ROTE

 

Rote is an island known as Lolo Neo Do Tenu Hatu partly called it Nes Do Male or Lino Do Nes means an uninhabited and quite land. The term Rote was begun from Portuguese traders and missionaries in Indonesia 1512-1605. The tale drawn that in north of eastern Rote Island appeared Portuguese sheep anchored. There was a local resident faced with them, and they asked “what is this place? “And local resident by his confusing to answer the question, he told his name Rote comprehended by the sailor that it is the island name. By the occurrence island which is united in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia name Rote. The truth of name Rote supported by existence of original resident in eastern Rote has clan name “Rote” in Dutch government archive Rote Island written “Rotti” or “Rottij”. 

There has no truly evidence of Rote society come from. Supposing various expressions, views, and reasons about Rote society before must be studied continuously. The poem narrate brought by custom leader in Rote drawn that previously Rote Island uninhabited and it inhabited by group of clans which come from upper land or Lain Do Ata(northern). Another reason tells that Rote resident was coming from Ceylon, now it is known as Srilanka. It told based on facts about similar site names, resident familiarity pattern, and way to extract palm sugar in Lontar. 

 If it true that resident inhabited in Rote is those who come from Ceylon, so their coming equally with immigrants from north. It begins when Chola Dynasty broaden his power. They annexed Ceylon to island around, and in 1025 they attacked Sriwijaya Empire in Sumatera and Malay Peninsula in 1068-1069. After the domination, Southeast Asia ethnic attacked by immigrants from north where India and Ceylon become source of custom influence. 

 Another opinion about Rote society comes from Ceram (Seram). It is an island located in northern Ambon which now becomes unity of Maluku province. In Maluku islands, Ceram is the oldest island in geology structural in Pleistocene existed relation among Southeast Asian mainland and Indonesian western islands. According to society tale that first local resident of Rote comes from a place name Dai Laka.  It is one of sites in Ceram Island.  They come for the first time was a family clan Oke Mie. They sailed from Ceram passed Pukuafu strait. After Oke Mie come with his descendant, there also come a family clan inhibited in a village name Bilba beach, Danohloon. Invasion of Ceram resident to Rote also come from Alifuru clan. Alifuru, according to society tale in Maluku is original resident of Ceram Island or Mother Island (Nusa Ina) then spread out and inhibited island around. A.H. Keane alluded with term Alfuros. 

  Considering two opinions about origin local resident of Rote are probably relevant is second opinion tell that they come from Ceram Island which is closer geographically than Ceylon/Srilanka because there is resemblance custom in language or lingua among Rote and Ceram now. Rote society knows a sociology system mentioned with term Nusak. Nusak as a sociology system is a law area to be based on relationship where it consists of a group of society in one descendant leaded by Manek (King) and a Fetor as fellow. In Rote society life concept besides there are king and fellow, there are also certain symbols given to certain invidious agreeable to their own ability and duty.This matter is a realization of attempting to built and organize social life better in social system integrated. It mentioned that unity of human life in social framework relationship generating root of life framework relate to concept aspect, behavior and realistic of togetherness arrangement. It is an institution political, a custom arrangement in society aimed to fulfill human requirement and to organizecluster life. There role and benefit are: Mane Songo (spirituality), Man Dope (Judge), Mane DaeLanggak (set pertaining to Land and Farm), Mane Lala (Farming Marsha), Langga Mok (Field, Farm, and Garden Marshal),Mane Holo (Ocean, Forest, and Plant Marshal), Langgak (Village Leader), Lasin (Subordinator of Village).

Government system in Rote built through Nusak present a solid framework in harmoniousness sociology. It is unreleased among all Nusakin Rote where the relationship between king and society are respecting each other. In a custom expression, there is concept about relation between king and society crowed “Tungga Manaparenda Dean” means harmoniousness in life, where a chief always rise up in society as a disciple follow the chief. Even though like that, the existence of life in Rote keep up respect democracy and human rights. Every trouble in either society or chief will be corrected and an error will be got sanction, where everyone is similar in law eye. For example a king got motion unbelievable of society, he must be retired. In Nusak Thie, custom law, when a king sent materials like meat, it certain requires king has to retire. It is a symbol of society unbelievable to king.

Perceive democracy concept in all Nusak in Rote. It required knowing that inheritance of king in Rote unrecognized term “crown prince”, that is Ana Manek or King Son. King in Nusak elected by society based on his ability and did not determinate by next heir as transpired in crown prince. In sociology layering system trait, election king concept by Rote society known as Open Social Stratification. It is a system where everyone has a chance to attempt with own skill or ability go up to a layer rank, and conversely one who disability go down to lower layer.

The coming of Dutch expansion signed Portuguese castle seized in Ambon 1605, and establishment of Batavia in Jakarta underneath J.P. Coen in 1619 is a beginning of Dutch government to occupy apart of Indonesia spread out power, do not except in Rote. Appearance of Dutch government influence social organizing before, by Dutch government initiative formed a small king from all Nusak before. Dutch government insight with Devide et Impera political changed Rote life arrangement society from custom unity be empire, it is a Dutch government strategy in easier to manage and empowering colony target. Nusak before separated into society in descendant exchange territory.

Here are followings Nusak in Rote:

Nusak Delha, Nusak Thie, Nusak Oenale, Nusak Ndao, Nusak Dengka, Nusak Lelain, Nusak Ba’a, Nusak Lole, Nusak Termanu, Nusak Keka, Nusak Talae, Nusak Korbafo, Nusak Diu, Nusak Lelenuk, Nusak Bokai, Nusak Bilba, Nusak Ringgou, Nusak Opao, and Nusak Landu.

Form of territory is reverse sideRote society change life arrangement society more opened. Tribal life arrangement characteristic before, limited, small, and opened change to opened ethnic society. Rote society divided based into some Nusakbut in various clan in each Nusak. Each Nusak has own clan classification. Example in Nusak Thie, it consists of twenty five clans where from them separated into two big clans Sabarai and Teratu. There are also separated group of society in Rote beside Nusak and clan. Leo and Teidalek are also a separating of society. Leo is a group of society birth from one certain descendant, meanwhile Tiadalek or Uma Isi is one who birth in one womb.

Far away before Christian come to Rote, society obedient traditional credence Hailaik or Dinitiu. Either Hailaik or Dinitiu is Animism and Dynamism that is credence of universe sovereign called Lamatuak or Lamatuan (the Almighty God). The coming of Christian to Rote, obedient of Hailaik is beginning decrease. It because Rote society little by little obedient Christian which come in together expansion of Dutch government.     

 “LIFE MUST BE VERY CHEAP OVER THERE” MULTATULI ABOUT ROTE ISLAND

This article is posted January 9, 2013 in http://matheosmessakh.blogspot.nl by Matheos Messakh, He is a journalist and writer comes from Rote Island, Indonesia. Now he lives in Leiden, Holland. I will be rewriting it in English version to disclose Rote Island, Society, Nature and Social Life there.

DID YOU KNOW THAT EDUARD DOWES DEKKER ALIAS MULTATULI HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT THE SOUTHERN ISLAND OF INDONESIA, ROTE IN HIS NOVEL MAX HAVELAAR?

In 19 century Novel mentioned by PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOERas the book destroys colonialism, a suspicious part appears. A character in that Novel, BATAVUS DRYSTUBBLE, he is a Coffee Broker from Amsterdam. He got a bundle of strange collection manuscript from a person name SCRAFTMAN (look Max Havelaar, Chptr IV). Scraftman described himself as a poet and writer who has done many thinking, working, and looking. Although Drystubble originally is a businessman and coffee trader uninteresting with this present, but he wanted to explore pages of this collection. As like dissertation from a modern university, it loaded essays from all sorts topic: Aristocrat origin, Russian origin, Iceland Mythology, about a discovering of Zirah dress, about an architect of Moor, China Wayang (puppet), theory of Malthus population in its relation with the subsistence, etc. Drystubble always gives comment on this list. Such as for example he wrote “I’ve told that it is strange list”.

There is an entry captivated Drystubble attention among the length list “about people did not eat in Rote Island nearby Timor Island” to those who know Rote will understand that this entry refers to the fact that Rote people consumption majority of their meals by combine with their beverage. Beside that, Food of Rote people certainly contained much fluid. For example in the early morning Rote shepherd children carry Lontar or palm sugar tree (in Kupang Malay is “Gula Aer”) for Lunch. Shepherd children seldom carry foodstuffs; they more depend to buffalo, cow or sheep milk they herded. Sometimes they carry fried corn dipped into palm sugar to drink midday. In palm sugar crop monsoon, Rote people have habit to drink extract palm sugar tree (in Rote language “Tua” or “Tuak”) in the morning and afternoon. Beside that, Rote people have habit to eat seaweed, kelor leaf, papaya leaf; combine with sugar has been fermented. The food is called Lawar. There also habit to drink sugar combines with medical herbs “Laru”. Other than that, all meals of party in Rote boiled largely. 

Back to Max Havelaar, Drystubble translated the manuscript differently, according to him, Rote people could avoid expensive and meal trouble. With his pencil scribbling he added to the list “Life must be Very Cheap Over here”.

Well-known anthropology James J. Fox lifted up the theme as an opening of his famous book “Harvest of the Palm: Ecological Change in Eastern Indonesia” (Harvard, 1977). Fox mentioned his book as substitute of Scrafman imagination about the manuscripts.

When Scrafman imagined, Fox come to Rote with his wife and live there in 1965-1966, at MiasKiuk family house in Ufa Len, Termanu (it is Central Rote sub district now) for a year. Fox child appointee by Daelangak,StefanusAdulanu and the last Termanu king Ernst Amalo called Fox as the child of his Sister. In Rote, a child called his mother’s brother To’o. So, for Fox, Ernst king then become as a central Rote sub district head now is his-To’o (Fox, 1989). StephanusAdulanu usually called MenoTua because his position as a Daelangak (Head) from Meno clan has passed away March 30, 1970 and Fox finished his study in Harvard, then back to Rote in September 1972. Based on Fox suggestion and agreed by his older brother AyuAdulanu, built a monument to memorize his foster father. Monument to memorize someone called Tutus. That time, built of Tutus has been left by Rote society, because it infidel considered by Church but Fox succeed to assure his family and his to’o family Ernst Amalo to build Tutus.

The Tutus ritual is establishment of monument that made of wood with stone as the foundation to memorize an important character that has passed away. Fox (1971), cleared that: ”All Rotinese rituals of the life-cycle are explicitly phrased in a botany idiom that draws multiple metaphoric analogies between human life and the growth of specific plants. Thus a single idiom encompasses both human and agricultural ritual”. 

  After passed the length preparation, and even passed debate in Church assembly, Tutus finally built and named Dale Sue (Dear heart) in June 30, 1973. We back to Fox reaction about Scrafman imagination that “Rote people drink they meals” to Fox, in fact that people in island that located in eastern corner Indonesia largely drink their meals than eat it, it is unusual social fact and interesting. But more interesting that Rote people and their neighbor Sabu Island must achieve their economic advantage of unusual subsistence (Fox, 1977:3).

Most Rote people probably did not realize economic advantage have been achieved by them in that island because they birth and grow up in that island. Sometimes closeness of physique and mental made our sensibility and social analysis decrease. Rote people birth with Gula Aer, drinks palm sugar, eat seaweed, drink Laru, eat Lawar with Papaya or kelor leaf fresh raw food, drink sheep, buffalo or cow milk. We probably watch it as only appropriateness. There also consider it as out-of-date. But it has shaped their spirit and history up now. To those who know a little bit about social history of Rote and Sabu people will be enough captivated how people from two small island and dry land are not only survive but they able to carry their selves as a main actor of social history in Timor. Rote people are really remarkable. 

Bibliography
Fox, James, Harvest of the Palm: Ecological Change in Eastern Indonesia.” Harvard, 1977.
Fox, James, ”The Aroma of the Name, The Celebration of A Rotinese Ritual of Rock and Tree”, dalamRituals and Socio-Cosmic Order in Eastern Indonesian Societies; Part I Nusa Tenggara Timur 145 (1989), no: 4, KITLV Leiden, Pg. 520-522.
Fox, James, ‘Sister’s child as plant: Metaphors in an idiom of consanguinity’, in: R. Needham (ed.), Rethinking kinship and marriage, pp.219-52. London, 1971: Tavistock.
Multatuli [Eduard Douwes Dekker], Max Havelaar, Rotterdam: Elsevier, 1881.