In light of the previous post, and its mention to the earthquake that struck parts of western Sumatra in 2009, I figured this an appropriate segway to share a few images I’d taken in Padang, a day or so after the tragedy.

You see, this also happened to be the exact time my then partner, Fern, had come to visit. A decision which, from the third level of a hotel structure comparable only to an enfeebling cave of unsupported concrete, resulted in her experience of natures capricious powers, first hand.  Escaping serious injury by rushing to the safety of the open streets, Fern was met by a scene of complete devastation. An event, which would go on to take the lives of 1,117 people; causing damage or destruction to over 181,000 buildings (USGS) in Padang and its surrounding districts.

Although suffering the force of the powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake, the impact of destruction in the Mentawai Islands was for the most part, relatively minimal. This can perhaps be attributed to the essential lack of heavy roofing used in the vastly wooden structures, which appeared to simply dance the impact off.

However, for the larger, more commercially established villages closer to the port towns, the ensuing weeks did bring about a sense of chaos. Why? Well Padang, a city of almost 800,000 people, was suddenly without any tangible supply of food and water. The severity of the disaster, combined with an archaic infrastructure had essentially shut the city down, thus inhibiting the flow of resources out to the island communities.  As the economy of the entire archipelago seems to be linked to Padang in one way or another, the islands, which appeared to have limited information regarding the extent of damage on the mainland, experienced a halt in boats arriving altogether, and a sudden quadrupled price tag added to the small amount of supplies available. Cause for concern? Sure. Interestingly though, and despite the terrible circumstances – of which many seemed unaware – I found those that possessed the skills to hunt and gather were as unperturbed and genial as ever, showing no concern for the diminishing supplies or sense of urgency created by the price hikes.

Perhaps it’s worth considering our own reactions under circumstances such as this… would we still possess the ability to survive, without the conveniences we’ve become accustomed to?

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Alongside the film, I am working on the development of an Indigenous community support program, which will focus on the Siberut region. Having had very little experience in the not-for-profit organizational sector personally, and knowing that outside support will play a critical role in realizing this, I was extremely grateful to Matthew and Anastacia from SURFAID INTERNATIONAL who generously offered their time and wealth of knowledge to help the cause.

Both have previously worked on SURFAID programs in the Mentawai – on the southern island of Sipora, and have most recently implemented their own EARTHQUAKE RELIEF PROGRAMS for SURFAID in Padang. This was a fantastic opportunity to workshop some ideas around the issues currently being faced by the Indigenous tribes of the Mentawai. I have added a short video here with brief mention to various aspects of the discussion.

The island of Siberut, excessively rich in biodiversity and boasting an extremely high number of endemic plant and animal species, is the last of the four large islands in the archipelago holding onto its cultural and environmental heritage. The Islands communities, like many traditional (more…)

This week saw the first test screening of BUI MAREUREU BAAP as worlds divide. Thanks to all the members of Melbourne’s Doco3000 group that gave their time and valuable feedback, a great amount was gained from the discussion that followed.
Onward and up, stay tuned for further post-production developments…

Hunting – an integral part of the Mentawaian tribesmen’s life sees the hand crafted bow and arrow as the most commonly used method for fatally wounding their prey. So how could a handmade arrow possibly stop a rampaging wild boar? By gathering a selected mixture of flora from the nearby jungle, the huntsmen are able to extract a poisonous liquid which is then pasted onto the tips of the hunting weapons – as pictured here with the Mentawaian Si Kerei, or shaman – and once penetrated into the bloodstream of the boar, deer or monkey the result is death within 5 minutes. Suffice to say this is no toy or game, and neither were our hunting ventures, in fact, there were numerous occasions during my stay where young men fell victim to the sharp tusks of an angry boar. Despite their perceived plump and lazy appearance, they run, and incredibly fast.

Landing in this new island habitat saw a sudden and significant change to my diet. The transition period for the first month would result in diminished energy levels; provoking a need to learn the art of fishing – an important survival skill for those residing by the ocean. Fortunately Si Hen and a couple of experienced fisherman in the village were kind enough to share their trade with me. It was thanks to their generosity that learning to fish became a daily activity here in the village and kept me well fed. The images posted here are showing my ‘Mujalo’ bait-fish net throwing developments, under close instruction from master fisherman Si Hen.

Shot of me with friends Si Jalal, Si Petre and my trusty notebook.
The people living in this small coconut farming village had had very little interaction with white fellows prior to me, so upon arriving I quickly found that I would be surrounded by villagers at almost all times of the day/evening. This was great as it enabled me to learn about their lifestyle, but also quite difficult due to the language barrier. Eager to learn and fearing they’d quickly grow tired of staring at me, I used this opportunity to learn some basic words of their native language. With most of the villages there speaking the Indonesian language too, I was able – by using an Indonesian dictionary, to figure the Mentawaian translation and in return provide them with the pronunciation in English. This proved to be a fantastic relationship building exercise as it created an avenue of communication between us. I’ll be forever grateful for the good nature of those living in that small village; they were extremely welcoming and very patient with me. Including Si Jablah who seemed just as eager to learn as I was, often calling past my hut with a list of Indonesian words he’d written at home chasing the English translation. For as long as I was there, he was keen to learn, which was very inspirational. I’ve uploaded a small conversation snippet for your perusal here too, enjoy.

Editing is underway… slowly. I’m finding it difficult to sit in front of the geekbox for extended periods.
For whatever reason I’m not sure, I’ve taken to running. If my head becomes sore, it suggests that I run. So I do. I’ve been running further and further everyday and I quite enjoy it. I might even invest in some flash runners.

I’ve now returned home from the Mentawai Islands where I’ve been filming for the Documentary BUI MAREUREU BAAP as worlds divide for the past year. What an amazing experience it was. I’m a little worried about how I’m going to adapt to the environment that’ll be required to finish this project. I’m thinking a great deal about the lifestyle and my friends I’ve left behind, these people are incredible. I can’t even begin to describe how much I’ve learnt from this experience, in so many aspects, and I am especially looking forward to seeing the comparisons in my own behavior from early footage to the most recent… feels like such a long time ago now. That should be fun or perhaps a little frightening. I have a few more days to relax before I begin the challenge of transferring my head into the second stage of the project; dissecting and constructing the film. Stay tuned…