Traditions
Every dusun or sub-village normally has at least two Kepala Adat; one for cultural matters, and another in matters considering religion. We were informed that today the Kepala Adat and the religious leader have the same of power. Still, there is a competition among the two over who should have the highest position in the society.
According to what we were told, the Kepala Adat will be hunted by evil spirits if he does a bad job. There are only men who can become Kepala Adat. Kepala Adat is supposed to have magical powers and may cure sick people. He also plays a big role in solving internal problems between the citizens.
The locals participate in several ceremonies. When they are doing the building of the traditional houses they hold a traditional ceremony. They also celebrate Id. Some people say that religion has an impact on the economy, others that it does not affect the economy at all. What we do know, is that the harvesting ceremony (a traditional ceremony) costs 50 000 Rupiah for each family and they scarify animals.
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