Briefly updating on the progress of the Mentawai Support Program, we’ve just returned from the Islands where we were able to support an incredible team of young enthusiastic Mentawai in successfully conducting a Baseline Survey – an activity crucial to understanding the wants, needs and perspectives of the community; and what strategies, if any, they would like implemented to help improve their future.

Through this particular survey – conducted randomly throughout a community located in the inner-southern region of Siberut Island – we’ve been able to gather a comprehensive sample of qualitative and quantitative data pertaining largely to the role culture may or may not play for the future of each individual, their family, and their community.

I’m not in a position to provide comment on the results at this stage, as the data has yet to be analyzed; however, I will mention that, through feedback and the excitement gestured via the community involved, the feeling has been inspiringly positive. More to report on this soon though.

A big thanks to August, Hendri, Andi, Jepri, Rici, Elios, Aja, Marga, Asunta, Opi, Leni, and Matthew, Greg and Anastacia; and again to GLOBALQUEST and all those who have given their Support.

Surak Sabeu.

Whilst pondering how best to encapsulate a brief update on the film, I found myself looking back over the various evolvements that have unfolded since my returning from Mentawai almost two years ago; and, in the end, decided that perhaps I’ll just begin there.

So, basically, at that stage, whilst I did foresee the importance in utilizing the development of this project to learn about the processes of filmmaking, I envisioned – after having neglected using this approach whilst being taught about literacy at school or, perhaps closer to reason, having yet to realize an ability or means to truly express how I feel – that, to ensure the film would achieve a desired standard, I’d piece together the story and, after developing it enough to portray a sense of why this experience had had such a profound impact on my life, use it to then lure the interest and talent of a professional script writer… believing that they could help me decipher an intelligible interpretation of the emotions felt and perspectives gained throughout this journey.

A stage, approximately one year ago, I had reached.

It was at this point though, after finalizing a draft of the film and making contact with two respected writers, that – contrary to what I’d previously considered the only possible option for my situation – to my surprise, I found myself contesting the practicality of this proposed strategy and, subsequently, believing that – for the purpose of my intention – this tactic may in fact be backward. I mean, really, how should I expect that a stranger, or anybody else for that matter, could truly understand and give accurate description to the depth of thought, feeling, and ways in which this experience did and has affected me, if I was unable to verbalize it myself?

So, now, a year on, and after a great deal of reflection, I’m pleased to report that a first draft of this new version has been completed; which, when comparatively measured against the time and fairly tentative divulgement applied to the previous, I see as being quite an exciting advancement. Despite this though, I’m unable to offer comment on how it’s been perceived by others just yet, as I’m still in the process of sourcing feedback. But nevertheless, I will say that, for me, personally, after having now discovered and developed through this project a true sense of expression, it is – for one of many other (not so selfish) reasons – why this film has already been a success.

Looking ahead, I’ll continue to make necessary improvements – such as cutting the films duration (currently at 120min) back to a length that’s slightly more (commercially) user friendly – and then, assisted by the direction gained through opinion and criticism of others, fine-tune and prepare a version for submission to the various avenues offered to advance it. However, for now, I’ll be taking a short break from staring at and thinking about the film and, instead, will be focusing some time again on the Mentawai Support Program.

Lastly though, I thought I’d share with you an early example of the proposed culling operation I mentioned above… showing you a scene, which, as such, due to it falling into the category of not having enough bearing on the stories progression to justify it’s place, has now been removed from the film. So, please, if you have the time, do take a moment to view this otherwise exiled compilation of visual stimuli.

More updates, soon.
Cheerio

Mindful that my updates here often transpire into excessively long-winded expositions – which, when considering the browsing pace of the greater community, are perhaps exhibited at the expense of engaging readers – as a reprieve for those who’ve been following along, please enjoy the simplicity of casting your eyes over a few images I feel are worth sharing…

A young Mentawai boy enjoying the freedom of the rainforest, his playground

Aman Masit Dere, a Mentawai Sikerei (shaman) decorated with colours of the rainforest

A Mentawai woman displaying traditional tattoo and sharpened teeth, rather happy

A Mentawai boy caring for his younger brother

And Grandmother, enjoying some tobacco

Had I ever imagined the scenario of my arriving unannounced on a remote island, where, knowing next to nothing of the language, culture, or lifestyle, a native people would welcome me in, treat me as one of their own and teach me the skills necessary to survive in their jungle habitat; I suspect I would have thought this the most selfless, compassionate, and inspiringly humane act of benevolence offered to me since my early years of dependency.

However, after having lived through this very experience, having had to rely solely on the faith in those around me, alone, in a world I knew nothing about, I came to understand that this behavior holds a far greater value than I could ever have perceived. This willingness to offer aid, comfort, and support, this belief in each other and in the community, is for the Indigenous people of Mentawai, life. It’s this simple form of conduct that in fact lies at the very core of the strength, courage, and happiness of their survival, and the safety and protection of their existence.

This is why, after being presented with an opportunity to exercise the influence which they’ve inspired and, in return, offer support to a people now learning the ways of the modern world, I sincerely hope that you and all those involved will find strength in knowing that we too are surrounded by family, friends, and a community who are willing to take the time and give support to others. A reality made evident by the overwhelmingly positive response to support the developments of the Mentawai Support Program where, together, with the generous contribution of GLOBALQUEST, for the months of May/June, we’ve managed to raise an incredible $12,798.90

To GLOBALQUEST and all those who donated, supported, helped, attended, or were involved in fundraising activities, masurak bagatta, thank you.

All June donations for the Mentawai Support Program have been collected and are to be presented to GLOBALQUEST next week. Some very exciting results, so do stay tuned! And in the meantime…

As we adapt our lives to the conveniences of modernity and particularly toward a reliance on the availability of information at the press of a button, are we considering the fact that through this advancement also arises an opportunity for a younger – technologically savvy – generation to be heard, to influence change, and to pave the way for our future?

A contemplative proposition, yes, but a theory which, for the most part, was the inspiration behind my excitement in accepting an invitation to speak with year three students at a Private School in Melbourne’s East, as an introduction to an interesting unit entitled ‘Exploration leads to discovery and new understanding’.

In attune with this topic, I spoke to the students about my motives for travel and the rewards I’d gained through doing so. I spoke, with great honour, of the Mentawai Indigenous people and culture; I spoke of the differences in lifestyle and how, by utilizing their natural resources, they’d supplement the basic conveniences we depend upon. I spoke of their infinite knowledge in natural medicine and the methods they use to prevent and treat illness. I spoke of their cultural beliefs, and the importance of ceremony, traditional song and dance. I spoke of how significant the role of a child is to their existence and how they treat them accordingly; I also spoke of the opportunities that have been introduced, including a school program providing children the ability to learn a literacy education similar to our own.

What I didn’t speak of though, but which actually excited me most, was the way in which these two communities – at seemingly opposite ends in stage of evolution, were unknowingly connecting with each other. For me, the greatest significance to this privilege lay, not just in the opportunity to expand the imagination of these students by giving insight to an alternate way of life, but in the realistic prospect that by imparting this knowledge on to these students, to our youth of today, and to us, the people of an experienced parent country who hold the key to the Mentawai communities right to equal opportunities, that perhaps someday their desire for a situation just like this will become a reality.

Now if you cast your mind back to a post HERE, you’ll recall the gratitude given to GLOBALQUEST for a proposed commitment to support the development of the Community Support Program; well, it’s now upon us, this opportunity for us to offer our support and guidance to an Indigenous people facing (unwilful) cultural displacement and subsequent loss of identity. The situation, which is incredibly unique, sees GLOBALQUEST, through the generosity of Coffey International Staff, contributing 200% for each dollar raised before the close of June, so in effect a donation of $20 will be the equivalent of a donation of $60!

If you do support the idea of Indigenous communities receiving rights similar to those of our own and are in a situation to give, please, do offer your support. We have one month remaining on GLOBALQUEST’s pledge, so please act now. All donations during this period – however large or small – will go a long way toward the success of this program. If you’re unable to donate, your support in sharing this opportunity with family, friends, communities, and others, is of equal value.

Together, as a people privileged with freedom of choice and access to a wealth of information, we can make a difference. Masurak Bagatta, thank you.

Please donate to:

MENTAWAI SUPPORT PROGRAM
BSB – 033624
ACC – 217006

*Those donating who don’t wish to remain anonymous, please drop me an email to confirm and advise if you’d like to receive details of the program’s progress.

It has been some time now since the previous post here, which – for a person who obsesses upon hastily relieving himself of the displeasureable guilt conduced by knowing that a very achievable task has yet to be tackled – this has proved somewhat burdensome.

To entertain you with a reason for this negligence though… basically, over the past few months, I’d somehow managed to regress back into a state of feeling… busy. A condition that – prior to this experience – I’d actually perceived as being a perfectly normal state of existence, which now, if not in moderation, I’d label as being quite unhealthy.

So what had aggravated this need to wage a war of attrition against my obviously weakening defences and which then culminated in an outbreak of self-imposed stress? …I wasn’t sure. Obviously there are a million things to do with producing a film project independently, but no more than the million I was aware of twelve months ago and perhaps the equivalent I’ll discover again in the months ensuing. I was confused.

In the end I decided to sit below a tree for a while and reflect on the situation at hand, which did prove a positive exercise, not only producing a potential solution, but also identifying the primary carrier. Giving me a face to target blame for reigniting the futile frustration of believing that there’s ‘just not enough time in the day’. And that face, of course, was none other than yours truly.

The findings of the aforementioned did reveal that, as suspected, the conflict hadn’t spawned through the sheer weight of work itself, but rather, through the continually expanding period of personal constraint. Being new to the game, I too, expected the film would have been completed and released by this point and I could be off once again enjoying the freedom of uncertainty; but as it goes, this isn’t the case.

So after submitting to the fact that this mental hindrance was existent and perhaps worsening, I decided – with having already experimented around the subject of my own productivity – to completely remove myself from this life for a week. Allowing my thoughts the uninhibited freedom of the wild.

As my mind now hands me the content for this letter of expression, refreshed, I do observe a lucidness noticeably different to that of the prior months and decide, in defence of my own defence, that I should probably offer thanks to the less opinionated sector of the brain for speaking up and signaling a hoisting of the white flag when a few months ago it was decided – by the overpowering painfully meticulous sector – that we were going to pull the entire story apart, rewrite the narrative, and restructure a more concise version before proceeding with looming discussions potentially holding the key for a shortcut to completion.

The reality is, yes, it has been a slow journey, but such is the pace of Mentawai life and the truth remains that, irrespective of all difficulties, however long it does take, I will continue to be at the mercy of the dominant one because over and above all else we do agree that it’s most important to get this right.

For those that do continue involvement and support throughout the journey, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Masurak bagatta.

The traditional tattoos – which, for various cultures worldwide, where their tribal markings have been nothing short of fundamental in shaping their identity, their culture, and their existence – are now vanishing, rapidly… and in many cases leaving behind no visual evidence for future generations, whatsoever. After thousands of years being passed from generation to generation, these intricate, purposive markings, speaking stories of cultural history from growth to existence, are disappearing, never to be seen of again. A sad realization this, indeed, and that of which is – for the people of Mentawai- now a reality.

As it goes, with fewer of the new generation youth seeming interested in progressing this custom, and a depleting number of individuals surviving the knowledge and skill of traditional Mentawai hand-tapping technique, there grows an increasing concern amongst the elders for the loss of this practice, and inevitably, a significant part of Mentawai culture.

However, and like other sacred aspects of this Indigenous culture, it’s not too late to offer some support and protection, which, in relation to the aforementioned, is exactly (more…)

Possessing an incomparable knowledge of the plant and animal life surrounding, the Mentawai Shaman, the Sikerei, preserve a great understanding of how almost every species found there can, or can’t, be utilized in support of their existence; which, when residing on the island of Siberut, one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots, this is, for lack of a better term, rather mind-blowing.

One particular use for the various species of plant, and an important one at that, relates to its medicinal values; which, combined by a profound knowledge held by Sikerei – the skill to concoct a (more…)

If I may, I’d like to digress slightly from the philanthropic austerities of recent posts. Yes the Indigenous Mentawai communities face exploitation of their human rights, and yes, raising awareness to help support and address this issue is an extremely important part of the project, sure. However, it’s not that which first captured my imagination and interest in the people here; and neither that which now invokes a smile or laughter with each nostalgic thought of friends and life there; and for that matter, nor is it the primary focus of the film.

So instead, I invite you to view a short video attached below, which, whilst seemingly inappropriate, does in many (odd) ways better reflect the facetious attitude and lighthearted outlook placed upon life by the Mentawai people.

This tune, which, perhaps coined through a secret attraction for the two-wheeled non-pedaler, or a mild obsession concerning the general safety of one’s thought basket, was shared during early interactions (after running desperately low on musical material) with the people of the village. Surprisingly though, and despite the lyrical confusion – which I’m sure they just passed off as incompetent attempts to translate on my behalf, it did spark their interest, and incidentally, went on to become a rather popular sing-along song. Meaning that over and above the pleasant joy of sharing in music, my friends – most excitedly – were able to sing along to a song using words of a foreign language, which arguably… also happens to be the most irrelevant song in the repertoire. A humorously enjoyable experience had by all, nonetheless.

So to truncate and conclude, I later came to stay briefly in one of two (conjoined) villages situated slightly closer to the port town, which interestingly, I was to learn had ascertained the service of a resident motorbike… just the one. Aware of the many difficulties – logistic, financial, and whatnot, pertaining to achieving this, and by this point feeling as though I may actually possess a fondness for this transportation vehicle; I found, inadvertently, I had actually stumbled upon a situation most relevant, and so naturally, felt inspired to express this.