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Introduction / History
The Rawas are a people group of
South Sumatra. Those who live near the Rupit River are also known as the
Rupit, while those who live near the Rawas River are most commonly
known as the Rawas. They live in the Rawas Ulu and Rawas Ilir districts
in the Musi Rawas regency of South Sumatra province. Many Rawas people
live in small cities, like Sarolangun and Bingin Teluk, or in villages
like Lubuk Kemang, Lesung Batu, Sungai Baung, Pangkalan, Pulaukida,
Muarakuwis and Talang Beringin. In the west, Rawas territory ascends to
the peaks of the 2,068-meter-high Mount Hijau. To the south is the Musi
Rawas regency capital, Lubuk Linggau, through which runs the
trans-Sumatra highway. The Rawas language is a branch of the Malay
language cluster.
What are their lives like?
The main
sources of income for the Rawas come from rubber and palm oil
plantations. They are self-sufficient in producing their food supply.
The Rawas area also produces various fruits such as oranges, mango,
pineapples, duku (small white fruit), langsat (small yellow fruit),
jackfruit, papaya, rambutan (red hairy fruit) and durian (large fruit
with a spiky skin and a strong smell). They also raise livestock such as
ducks, chickens, goats and water buffalo. When catching fish, the Rawas
still use traditional boats without motors. The Rawas are highly
motivated in pursuing their economic needs and many work until they are
old. The Rawas strongly value honestly in their work and this can be
seen in how they earn their money. Honesty is a community value and
therefore the Rawas area is quite safe. Their relationships with the
transmigrants in their area are very good. In fact, the indigenous
residents or village people are known as people who don't really bother
much with the affairs of transmigrants. On Friday's the market is
quieter because the people limit their time with work activities in
order to prepare for Friday prayers. The line of descent is bilateral,
which means that a child may choose his line of descent, or it can be
decided through discussion with his parents before they are married.
There is a clear division of work between the men and women. Men work in
the fields, plantations, rivers (gathering stones), or in making
bricks. The women cook and care for the children at home or run small
shops. The Rawas have interesting art forms. Their art forms include
singing and traditional dancing with tambourines, like the Tari Piring
(Plate Dance) and Tari Pisau (Knife Dance). Art groups that are formed
among the young people, encourage these traditional arts of dancing and
singing. Other than that, the Rawas are also active in developing pencak
silat (Indonesian martial arts).
What are their beliefs?
The
Rawas embrace Sunni Islam. They obediently and joyfully perform the
religious duties of fasting and other Islamic celebrations. One of these
celebrations includes the circumcision of boys aged six or seven years
old. They also hold religious meals to remember the deceased at 7 days,
40 days and 100 days after a death. They often use an object which is
carved or engraved with Islamic designs as a charm when they bury their
dead.
What are their needs?
They seem to have sufficient
income from their rubber plantations. However, at this time they need
medicine for treating malaria which is often a cause of suffering for
them. In the area of agriculture, they need help with improving the
quality of their fruit. Other than that, the rich flora in this area,
especially with the wide variety of trees, has great potential for
expanding to become a highly valuable economic commodity.
Text source: Copyright © Indonesian Peoples Network, 2011. Used with permission.
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