Believing that most physical afflictions arise from a spiritual imbalance makes beautification to satisfy the soul an important part of every ritual. The sikeireis know that their own souls must be at peace before they can heal others. Their tattoos and body adornments are often enhanced with natural pigments extracted from fragrant yellow turmeric root and black ashes..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra,...
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Believing that most physical afflictions arise from a spiritual imbalance makes beautification to satisfy the soul an important part of every ritual. The sikeireis know that their own souls must be at peace before they can heal others. Their tattoos and body adornments are often enhanced with natural pigments extracted from fragrant yellow turmeric root and black ashes..The Mentawai people live in the densest remote rainforest of Siberut Island, off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Traditional clans on this remote tropical island have long resisted cultural assimilation; their lifestyle has been unchanged for generations. The tattoo-covered sikeireis, or traditional shamans, are knowledgeable herbalists and lead the tribe in the practice of Jarayak, a form of animism: medicine men, rituals, ceremonies and taboos still define the Mentawai lifestyle...The endangered indigenous lifestyle of these Mentawai is one of the best preserved and most fascinating, yet one of the least known and protected. ..For more information on the Mentawai, visit Native Planet (www.nativeplanet.org), an NGO that we support.
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