Ritual Art: Exploring the Dimensions of Character Building in the Liat Pulagajjat Tradition of Mentawai
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijels.v4i5.3Keywords:
Liat Pulaggajat, Ritual Arts, Character Education, Ethnopedagogy, Mentawai.Abstract
This article explores the Liat Pulagajjat tradition in the Mentawai Islands as a form of ritual art that functions as an instrument of character education based on local wisdom (indigenous pedagogy). Using qualitative methods with an ethnographic approach, this study reveals how the aesthetic structure, movement symbolism, and oral narrative in Liat Pulagajjat there are processions carried out namely: Lia Siboitok (taddat lia), Sikebbukat sibakkat katcaila, Pasibitbit Sipitto’, Lia Sikarua, Iriq toitet Iriq toitet, Lajot Simagre, Lia Sikatelu, Uraji sainak, and Pukalaibok this ritual is guided by all sikerei in the villages of Matotonan, Madobag and Butui which are located in the South Siberut sub-district of the Mentawai Islands regency. This procession transmits religious values, honesty, discipline, love of the homeland, tolerance, love of peace, care for the environment, care for society, and responsibility and mutual cooperation. The findings suggest that these rituals are not simply aesthetic performances, but rather pedagogical spaces where cultural identities and community morality are formed. This article argues that integrating ritual arts into character education discourse can enrich multicultural education models relevant to today's global challenges.
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