All of us experiencing environment before we even can talk
or write. Our understanding of space and architecture lies in our experience of
our room, our home, our street, our homeland, our village, our landscape. We
try to understand the surrounding since early life. Unconsciously, we learn
about them and become one of the most important memory in our life.
"The roots
of our understanding of architecture lie in our childhood, in our youth: they
lie in our biography" (Zumthor, Thinking Architecture)
That would be interesting if we tried to remember what kind
of environment we live in when we were a child. Our understanding of landscape
at that time reflecting our hopes, our stories, our daily life.
I’m so immersed when I have a chance visiting a sea tribe in
Wakatobi, South East Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bajau or Sama, is name of sea people
who lives in the middle of the sea. Sea become the most important thing in
their life. Since their early life, they were taught that sea is reflection of
their twins. If one of them were sick, then the other sibling would feel the
pain. Sea becomes their guardian, their twins and their mother who keep them safe
and sound.
I’m curious about what Bajau’s children thinking about their
surroundings. The children are the future of Bajau’s tribe. I want to know what
perspective the children have? How close their daily life with the sea? What
kind of the future they are expecting?
Trying to understand from children’s perspective, I use
drawing as a tool for them to communicate. For young children, drawing is the
best means of conveying their fondest hopes and feelings. Before they was
introduced to the words, they already processing images to their expressions.
Even after they mastering language, they use doodle or painting to expressing something
they can’t put into the words.
“Children's
drawings have often been used to diagnose the developing personalities of their
authors. But perhaps they may also serve one day as instruments for assessing
the environment and help us to improve the quality of environmental planning
both for children and adults.” (Krampen, 1991)
Everyday
Life and Surrounding
From
the day they were born, Bajaunese children are inseparable with water. They are
mastering swimming
even before they can walk. When I was playing with them, one of their favourite
activities other than swimming is drawing. Their age varies from 5 to 13 years
old.
Every time we drew, we
always ended our session with presentation about their drawings. They shared
some of things that makes me interested. Here is some of their drawing and
their explanation:
Figure
1. Fish Drawing by Iwan and Boyo
Things that
always they draws are fishes, boat and house. They can identified sea creatures precisely complete
with coral reef, sea grass, sand, and lagoon. The size of fish they draw may
varies, but they always draw fish bigger than other creatures, sometimes bigger
than people. They explained that everytime they draw big fish it makes them excited
and happy. They hope they could catch it when they grow up.
Figure
2. Marni’s Drawing: House
Besides fish and sea
creatures, their scribbles about house is really interesting. Their house’
signature is a ladder which help them climb from boat to their house (Figure 2,
no 3) and the columns which erected on the sand (Figure 2, no 5). In this
picture, Marni (10 years old) draw her house complete with her self portrait,
flowers, butterflies, and sea waves. Under her house (Figure 2, no 2) is how
she describe sea waves with dots, represent of large anchovy school which
always following her everytime she walks on the bridge. She drew flower and
butterfly too. It turns out some part of their settlements stacked
by dead coral and becoming a land where they could grew some plants and flowers.
Culture
and Religion
Andi’s
drawing containing more objects compared to his friend’s. He always draw
landscape of hill and the sea with bigger proportion of under water views. When he
explained his drawing, I caught some things more deeper about the culture and
religion of Bajau’s people.
In Figure 3
no.2 and 9, he draw about how Bajau’s people diving. There are a people figure
with stick on the circle part (head) and dots which potrays traditional
breathing equipment. Somehow it help Bajau’s people to stay longer while
diving. Meanwhile, in figure 3 no. 3 and 9 he draw sea creature called ‘Kuta’ in shape of octopus. Kuta was symbolized as a sacred animal
because Bajau people believe that Kuta
is incarnation of their god who protected sea and Bajau tribe. Being close with
big Kuta is one of his dream. He also
drew sea snake (figure 3 no 4) as an animal whom he avoided the most because of the dangerous
poison.
While I ask about
a thing in figure 3 no 6, he referred to a ‘pocong’. Pocong is a term or shape when people died and being
ready to bury. In tradition of Bajau, when people dead, their body will be
convoyed to be buried in the closest land. Andi drew it completed with the
gravestone in figure 3 no 5.
Andi said
people figure in no 7 and 8 which have similar form of wings, is an athlete or
tourist who did skydiving from the hill of Kaledupa. Andi draw this part as the
most interesting thing he ever encountered.
Dream
and Hope of Bajaunese Children
After seeing
Bajaunese children's drawing, we can see that water and sea has the deep meaning in
their life. They are seeing water as a connector which have unlimited
potential. All of the children seeing their future as Bajau people who interact
with the sea and living as great fisherman. That is why their ancestors put
great efforts to keep stay on the water even though they are forced to stay on the
land to obey strict authority. Currently,
Bajau tribe encounters difficult times related to their main living as fisherman.
They have limited resources since they are living in the area of Wakatobi
National Park which make them obey the rules. Meanwhile, they lost to people
who fishing with bombs or big trawl. Such a relieve to know these children
still have hopes to mantain their culture and environment.
If we interpreted this children drawing further, we
will see how close them with environment and it can be source ideas of future development. This
could be one of approach to know
their culture with much deeper understanding. If we concern about development
of their settlement, we have to see from their perspective, not from our
knowledge about big city. We can use the understanding of cultural diversity to
enhance their
potential and mantain
sustainable environment.
