- Author: Subandri Simbolon
- From: Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Abstract:
Recently, scholars of religious studies have called for new appreciation of indigenous peoples? understandings of the ecosystems of which they are a part as a necessary alternative way of thinking about environmental sustainability in the face of ecological crises (Harvey, 2000; Tucker and Grim, 2003; Wei-Ming, 2007). This paper aims to analyze the concept of the ecological religion of the Toba Batak in order to revitalize the local religious wisdoms that shape their relationship with their natural environment. The questions: first, what is the ecological religion concept of the Batak Toba in perceiving and relating to their environment and how do they apply that concept? Second, how do their ecological religion practices shape how they maintain their environment? This analysis is based on field research, including interviews and living in the Toba Batak community in Sianjur Mula-mula Village, Samosir District near Lake Toba in North Sumatera Province. For many years, scholars and religious leaders perceived the Toba Batak as animistic and uncivilized, but, turning this around, I argue that Toba Batak’s religion should be seen as an indigenous religion. By using this perspective, I show that they have an inter-subjective relationship with the environment around them. This kind of relationship is built on tondi, the power of life (Warneck: 1909, Nainggolan:2012) given by Debata Mula Jadi Na Bolon (Batak God’s name) to all subjects in the world. Then, the existence of tondi gives rise to an intersubjective relationship based on responsibility, ethics and reciprocity between subjects, which include aspects of nature like water, forests, trees and animals. For example, they frequently clean up the water spring as their responsibility to the water?s tondi, who called Namboru (Aunt) Saniang Naga. I show how the concept of Toba Batak religion in relationship with their environment is being transformed in the midst of changing times today. This transformation has led to many problems. They face pressures when they implemented their ecological wisdom in making rice planting rituals in rice fields. Unlike previous studies which have mostly discussed Toba Batak Religion as objects of research, this study contributes to ecological studies in religious studies because it focuses on environmental sustainability in order to comprehend how this society is trying to revitalize their local wisdom to sustain their natural environment.
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