Denying a peripheral status and claiming a role in the Nation: Sacred words and ritual practices in Timor-Leste's identity

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of adat – an Indonesian
term, that is still widely used in Timor-Leste after the Indonesian occupation period – and
its contribution to nation building in local communities of Timor-Leste from their point
of view (emic perspective). In this context adat refers to the recurrent term used by
Timorese people to designate the belief and practice of religious cult concerning their
ancestors, their sacred houses and rituals, as well as people who perform or have a task
in this system.
In certain contexts, adat is equivalent to tradisaun or costume, tradition and custom; the
old Portuguese term estilu or cultura is also used as others say that their practices are “ita
nia kultura, ita nia tradisaun” – our culture, our tradition. The dimensions of adat selected
to work in this article concern community ritual practices and oral narratives.
Community ritual practices are an exceptional opportunity to analyze how ideology and
the practice of identity are worked out by local actors, namely the lia nain – lords of the
words, specifically through origin narratives that serve as paradigm of identity and denial
of the peripheral position which is often attributed to them in the perspective of a
hegemonic center, which deprives local entities of the historical process.
Community ritual practices are important as cultural heritage but also as social and ritual
markers of distinction and identity. It seems that their value as “national building” tools
are relegated to the sphere of folklore and used in specific times of State or Church agenda, legitimating, above all, these two entities. Nevertheless, for local communities’
ritual practices are seen as resources not only in local contexts but also for the nation.