When we received a contribution from the students at DEL
University and High School to support our indigenous knowledge activities
(Pulang Kampung III), we were terribly touched. We wanted to dedicate the money
to something special that would make the students feel proud and would complement
their university learning. We also wanted to do something that would assist the
young team members of Pulang Kampung to find their way in life and we wanted to
be true to the goals of Pulang Kampung III. We wanted a win/win/win/win investment
opportunity. A weaving workshop in Muara seemed to be the answer. In addition to
being an educational opportunity, the funds would support the dissemination of
indigenous knowledge and also Sopo Sorha Harungguan, a weaver group in Muara whose
existence had been inspired by copies of Legacy
in cloth that were left in the village in 2011 (Pulang Kampung I). The weaver group is trying to return to
natural dyes and to honour the traditional Batak textile tradition.
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| Weavers in the village were our teachers. |
By
attending the weaver workshop, Febrina and Lasma will have a chance to learn
and grow. And as it turns out, Jesral and Ojak also attended. I invited staff
of Del Highschool to attend because they are developing a curriculum to
transfer indigenous weaving knowledge. One of them, Johan Sinaga, was able to
attend.
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| Johan Sinaga, a teacher at Del's highschool, joined us for the workshop. |
The synergy is working. In fact, the synergy may be as
important as the techniques that we are learning in this workshop. The young
men are bonding in important ways, Febrina and Lasma are picking up their
friendship where it left off, and Restuala’s vision and accomplishments in
the form of Sopo Sorha are becoming known to Del.
We are together 24 hours a
day and the conversations are rich and wide-ranging.
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| We had some joyful and relaxing times. |
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