“Indigenous literature is used by Indigenous communities, among other things, as an effort to determine and claim their customary territories. Indigenous literature contains stories that explain customary lands, knowledge systems, and social institutions. In addition, Indigenous literature is also a way to discover and trace identity, namely origins. Indigenous literature also functions as part of the way of life of Indigenous communities.
With this awareness, Indigenous communities, especially Indigenous youth, carry out exploration, documentation, and study of Indigenous literature to assert their existence.
Since the early 2000s, the same awareness has also been held by the cultural movement network, Mawale Movement. Relearning local wisdom, tracing ancestral paths, including the exploration, documentation, and study of Indigenous literature, and even the creation of new works, have also been carried out. The spirit of returning to the village has become one of the cultural movements promoted.
The creative process that manifests in the exploration of Indigenous literature is also an effort to advance literature in North Sulawesi (Sulut). This means that the creative process in literature is not only related to the creation of new literary works. The efforts of exploration, documentation, study, and re-presenting Indigenous literature so that it is easy to understand and contextual to today’s conditions are also a creative process.”
I delivered part of that material in an Art Discussion (Sarasehan Seni), held at the Hall of the Regional Cultural Office of North Sulawesi Province. Today, together with artists and practitioners of theater and literature in North Sulawesi. The activity, with the theme “Optimizing the Creative Process of Theater and Literary Practitioners in North Sulawesi,” was initiated by UPTD Taman Budaya & Museum Sulut.
Learning from the efforts of Indigenous communities who conduct exploration, documentation, and study of Indigenous literature is a creative process. Therefore, in my view, the creative process that manifests in the exploration of Indigenous literature is also an effort to advance literature in North Sulawesi. This means that the creative process in literature is not only related to creating new literary works and presenting them to audiences. The efforts of exploring, documenting, studying, and re-presenting Indigenous literature so that it is easy to understand, contextual to today’s conditions, and can even become a source of knowledge for the current generation, are also a creative process.
In addition to that main point, I also discussed material related to the Repositioning of Local Literature for the Advancement of Literature in North Sulawesi. Concrete actions around this topic need to be taken, such as increasing the number of local literary works, forming and facilitating writing communities/art and cultural studios/writers/literary figures/academics to remain productive in producing literary works. In addition, encouraging and facilitating the processes of creation, publication, and dissemination of local literary works, as well as spaces for appreciation and regular literary events, must also be given attention.
