Tehit people

Last updated
Tehit
Total population
15,972 (2010) [1]
Regions with significant populations
South Sorong Regency
Languages
Tehit, Indonesian, Papuan Malay
Religion
Christianity (majority)
Islam and traditional beliefs (minority)
Related ethnic groups
Indigenous peoples of New Guinea

Tehit is an ethnic group that inhabits the southern part of the Doberai Peninsula. Their traditional settlements are concentrated around the Teminabuan district in South Sorong Regency. The population is 15,972 people according to 2010 Indonesian census. [1]

Contents

Etymology

The word tehit or tehid comes from the word "tahiyid" which means 'they (are) tehid', but the lexical meaning has been lost. [2]

History

According to history, the Tehit people came from the Toror cultural area which includes the Seget-Sele Peninsula. Natural disasters in the form of large tides caused the Toror culture population to flee and settle in the area that is now Teminabuan. The Tehit people who migrated to Teminabuan by boat are the Kondologit, Kondjol, Sarwanik, Kemesrar, Salamuk, Bless, Blesia, Bleskadit, Sremere, Kremak, Momoth, Adjolo, Sfahrit, Kdamaa, and Salambauw clans. This migration group then introduced stone axes and pottery to residents who had lived in Teminabuan previously. [2] They probably came to Teminabuan several hundred years ago and pushed out the residents who came first, namely the Safledrar people; indigenous Papuan group classified as pygmies. The Tehit people themselves are tall and well built, like Papuans who live on swampy beaches in general. [2]

The traditional story of the Tehit people states that some of them came from kefi, namely a tree that is considered royal by them. In this story, it is said that the kefi was split by the Frisa clan who inhabited Wenselalo village today. After it was cut open, a human came out. This division is based on instructions from a female dog whose name is not clearly known. The clans that originate from the kefi tree, namely Sagisallo, Sera, Selaya, Seflembolo, Sagrim, Sarefe, Sabru, Sakamak, Thesia, Sreflo, Sawen, and Yarollo. [2] Apart from that, some come from the land, cassowary, sky, and rivers. Includes the Simat, Flassy, Kamesrar, Suahan, and other clans. From these three traditional stories, there is a mixture of cultures, languages and customs. Then intermarriage occurred between them, thus forming the Tehit people. [2]

The Tehit people's society was influenced by several eras, during the Tidore Sultanate, The Tehit people were led by small kings who were located in four weri (petuanan or settlement), namely Weri Ambuam (Teminabuan), Weri Sar, Weri Konda, and Weri Kasrer (Seribau). Raja Kaibus in Teminabuan is a petuanan that has the most dominant influence among other petuanans, his title was Raja Kaibus or Woronemin with the first king being named Angguok Kondjol. Trade relations between these petuanans were formed with kingdoms on Onin Peninsula such as Fatagar and Arguni, as well as with kingdoms in Raja Ampat Islands such as Salawati. There was a sale of birds of paradise and slaves to obtain eastern cloth, axes, machetes, knives, and so on. [2]

In the 1940s, European missionaries (zending) began to spread Christianity among the indigenous population of Tehit, many zending teachers from the Maluku Islands were sent to Teminabuan. Raja Kaibus Angguok himself played an important role in facilitating the spread of Christianity during this period. The spread of this 'foreign' religion led to the abandonment of society's traditional culture and acceptance of modernization through the church. In 1941, World War II broke out, so all the priests and zending teachers fled to follow the people into the interior. [2]

During the Japanese colonial period, the Tehit people were forced to build a road from Teminabuan to Ayamaru with minimal equipment. As a result of Japan's abuses of the local population, there was resistance against Japan. Due to the cooperation of allied troops and the people of Teminabuan, Japanese troops were finally expelled from Teminabuan and Papua as a whole. After that, there was oil drilling in Sorong which was initiated by the Dutch. The Tehit people community re-established itself in the fields of government, church, socio-economic, social, and cultural. During this time, the Tehit people usually formed a unit consisting of two parts, namely the Coastal Tehit and the Mountain Tehit peoples. [2] During the resistance against Dutch colonialism, These oil tanks were targeted to be burned by Papuan youths who were members of the organization Persatuan Pemuda Indonesia (PPI) who worked at Nederlandsche Nieuw Guinea Petroleum Maatschappij (NNGPM) in 1947, or Organisasi Pemuda Irian (OPI) in 1956. [3]

Tehit society consists of several patrilineal clans. The members of the clan are called wendla and the leader is called nakhohokh. This leadership is generally seen in social problems, such as the division of inheritance, marriage rules, and violations of customs. The nakhohokh himself must lead a deliberation (lelekh wamar) to decide a case. The decision requires consideration from a group of wise elders called nasemba. In ancient times, lelekh wamar also functioned as a ritual institution, an intermediary between nadkhoin (humans) and tali nggameri (god) called Na Agow Allah. [2]

Traditional beliefs

The Tehit people have the belief that the wua (spirit) of the newly dead will go to the mlfitain (afterlife). There wua will watch over his children and grandchildren who are still alive in the world. If a violation occurs, the wua will appear in the form of a disturbing spirit. The real goal is so that their children and grandchildren will not violate it again. Wua could come in the form of disease, wild boars, or covering people's sustenance in hunting and other work. The wua disorder is called klembet simari (watched by spirits). This can only be overcome by giving hea (offerings), or make a sambe (apology) with the help of a mimit (shaman). The most evil wua is called khol, this spirit is only afraid of tali nggameri or Na Agow Allah which resides in ik (sky). [2]

Just like various other Papuan ethnic groups on the Doberai Peninsula, the means of payment used by the Tehid people is not hokh (sacred cloth). Mainly used as a dowry. In the marriage of the Tehit people, the mother's syolo (brother) plays a very important role in determining his nephew's mate. Therefore, the marriage that is considered ideal in society is between cross cousins. [2]

Language

Tehit language consists of 11–12 dialects, namely the Tehiyit dialect (spoken in Teminabuan and surrounding areas), Afsya (also known as Mbolfle; spoken in the southern part of Teminabuan, namely in Weri Konda and Mbariat), Gemma (spoken in the north of Teminabuan, namely in Wehali and Eles), Yemian (spoken in the villages of Hana and Sanekh), Sawiat (spoken in Soroan village and its surroundings), Fkar (spoken in mountainous areas), Sayfi, Konyokh, Salmeit, Yatfle, Olabra, and Sfaryere. [2]

Livelihood

The Tehit people inhabit swampy areas. The main livelihood is cutting and collecting sago starch. Meanwhile, the Tehit people who live in forest areas generally farm to plant tubers, taro, pumpkins, etc. [2]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Ananta, Aris (2015). Demography of Indonesia's Ethnicity. Evi Nurvidya Arifin, M. Sairi Hasbullah, Nur Budi Handayani, Agus Pramono. Singapura: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN   978-981-4519-88-5. OCLC   1011165696.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Handoko, Soewarto; Rumbewas, Dominggus; Sawaki, Marthen; Krenak, Thonce; Sunaryo, Suristina (1983). Isi dam Kelengkapan Rumah Tangga Tradisional Menurut Tujuan, Fungsi dan Kegunaannya Daerah Irian Jaya (PDF) (in Indonesian). Indonesia: Ministry of Education and Culture . Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  3. ↑ Nurhabsyah (2005). "Gerakan Bawah Tanah Cara Rakyat Irian Jaya Menentang Kekuasaan Pemerintahan Kolonial Belanda" (PDF). Fakultas Sastra Jurusan Sejarah Universitas Sumatera Utara. p. 5. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
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