The Manifoldness of Traditional Knowledge: The Example of the Minangkabau Society in West Sumatra, Indonesia
Main Article Content
Abstract
In a fast-changing world, traditional knowledge is moved to the edge. In many fields of knowledge, there is no place for traditional knowledge. Often this wisdom is considered to be taboo and old-fashioned. However, it must be emphasised that it belongs to the cultural heritage of humankind. The authors intend to show the richness of traditional knowledge by focusing on one geographical area, namely West Sumatra. The essential fields of traditional knowledge in that area are illustrated and analysed. The authors focus on three types of traditional knowledge, namely philosophy, the judicial system, and traditional healing methods. They conducted qualitative research that included fieldwork and an analysis of relevant literature to deepen the knowledge. The main hypothesis was that the different spheres of traditional knowledge were interdependent. It was detected that the traditional Minangkabau culture has fascinating traditional knowledge that is worth to be preserved.
Article Details
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Ahmad Moghni Salbani, Saad Othman and Rahimah A. Hamid, eds. 2014. Amalan kearifan tempatan dalam masyarakat Melayu/Nusantara. Pulau Pinang, Malaysia: Penerbit USM.
Antons, C. 2009. Traditional knowledge in Asia: Global agendas and local politics. In Regulation in Asia: Pushing back on globalization, eds. J. Gillepsie and R. Peerenboom, 64–84. London/New York: Routledge.
Anwar, C. 1997. Hukum adat Indonesia: Meninjau hukum adat Minangkabau. Jakarta: PT Rineka Cipta.
Anwar, S., Aziz, I. and Susanti, D. 2019 Preserving the value of Minangkabau culture through local wisdom-based education. Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research 124: 495–500.
Balick, M.J. and Cox, A.P. 1997. Drogen, Kräuter und Kulturen. Heidelberg/Berlin/ Oxford: Spektrum.
Benda-Beckmann, K. 1984. The broken stairways to consensus: Village justice and state courts in Minangkabau. Dordrecht/Cinnaminson: Foris Publications.
Davis, W. 2009. The wayfinders: Why ancient wisdom matters in the modern world. Toronto: House of Anansi Press
Diamond, J. 2012. The world until yesterday: What can we learn from traditional societies? London: Penguin Books.
Errington, F.K. 1984. Manners and meaning in West-Sumatra: The social context of consciousness. New Haven, London: Yale University Press.
Hamka. 2006. Islam dan adat Minangkabau. Selangor, Malaysia: Pustaka Dini.
Hardono, S. and Azizi Bahauddin. 2014. Susun atur dalaman dan pengaruh budaya rumah Minangkabau Negeri Sembilan. In Amalan kearifan tempatan dalam masyarakat Melayu/Nusantara, eds. Ahmad Moghni Salbani, Saad Othman and Rahimah A. Hamid, 25–39. Pulau Pinang, Malaysia: Penerbit USM.
Naim, M. 1985. Implications of merantau for social organization in Minangkabau. In Change and continuity in Minangkabau: Local, regional and historical perspectives on West Sumatra, eds. L. Thomas and F. von Benda-Beckmann, 111–120. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University.
Navis, A. 2015. Alam terkembang jadi guru: Adat dan kebudayaan Minangkabau. Padang, Indonesia: PTS Grafika Jaya Sumbar.
Nazarudin Zainun and A.S. Hardy Shafii, eds. 2017. Nusantara daripada pelbagai perspektif kearifan tempatan. Pulau Pinang, Malaysia: Penerbit USM.
Ng, C. 1993. Raising the house post and feeding the husband-givers: The spatial categories of social reproduction among Minangkabau. In Inside Austronesian houses: Perspectives on domestic designs for living, ed. J. Fox, 116–139. Canberra: The Australian National University.
Nusyirwan. 2016. Manusia Minangkabau: Iduik bajaso, mati bapusako. Yogyakarta: Gre Publishing.
Salasiah Che Lah and Norizan Esa, eds. 2015. Ilmu, tradisi dan kelestarian dalam kearifan tempatan. Pulau Pinang, Malaysia: Penerbit USM.
Sjarifoedin, A. 2020. Minangkabau: Dari Dinasti Iskandar Zulkarnain hingga Tuanku Imam Bonjol. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Stark, A. 2019. Traditional medicine in West Sumatra: Some general features. Studies on Ethno-Medicine 13(3): 131–137. https://doi.org/10.31901/24566772.2019/13.03.587
_____. 2018. The Minangkabau healers and healing methods: A structural analysis. PhD diss., Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Tanner, N.M. 1969. Disputing and dispute settlement among the Minangkabau of Indonesia. Indonesia 8: 21–67.
Wolff, R. 2001. Original wisdom. Stories of an ancient way of knowing. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions.
Yulika, F. 2012. Epistemologi Minangkabau: Makna pengetahuan dalam filasafat adat Minangkabau. Yogyakarta: Gre Publishing.