BAJO TRIBE CHILD HAIRCUT
By: Nisa Syahidah (WWF-Indonesia)
There is something memorable about our journey in Tanjung Bunga Village, Lasolo Sub-district, North Konawe Regency. The Bajo tribe, a seafaring tribe, as in many other coastal villages of Southeast Sulawesi, dominates the community of this expansion village, which was officially established in 2007.
Dried seaweed of various colors is dried in the sun in the courtyards of residents' homes. Some are white, green, and pink. Seaweed cultivation in this village is quite advanced, supported by Village Regulations that set a higher price for buyers from outside, if not through the seaweed collector, Mrs. Martina.
Livelihoods in this village are not only capture and cultivation fishing - but also clove farming. Although, the eight-month long drought in 2015 was a big issue for the villagers. That was the story of Ibu Yuliati, the wife of the village head who is also the head of the Tanjung Bunga PKK. "There is only one spring above the garden, under the clove trees there," she said.
That day, from the beach of the neighboring village of Kampuh Bunga, we, accompanied this time by Om Diy (WWF-Indonesia) driving Dinggi, made our way through the village in good luck - with a bag full of crabs. We had bought them from a fisherman who had just returned to the village.
Not far from the Tanjung Bunga Village Treasurer's house, we see a blue tent and party chairs where the villagers have gathered. Mostly small children, laughing and shouting. Accompanied by their parents' voices through loudspeakers.
"Sai arang no?"I tried to sok speak Bajo, asking their names, when Irwan (WWF-Indonesia) and I visited the tent after the event. Some said their names shyly, focused on the large camera Irwan was carrying.
For a while we filmed the shy Bajo children singing a Bajo song - but their voices were loud. After one song, they suddenly continued with other lyrics.
"Stepmother.... Only love, to...."
"No, no ... We want to hear a Bajo song,"
"This father is jagooo singing Bajo songs!"
Everyone cheered when this middle-aged man confidently stood up and stretched himself in the middle of us. Our laughter even broke out when the little boy he was holding cried because of the father's hand gestures back and forth, including wiping the little one's face repeatedly.
"This is a haircut event," explained the woman who owned the house to us. We're already seated inside the house, and are treated to their delicious feast menu - especially the eggplant, Irwan says. "So, we Bajo give haircuts to small children, not necessarily immediately at birth but can wait for a year like this," he said.
As it turns out, aqiqah - cutting the hair of a newborn and slaughtering a goat in Islam, in Bajo Islam is a haircut tradition held for their toddlers. This procession is important in the life cycle of Bajo children, so that they are blessed with goodness throughout their lives.
We continued munching on rice with fish, boiled eggs, and eggplant seasoned with shaved coconut. Before munching on crabs that were being boiled at the village treasurer's house.