The Forgotten Island of Indonesia

Just an hour by plane from Bali sits Sumba, an island where Marapu traditions still guide daily decisions. Luxury resorts are now appearing, some locals welcome the promise of income, education and infrastructure, while others wonder how to preserve ancestral beliefs that have shaped life for centuries.

In the village of Kadoku, we spent time with spiritual leader Rato Emu. Marapu traditions pass through eldest sons, but he has none. His daughters converted to Christianity, not from rebellion, but practicality. So he raises his nephew as his own, preparing him to inherit a belief system older than Indonesia itself.

In Sumba, houses point skyward to stay connected to the spirits. The dead rest in tombs beside the living. Major decisions are not made without consulting the ancestors. During our visit, we were invited into a funeral ceremony, a ritual offering to the ancestors - where the entire village gathered. To visit Sumba now is to stand inside all three tenses at once, an island where the dead are still consulted, the living still negotiate, and the future has not yet decided what to keep.

Photos: Daphne van der Oord / Text: Selina Stap