Documenting the oral traditions of Mentawai people from the Sarereiket and Sabirut regions of Siberut. Indigenous people’s storytelling systems and traditions are disappearing, but to sustain our collective future we must heed their wisdom. Sarereiket region, Siberut, Mentawai – It

MENTAWAI LANGUAGE LEARNING BOOK Over the past few decades, the Mentawai have seen dramatic change throughout their archipelago. There has been an enormous surge in development, tourism, and immigration – bringing with it powerful foreign influence. August Tonggiat, founder of

REVIVING THE LOCAL WISDOM OF MENTAWAI CULTURE Last week we sat down with Fransiskus Yan, the Head of Mentawai’s cultural education foundation, Yayasan Pendidikan Budaya Mentawai (YPBM), to discuss their self-managed education program and how they perceive the relationship and involvement

We are excited to announce that the Yayasan Pendidikan Suku Mentawai (YPSM) was officially changed to the Yayasan Pendidikan Budaya Mentawai (YPBM) with the number deed of establishment, Notary Rismadona, SH.AHU – 0012635 AH.01.04 Year 2018. The Yayasan Pendidikan Budaya

Some time ago, on May 11-15, the Mentawai Cultural Education Foundation (YPBM) team attended the Indigenous Celebration Festival in Ubud, Bali. In this event, YPBM brought a team of members from the Mentawai Pumaijat cultural arts centre, in Saibi Samukop

After almost 1 year of implementing our Mentawai cultural education program, the Yayasan Pendidikan Suku Mentawai (YPSM) team have initiated a cultural celebration festival to coincide with Indonesia’s 73rd anniversary. This event brings all of the YPSM student groups from

Together with August Sikatsila, Suku Mentawai’s program manager, we’ve spent the past month gathering cultural and environmental-based research in the Sarereiket regions of Siberut Island. August headed our previous community research and survey activities and is indeed right at home

The prospect of functioning without a telephone would be considered near impossible by a large and growing portion of today’s modern society who now depends upon this device to sustain a means of living. For better or worse, this change

Storytelling is a fundamental component of all indigenous cultures and heavily intertwined within their native educational systems. For Mentawai, according to Sikerei, “Our stories teach us about our history and how to survive here. They carry the wealth of Mentawai