Abstract
This travel journal documents field research conducted by the Tuah Mangiring team in the Lake Toba region in 2024. The team consists of members affiliated with both Kawan Pustaha (a Yogyakarta-based organization dedicated to the study of Batak culture, particularly the pustaha: bark books containing divination techniques and ritual practices) and Lifepatch (an art and citizen science collective also based in Yogyakarta).
During their research, Rio Fernandez Tamba, Hertatiana Br Tamba, Louisye Ellysabeth Lubis and Ripase Nostanta Beru Purbay interviewed members of indigenous Batak religious communities concerning the preservation and transmission of their rituals, the significance these practices continue to hold, and the challenges these communities face today. Tuah Mangiring’s research also focused on three types of Batak artefact represented in the ‘Christoffel Collection’: ulos/uis (woven cloths), pustaha and tunggal panaluan (carved wooden ritual staffs). The researchers spoke with people involved in preserving these artefacts and safeguarding the heritage practices associated with them, asking about the meanings, significance, and functions held by these objects for their communities of origin today, and how these have changed over time.
Publication
The English texts in this bilingual travel journal have not been language-edited in order to maintain close alignment between the English and Indonesian versions and to ensure that the English translation remains as faithful as possible to the interviewees’ choice of words.