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Location Maps & Geography
The Mentawai Islands are made up of four municipalities' of land
being Siberut, Sipora, North Pagai, and South Pagai which lie 85km
to 135 km off the coast of Sumatra. The total land mass is about
7,000 square km. The capital city of Mentawai is Tuapejat in Sipora
Island.
The Mentawai islands are sedimentary mostly dominated by shale,
silt, and malrs of relatively young age. The heaviest rain takes
place in April (290 mm) and October (390 mm) and is relatively dry
in the months of February to June.
 
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History
There's no clear indication when man first arrived in the
Mentawai Islands, but judging from their language, cultural level,
and physical characteristics the people seem to be representatives
of some of the earliest homosapiens to come into Indonesia. Most
anthropologists classify them as Protomalay, having essentially a
Neolithic culture with some Bronze Age influence but not being
affected by Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam. This indicated that their
arrival on Siberut Island was at least several thousand years
ago.
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People & Culture
The Mentawai people have a very deep spiritual relationship with
the forest in which they live. The forest not only provides
sustenance but also herbal medicines as prepared and administered
by the local Sharman (medicine man).
The Mentawai people were originally animists believing that
everything from people to monkeys, stone to weather had its own
spirit, which was quite separate from its host and was there to
wander as it wished. The basic principle of the religion is a
conception of internal harmony in creation with one religious force
behind all things which the people address as Kina ulau (mentawai
language) or the beyond, but as in most archaic religions they
concentrate more on the various manifestations of the creations:
the spirits or souls.
They believe that these spirits are in constant harmonious
contact with each other, but mans activities constantly threaten to
disturb this harmony. In order to reduce disturbance and to restore
the balance of the creation, the people accompany all their
activities with various religious ceremonies.
During these ceremonies the people pray and make offerings to
the spirits, which constitute the beyond, and they make beautiful
decorations and carvings to please the soul or spirits.
  
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