Weaving Ancestral Wisdom: Communicating the Power of Sumbanese Women’s Resistance to the Next Generation through Arts-Based Liberative Pedagogy

Abstract

As an artistic activity, weaving traditions have been passed down by women weavers from generation to generation in Sumba, Indonesia. Women can express their resistance to an oppressive situation through aesthetic engagement using handwoven textile motifs. There are also motifs related to woman’s resistance to Dutch colonialization in the past. This paper argues that the motifs of resistance in Sumba handwoven textiles are an important element that can support an arts-based liberative pedagogy in Christian religious education as part of the struggle against grand narratives of colonial legacy, especially in the context of colonial heritage churches in Indonesia.

Keywords:

• Sumba
• women
• resistance
• handwoven textile
• arts-based liberative pedagogy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Special appreciation goes to Rev. Suryaningsih Mila, Kornelis Ndapakamang (founder of the Sumba Natural Dye weaving group), Titus Nggaba Karanggu Limu (founder of the Rinjungu Pahammu weaving group), Ersi Yati Rambu Lawu, and Ayu Rambu Ngana in East Sumba. They helped me to build a connection with the women weavers, weaving groups (the groups are very helpful for women weavers because their members help each other in producing handwoven textiles according to their respective expertise), and explaining the meaning of the handwoven motifs. I also thank Rev. Herlina Ratu Kenya, who inspired the weaving process through a wonderful motif. When the pandemic hit, I continued my research process through communication by phone and WhatsApp with handwoven textile artisans. I validated the meanings of the motifs through re-confirmation with handwoven textile artisans and by reviewing the literature on the meaning of Sumba handwoven textile motifs, including literature written by female theologians from Sumba as well as researchers and collectors of East Nusa Tenggara handwoven textiles. In this paper, I put the complete names of the weavers based on their request because, nowadays, they are getting more uncomfortable with the process of imitating Sumba handwoven textiles from irresponsible parties.

2 Ngana is a weaver from Maulumbi,Kambera, East Sumba.

3 Atanau is a weaver who is also the founder of the Paluanda Lama Hamu (“hand-in-hand towards a good direction”), one of the long-established weaving groups in Kambera, East Sumba. Ndapakamang (a person who drew the Queen Sumba motif) is one of the children of Atanau who is inspired to continue Atanau's work in the art of weaving.

4 Pihu is a weaver from the Rinjungu Pahammu (“be a good person”), a weaving group in Kambera, East Sumba.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Duta Wacana Christian University.