The Bakaua Adat tradition has officially become one of Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB) since October 2022. Held in Sijunjung Regency, this tradition has been held annually since the 17th century. Harmonization of customs, rituals and religion permeates the performance of traditional Bakaua Adat. The author examines how Bakaua Adat transforms into cultural tourism without removing the harmonization of customs, rituals and religious values. Narrating the value of Minangkabau culture, this paper explores how this tradition contains the values of democracy, gender equality, socioeconomic status, and religion. These values persist and can be learned by local and international tourists in Sijunjung, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Bakaua Adat tradition became one of the important instruments in submitting the GeoPark realm Minang Silokek to UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG). Dai International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme reported that one of the criteria to be UGG is the relationship with the authenticity of culture and ecology. Therefore, the Bakaua Adat tradition contributes as a reinforcing instrument. This tradition proves that GeoPark Ranah Minang Silokek’s geological heritage is connected to the local community’s cultural heritage. This will connect with the purpose of education, raising awareness, and informing visitors and locals. Talking about traditions running for hundreds of years ago is not easy. Therefore, the BARAKARSA Foundation and volunteers conducted in-depth interviews with several important figures, from Indigenous leaders to local governments from the Sijunjung Regency Education Division and the Sijunjung Regency Youth and Sports Tourism Division.
Bakaua Adat Tradition
According to’ Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB) Sijunjung Regency’, Bakaua is an agricultural tradition in several Minangkabau regions. This tradition is a ritual of prayer together as a symbol of rejecting Bala, along with activities down to the rice fields. Bakaua Adat’s purpose is to express gratitude to the Creator with the hope that the rice fields and fields of the people are blessed. Bakaua Adat is always held on Monday as a symbol of a good day to start farming. People donate in droves to buy a Buffalo. Later, the Buffalo will be slaughtered by the men in the morning ritual and later cooked by the mother on the same day.
The Bakaua Adat tradition was carried out after the death of the Islamic developer in Sijunjung, Sheikh Abdul Muchsin. At that time, there was a disaster of cholera disease, which claimed many people’s lives, crop failures and viral outbreaks of farm animals. Sheikh Amiluddin Pudak, as a substitute for Sheikh Abdul Muhsin, had a dream that people should repent nasuha by sacrificing livestock, making lemang and emping as gratitude. Over time, this became a habit in society.
Democracy and gender equality
The Bakaua Adat process has a series of customs, including democracy, based on deliberation and consensus. Based on interviews with Mr Candra Irawan Peto Molie (Chairman of the manager of the Nagari Sijunjung Indigenous Village Tourism Village), Mr Irham Tobo Khatib Rajo (representative of the Nagari Indigenous density (KAN)) and Mrs Yusnidar Wahab (Chairman of Bundo Kanduang 2018-2023), consensus deliberations were held as a form of mandatory series.
As conveyed by Mr Candra Irawan Peto Molie (Chairman of the Tourism Village Manager of Nagari Sijunjung Indigenous Village):
After the community completes the harvest, an Adat density meeting, Ninik Mamak, or customary stakeholders meeting, is scheduled at the Adat Hall. No one can go to the traditional balai adat other than Ninik Mamak. The meeting will be decided on the date; the clear day should be Monday. After the decision of the customary stakeholders, a series of events were formulated, followed by the Nagari government, the youth chairman, mamak tungganai, and various other elements of the chairman.
The value of democracy is reflected in the determination of planting schedules, wages, and the slaughter of Buffalo. No one dominates establishing a series of traditions, and the community is directly involved in both men and women. Gender equality in the division of labour is reflected in this tradition; for example, Ninik Mamak distributed the meat to her grandchildren and helped pay for a maximum of one month. At the same time, Bundo Kanduang belugas are cooking meat that will be eaten by people who participate in the slaughter.
Socioeconomic and religious values
The Ninik Mamak meeting also communicated the wages for the traditional Bakaua officers. This series shows how traditions also pay attention to the socioeconomic sphere of society, both men and women—a series of religious implicit from tahlil, prayers and prayers offered during Bakaua Adat. Religious and literary traditions are also reflected during the appearance of entertainment. Literary traditions or traditions that are pretty popular in Minangkabau. Based on the book ‘A Brief History of Shaykh Malin Bayang and the treasures left behind’, Nizam’s works are a form of literature and a medium to remember teaching, history and advice. A copy of this name can be found in Surau Simaung Syekh Malin Bayang. When traced, Sheikh Malin Bayang was a student of Sheikh Abdul Muhsin who studied with Sheikh Burhanuddin from Aceh.
How the Indigenous Bakaua tradition as a supporting instrument towards UNESCO Global Geopark
The Bakaua Adat tradition, which is still preserved today, maintains the relationship between the Geopark of the Minang Silokek realm and the authenticity of the local culture. This tradition is one of the supporting instruments towards UNESCO Global Geopark. UNESCO Global Geoparks should use the heritage, in conjunction with all other aspects of the region’s natural and cultural heritage, to raise awareness of key issues facing communities. The Bakaua Adat tradition has been included in the annual tourism event calendar in recent years. As Mr. Afrineldi, SH (head of youth tourism and Sports Sijunjung) revealed that:
Bakaua Adat, in Sijunjung and other countries, has been included in the calendar of events at the Tourism Office. Besides this ritual, which is routinely carried out every year, the government sees that this can attract visitors and grow the traditional village’s economy and Sijunjung. Especially in 2025, it is hoped that Bakaua Adat will be an attraction for tourists. The steps of Minang Silokek Geopark towards UNESCO Global Geopark are supported not only by traditional Bakaua traditions but also by other intangible cultural heritage. The values contained in Bakaua Adat legitimize the harmonization between customs, religions, and communities in the Geopark area. Therefore, this tradition has become an important instrument for UNESCO Global Geopark. In addition, in 2025, Sijunjung Adat Village will be one of the selected tourism villages to present village readiness in many aspects, such as business schemes, human resources, and so on, at ITB Berlin. (Arina Nihayati)