West Papua has countless interesting traditions as a result of its rich culture. Many are credited for making life more meaningful. One of the many interesting traditions is the Anu Beta Tubat.
In fact, Anu Beta Tubat originated in Maybrat. This way of life of the Maybrat was designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia in 2017. The following is a simple explanation of this philosophy.
A Brief History of Anu Beta Tubat
For a long time, the people of Maybrat have adopted the popular motto to protect their harmonious living. Long ago, their ancestors had to survive in the karst mountains which were not suitable for farming. Plus, it rained irregularly, drying the plants to death.
As a result, they had to rely on what nature provided them with. Their food sources included wild animals, forest fruits, and freshwater fish. Their solidarity during tough times later became an inseparable part of their lives. Furthermore, that principle ran in the blood of future generations of Maybrat.
Also, wilderness brought them to the importance of collaboration to achieve communal welfare. Literally, the philosophy translates to “together we all lift the burden”.
It lasts for millennia. Particularly, it serves as the guardian of the harmonization of life in the Maybrat community that still goes around today.
Interestingly, Robert Isir and Reverend Herman Saud together formed a foundation under the same name in Jayapura, Papua, in 1983. It marked the beginning of the introduction and preservation of Maybrat cultural values to the public, especially to people outside West Papua.
The Implementation of the Ideology in Maybrats’ Everyday Life
The ideology is based on “gotong royong”, where a community commits to bearing the burden of an individual. This applies to any tribe that inhabits Maybrat. You can find the implementation of the ideology in the following activities:
- Clearing of gardens or fields;
- School financing;
- Construction of dormitories of urban schools;
- Payment for thesis preparation;
- Graduation payment;
- Payment of customary dowry and fines; and
- House construction.
In particular, the payment of customary dowry and fines uses “Timor cloth”. Depending on the age of the fabric, it costs from 500 thousand to hundreds of millions of rupiah. Through implementing the philosophy, people share the burden equally, and that ultimately brings them closer.
Anu Beta Tubat in Modern Days
Today, this ideology is still alive among the people of Maybrat. It is especially evident in the education sector. In this spirit, they build or repair school buildings, buy textbooks, and help pay for student exams.
They believe that poverty should not prevent the Maybrats from changing their lives for the better through quality education. Hence, the community works together to provide school facilities for local children and pay the salaries of temporary teachers.
A good example of the implementation of these moral values is George Saa’s admission to a postgraduate program at the University of Birmingham, England.
Saa was born into a modest family. His father, Silas Saa, was a regular civil servant in the Forestry Service for South Sorong. To send their five children to school, Saa and his wife, Nelce Wafom, do gardening. Saa and Wafom aspire to raise their children to become academics regardless of their financial standing.
Thanks to this philosophy, all members of the Saa family worked for hand in hand to support him financially. Saa admits that this ideology has also helped many of the Maybrat children to graduate from university.
Previously, Saa went to the Florida Institute of Technology and pursued his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. Then, Saa graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2018. His next target is to bring quality education to his birthplace.
Leaving Saa’s story behind, other government empowerment programs based on this motto have also shown tangible benefits. All in all, the Maybrat has proven that mutual assistance based on the application of Anu Beta Tubat can bring betterment to their lives and generations to come.
