Bringing Tanimbar Weaving and Seaweed to Life in North Tanimbar

The Urtatan and Koratutul Indigenous Communities in the Tanimbar Islands are an inseparable part of coastal life in North Tanimbar. As many as 90% of the population depends on their gardens and the sea. The majority of the community relies on seasonal harvests such as copra and other garden products, as well as the cultivation and capture of marine products as their main source of income. Low incomes due to fluctuations in selling prices are common.

These two communities are located on Larat Island, North Tanimbar District, Tanimbar Islands Regency, Maluku Province. West Lamdesar and East Lamdesar Villages, where the Koratutul Indigenous Community lives, are 48 km from Larat City and can be reached in 40 minutes by land or sea. Meanwhile, the Urtatan Indigenous Community in Keliobar Village is 21 km from Larat City and can be reached in 20 minutes by land with fairly good road conditions.

Each community faces different challenges. In Koratutul, the sustainability of the Tanimbar Ikat Weaving tradition is threatened by the lack of successors, with only 3 elderly female weavers aged over 60 years old remaining.

Meanwhile in Urtatan, people who rely on copra and also garden produce, cannot meet their daily needs because they have to wait for the harvest cycle which is only 2-3 times a year. Another life support from seaweed also experienced a decline after the attack of a deadly disease outbreak.

Reviving Tanimbar Ikat Weaving

For the Tanimbar community, woven cloth is not just a body covering, but has deep cultural and spiritual value. This precious cloth is used in various traditional ceremonies, such as weddings, deaths, and other important rituals. However, the weaving tradition in the Koratutul Indigenous Community is facing the threat of extinction. Many weavers are elderly or have died, so that the typical Tanimbar cloth is increasingly difficult to find. As a result, the Koratutul Indigenous Community often buys woven cloth from outside the community, even to the district town.

In response to this concern, the Koratutul Indigenous Community utilized the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding for Tanimbar Ikat Weaving Training, initiated by the village government and traditional elders. The weaving training involved 10 Indigenous Women with various skills, where two skilled weavers taught weaving techniques to eight young beginner weavers. They were provided with manual looms, threads, and dyes as initial capital to produce quality ikat woven fabrics and scarves.

After the training, 10 weavers from Lamdesar Barat and Lamdesar Timur Villages agreed to form a weaving group to strengthen the sustainability of their production. Now, the Koratutul Indigenous Community no longer needs to buy woven fabrics from outside the community, the price is also more affordable than buying from outside. The woven products in the form of scarves and cloth have also been marketed to local markets outside Koratutul through BUMMA (Indigenous Community Business Entity) Masoli Karya Urtatan.

Seaweed Cultivation in Urtatan

The Urtatan community in Keliobar Village is known as one of the leading seaweed producers in North Tanimbar. However, extreme weather changes cause seawater temperatures to become unstable, causing seaweed to be attacked by disease outbreaks, turning white and then dying. As a result, many farmers have lost their crops and switched to other sectors, such as gardening or migrating to the city to find work.

To overcome these challenges, the Urtatan Indigenous Community utilized the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding to move the cultivation site to better flowing waters, so that seawater circulation is maintained even if the weather changes. In addition, seeds and cultivation equipment were replaced to prevent the spread of disease. Previously unused tools such as agar ropes, buoys, and ketinting machines were also provided to increase cultivation productivity.

Seaweed cultivation is also back to life, more and more seaweed farmers who previously stopped are now enthusiastic again. With better cultivation methods, they not only increase productivity, but also maintain the quality of the harvest and protect the marine ecosystem from over-exploitation. Because previously the expansion of seaweed cultivation areas was a shortcut to increasing productivity.

Although this program has not directly touched all individuals in the Urtatan and Koratutul Indigenous Community, its impact has been felt. This program has widely benefited members of the Indigenous Community in the Urtatan and Koratutul Community, totaling 1.654 men, 1.518 women, and 744 youth.

Tanimbar Ikat Weaving has once again become an important part of the community’s cultural identity, reviving a nearly extinct tradition and giving the weavers a sense of pride. Koratutul Indigenous women who have taken part in the training are now smiling more broadly, as they are not only protecting their cultural heritage but also earning additional income to improve their family’s welfare. On the other hand, seaweed farmers in Urtatan are now enjoying a more stable harvest. Although the price of seaweed is still fluctuating, the community is able to harvest 2–3 tons every month—much better than having to migrate to the city to find work that may not be available.

With this initiative, new hope has emerged for the Urtatan and Koratutul Indigenous communities. Tanimbar Ikat Weaving and seaweed cultivation now have the opportunity to grow again.