DANCE of SIKEREI

photo by yap fu lan
Muara Siberut, Mentawai, January 12, 2015

There was a time when a Sikerei took his role as the most healer, the important figure in Mentawai traditional community. His healing ritual included a dance that connect him to the spirits which help him to do good deeds to the sick ones. The dance is pure thus it had the power of purification. 

Nowadays, the Sikerei’s dance has turned into mere performance. Perhaps it is because Mentawai people prefer to get modern medication. But the most probable cause is the people with certain interests and intentions who come forward with money and cigarettes offerings. While the exploitation works, the Sikerei keep dancing without realizing that their pureness and dignity have been raped.