to Nias. In the midst of a trend towards cultural items that should have been protected getting lost or destroyed, pastor Johannes has been struggling to stem his flow since 1995. The income from the museum is around Rp   50 million a month, however the expenses are about Rp 50 million a month , not including  funds for developing the museum. However, due to the pastors seriousness and passion, a number of personal relations have donated money to the museum. Unfortunately the help is not continuous or reliable,  that the continuation of the museum is still under threat and dependant on the figure of pastor Johannes who is now 69 years old.

This private museum is open to the public. If you wish to stay longer, they have a mess in the complex on the sea. The museum is situated next to a beach  with crystal clear waters. The pastor has had a hand at providing a shady, cool resting place by planting big trees and bamboo. Staying here is an alternative way of enjoying Gunungsitoli.

***

Gunungsitoli has number of beaches, where you can do a number of marine activities. At the moment, there are a few restaurants on the seafront serving seafood. In Gunungsitoli, you can find suppliers of accommodation, transportation and other services to help you explore the whole island of Nias. You can visit the village of Bawo Mataluo in south Nias, about 3 hours from Gunung Sitoli. This village on a hill is the most popular village for tourists on Nias, because here the stone jumping attraction can be performed on demand in its original location. As many as 98% of the houses are still the same as when they were first built.

Or if you’re in to surface, of course Nias is the place to be. Surfers all over the world have noted Nias as a prime surfing a spot. Apart from the great waves, surfers love the warm sea. Before the recent global economic crisis, a number of international surfing competitions were held here.

And if you’re in to fishing and diving, west Nias and Teluk Dalam is your destination. Prepare your line for the fierce fish and you can go and isolate yourself on one of the many small  islands off the coast of Nias. Ya’ahowu!. _{(Source: “Inside Sumatera”, June 2010, page, 44-51)}

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Nias — not just stone jumping and surfing

By: George Junus Aditjondro <Source: The Jakarta Post>

Stone jumping (hombo batu) and surfing are the two most well-known attractions for tourists coming to the island of Nias, 75 miles west of Sumatera, which only take place in Teluk Dalam on Nias’ south coast. Young Nias men jump over 2-meters stone walls for Rp 50,000, in the village of Bawomatoluo. Meanwhile, surfing was introduced and developed by foreign tourists on the beach of Sorake.

Coming all the way to Nias, however, tourists should not limit themselves to stone jumping and surfing, since the island — with a civilization dating back to the Dongson period of North Vietnam — has a unique traditional architecture adapted to the frequent earthquake tremors in the region.

Two original solutions were created by the Nias ancestors. Firstly, all houses were set on a series of vertical pillars (enomo) which are not anchored into the ground, but rest on stone blocks. Secondly, the vertical pillars were reinforced by slanting piles (ndriwa), which created a very resistant earthquake-proof three-dimensional structure.

While surviving earthquakes, Nias traditional architecture is presently endangered by two big challenges, namely deforestation and modernization. Nias has largely been stripped of its forests over the past 150 years since head hunting ceased and the population grew rapidly. This has nearly depleted the native efoa, manawa dano, and simalambuo hardwood trees, used for the pillars of the traditional clan houses (omo hada), chief houses (omo sebua or omo nifolasara) and large meeting halls (omo bale).

Secondly, modernization has reduced the strength of the clan (mado), with most Nias people preferring now to live in Malay houses, while the government has also forsaken Nias traditional architecture in all official buildings.

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Nandrulo

Museum Pusaka Nias ingin memperkenalkan Nandrulo yang semakin lama tidak diketahui lagi oleh masyarakat Nias.

Video diolah oleh: Gratiano Telaumbanua

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Nias Language

A. The culture of Nias: Where does the original culture come from?
B. Nias tribe: Where does it come from originally?
C. Nias language: Where does it come from originally?

Related to the three above questions, I want to attract the attention of linguists toward the mystery of Nias. Starting setting up a hypothesis spontanously, I attempt to give an answer upon the questions, depicting Nias which is retrospective and at the same time may be an inspirative vision for linguists that is hoped expose the origin of Nias language.

A. The Culture of Nias

The culture of Nias as we recognize today, seems not too old, only The fact that about 500 years. It is estimated new, does not mean recent created, but it means that the culture just received in Nias island from outside and afterwards became an important factor of development. Once the new culture is adopted, and more and more the typical characteristic of the original language disappear and is now seen as the original culture of Nias.

Perhaps, the new imported culture is coming from China. The culture of China begins to enter the island since about 500s years ago by a group of Chinese immigrants in Lahusa and Gomo district, centre Nias.

The new comers have knowledge and skill in any field, thus their arrival brings about changing. More and more their culture is to be dominant on the island. I briefly mention some developments such as: architecture, carpentry, agriculture, cattle and textile as well as megalithic culture, sculpturing, genealogy and strata system.

Let’s see the geographical map. Facing the east coast in Lahusa district, 110 kilometres straight to eastern part, is situated port and town of Chinese “Singkuang” (=New Land) in west coast of Sumatra. 500s years ago, was found a dock in Singkuang. The skillful carpenters are of course able to build traditional houses (rumah adat) as we do admire in Nias.

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Society and Culture in Nias

Paper presented at the Conference at the Museum for Ethnology, Vienna, October 30th & 31st 2006 – Traditional Architecture And Art On Nias – Session: Ethnology and Society.

1. Nias, Land of Men, in Tremor and Transition

There are two great plates in confrontation, the Eurasian and the Pacific plate, which created the island of Nias. By innumerable earthquakes during millions of years between the two plates the little island or the whole Nias-archipel arose from under the sea. There are ancient teeth of sharks in the Museum Pusaka Nias in Gunung Sitoli, that are between 5 and 12 millions years old. These teeth were found in the interior of the island. Nias people named these teeth Si’ugu Mbanua (thunder of sky) or Lelegua.

Nomen est Omen – Various Names of the island Nias

In a geographic book of Edrisi (1154) the island is named Niyan. In another document Ibn Al-Wardi (about 1340) mentions two names of the island, al-Binaman and al-Banan, names which refer to the banana-fruit. [1] Other names were told by the oral tradition to us: [2]

Once a time the island was called parrots-island (hulo ge’e). Hundreds of green parrots flew over the island. Shortly the year 2000 they had been extirpated.
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Museum Pusaka Nias and the Earthquake 28.03.05

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Nias Artifacts Damaged in Powerful Earthquake

On March 28, 2005 a powerful earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale hit the island of Nias (Northern Sumatera, Indonesia), killing more than 839 people.

Nias Heritage Museum (Museum Pusaka Nias) is generally safe, but a part of its valuable and significant artifacts were broken especially ceramics, pottery, old wood, megalithic stones, etc. Collections in the storage area got serious cracks and were broken. Now we are identifying the damages to the collection and the building. 113 seriously damaged artifacts have been found so far . We are expecting emergency aid to restore the artifacts. The urgent need is to provide a permanent storage for the collection. See images

The huge disaster also hit and destroyed part of the museum facilities:

• Concrete security fence: Height 2 m; length 106 m.

• Concrete bridge: length 30 m; height 3,5 m

• 1 Temporary storage for collection.

• 2 rental houses for staff members.

• Frosted glass (Display casing).

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