TUMORI TRADITIONAL SETTLEMENT, TRACES OF NOBLEMEN’S SPLENDOR IN THE PAST

One of the wooden oval traditional house in Tumori

Thirty minutes drive from Binaka ariport, heading to the western part of Gunungsitoli city, we will find a traditional settlement called Tumöri village in the West Gunungsitoli Sub-district. The name of Tumöri was taken from the name of a giant tree found on that place by the founders of the village. There are 10 wooden oval traditional houses left aged between 50-120  years stand stately of 21 houses previously. 9 houses were demolished by its heirs due to the disability in maintaining the preservation and fighting over inheritance, while the other two aged traditional houses collapsed due to earthquake hit Nias last 2005. 

This traditional settlement was an Öri (literally ring, circle, and by extension unt, group of villages), group of villages belongs to the same clan constituted a teritorial unit. It is proven by most of the people in this village and also the surrounding villages come from the same clan and have the same family name “Zebua”. Those surrounding villages are Tumöri O’o, Orahili Tumöri, Tumöri Gada, Tumöri Balöhili, Sihare’ö Siwahili and Lölömoyo Tuhemberua.

People of Tumöri are so different to other villages’ where both men and women have more fair-complexioned skin and good looking (there is a Nias song entitled “Mado Zebua” mention how adorable those mado Zebua are”). It is also shown from their culture and tradition which is thight and maintained until now. Most people of Nias acknowledge that people of Tumöri are very strict in their tradition, imposing very high dowry and sacrificing many pigs in every big feasts especially wedding party – it is not surprising when many men are discouraged to marry girls in Tumöri. These variables indicate that traces of noblemen’s splendor is really exist in Tumöri.

Viaro and Ziegler (Traditional Architecture of Nias Island) said that Social Organization was very important in Nias community in the past. The clan –mado- is the largest reference unit. Then comes the extended family, embracing the nuclear families. These levels of social organization are intersected by a system of social categories: “noblemen” – this approximation at least indicating that they perceive themselves and are perceived by others as being of a superior rank – commoners and, up to the beginning of this century, slaves.

Every Niha belongs to a clan going back to an ancestor who, if he is not mythical, is at leat mythified. The importance of this adherence is underlined by the fact that every Niha knows his clan and his own genealogy in regards to it. He always adds the name of his clan to his own, when he has contacts beyond the village. The most prestigous clans are the ones which claim to be direct descendants of the founding ancestors, the eponymous ancestors of the clans. From these, the other clans have issued by scissions and subdivisions and their prestige is proportional to their age.

Some of wooden oval traditional houses in Tumori

As it is mentioned before that Tumöri was an Öri and as a part of noblemen’s splendor in the past can be clarified through this explanation. Öri is the teritorial equivalent of the clan. The founding of an Öri is validated by Fondrakö ceremony, as much a feast as an act instituting a customary law and sealing a defensive and economic alliance. It is during the fondrakö that chief of the new öri (the new clan) is installed. Each village has a chief, but inside the öri all the village chiefs do not have the same status. The chief of the eldest clan has the highest position; he is the tuhenöri or sanuhe – the one who is above – and his village is the main village of the öri. The other chiefs are hierarchically organized according to the age of their villages, and the ranks they have obtained by feasts. It is shown that feasts are attached to the notion of ranks. Feast are held to maintain, reaffirm, or raise one’s rank. To keep his position, a man must give feasts throughout his life. He shall do it in the following circumstances: at his marriage, at the death of his father and mother, when building a house (in the village), to mark the manufacturing of gold ornaments for his wife and for himself, for his daughter’s wedding. Those feasts are still conducted well in Tumöri traditionally. And even last January 2013, the People in Tumöri  have conducted a feast “Fanaru’ö Banua” (founding of öri). There are two öri(es) founded that time. 

Pastor Johannes Hammerle visits Tumori

The willingness to preserve the tradition and cultural heritage of the people of Tumöri should be appreciated and awarded as the world heritage cultural village. Visitors are welcomed friendly in this village. Many domestic and international tourists come to this village to see closely and documented the amazing cultural heritage of Nias and as the traces of noblemen’s splendor in the past.