The History of Mematua Traditional Ceremony of the Kaili Tribe in Palu City

Abstract

This study aims to examine the history, procession, and symbolic meaning of the Mematua traditional ceremony among the Kaili tribe in Talise Village, Palu City. The Mematua ceremony is a post-marital inauguration rite that has begun to undergo simplification due to modernization and a multicultural urban community, thus requiring historical documentation so that its cultural values are not lost. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews with customary leaders or figures selected using a purposive sampling technique, and documentation studies. Data analysis followed the stages of data collection, data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions. The results reveal three main findings. First, historically, the Mematua tradition underwent a significant cultural transformation in the 1800s alongside the entry of Islamic teachings into the Palu Valley. Animistic and dynamistic practices, which previously involved offerings to ancestral spirits, transformed into activities rooted in tawhid (monotheistic) values, namely the recitation of prayers for safety and almsgiving. Second, the ceremony consists of several stages, including: pre-conditions (notification), a welcome at the main door (stepping over an axe, a dull machete, special grass, and scattered yellow rice), the wearing of traditional bracelets (Botiga), a mutual feeding ritual (Mepakoni), an introduction to the kitchen area (spatial education), and concluding with a closing prayer and sungkeman (a customary gesture of respect). Third, the symbolic meaning of this ceremony encompasses the function of social integration to introduce the extended family and strengthen kinship ties, a symbol of resilience and warding off misfortune, the full legitimacy and acceptance of the daughter-in-law by the husband's family, an expression of equal rights and duties between husband and wife, and the affirmation of a long-term spiritual commitment to God.