Behind the mountain slopes of Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi, there is a small village called Kaluppini. This village holds the story of indigenous women who are persistent in preserving the tradition of weaving, a cultural heritage that has survived for centuries. For indigenous Kaluppini women, weaving is not just an economic activity, but also a form of respect for ancestors, traditional values, and the spirituality that accompanies it.<\/p>\n
Weaving is a tradition that is only done by women. It is considered taboo for men to touch the loom, so the resulting fabric has a high spiritual value. One of the characteristics of Kaluppini weaving is the eight-meter-long plain white cloth used as a shroud and traditional ritual equipment. However, this tradition is slowly fading. Damaged looms and the difficulty of obtaining raw cotton materials are major obstacles to the sustainability of this tradition.<\/p>\n
To preserve the tradition and improve the economy of indigenous women, the village government together with traditional leaders initiated a program called the Mattanun School. On January 14, 2025, the school was officially opened with the theme "Preserving the Tradition of Weaving as a Cultural Heritage of Kaluppini and Building Economic Products of Kaluppini Indigenous Women."<\/p>\n
The event featured important speakers, such as Pak Imam, a traditional leader who acts as a guardian of traditional values, and Mama Maman, an indigenous woman who has been weaving since she was a child. With great enthusiasm, they shared stories about the history and philosophy of Kaluppini woven fabrics and the challenges faced by indigenous women.<\/p>\n
Mr. Imam explained that the plain white cloth from Kaluppini is not only used as a shroud, but also for various traditional rituals. "It would not be proper if the ritual used factory-made white cloth. The woven cloth of traditional women has very high historical and spiritual value," he said.<\/p>\n
During the Mattanun School activities, the participants, mostly indigenous women, began to relearn the process of making yarn from local cotton to weaving techniques. However, challenges soon emerged. The lack of local cotton and the difficulty of obtaining tools such as weaving combs were the main obstacles. Indigenous women hope that this program can pave the way to provide the raw materials and weaving tools they need.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully this will be the first step for us to revive the weaving tradition. If this weaving group runs, we can help the economy of indigenous women," said Mama Daiful, one of the participants.<\/p>\n
Mattanun School is not only about preserving culture, but also providing new economic opportunities for Kaluppini indigenous women. With their unique woven fabrics that are full of historical value, indigenous women have the opportunity to increase their income, both through local and global markets.<\/p>\n
More than that, this program is a symbol of the strength of indigenous women in preserving tradition and building a better future. They not only weave cloth, but also hope, solidarity, and the future of the Kaluppini community.<\/p>\n
*Author: Kurnia (CRCS UGM), Estungkara Internship Participant 2024<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Yael Stefany<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8],"class_list":["post-3404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-lainnya"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n