MENTAWAI TRIBE

Located on off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Mentawai consists of about
seventy islands, the major islands are : Siberut (the largest), Sipora, South Pagai and NorthPagai.
The difficulties in communication and transportation make the island of Siberut is isolated.
Explore the jungle in the heart into the heart of the
Siberut Island in the western part off West Sumatra's
coast, to meet the indigenous people of the Mentawai
who live close to nature and still live in comparative
isolation, maintaining their age-old ways. It's virgin
rainforest, inhabited by a number of animal species not
found anywhere else in the world, among them some rare
monkey species, pleasant surprises await you to explore.
You will be rewarded with stunning views and beautiful
jungles abounding with unique plant and wildlife. The
real highlight of your journey though, is the chance to
meet the people of Siberut, traditionally hunter, gatherer
clans who are now coming into contact with the modern
world.
The Mentawaian are traditionally organized as patrineal
groups and the social life centered around the UMA, a
communal long house which held a clan of people related
through a common ancestor. The UMA vary in size between 30 to 80 members divided in
nuclear family units, referred to as LALEP. Because of internal friction, the clan might split up
and form a new group or a single family.
They believe that all living objects, men, plants and animals are supposed to have spirits. The
only specialist in the community is the medicine man, KEREI, responsible for communication
with the spirits and the souls. In case of misfortune or illness, he is called in to restore harmony
within the group or in relation with the spirits in the environment. An elaborate Taboo system
based on religious beliefs with respect to the environment is a dominant characteristic of
traditional life on Siberut.
You will stay as guests of a local Kerei (medicine -man) in the Uma (traditional family house).
Here, where conditions are basic, you will gain a unique insight into the lives of these people
who maintain a belief system based on living in total harmony with nature.
Visit and stay in a Mentawaian village, trek to the jungle, learn about sago processing and bark
cloth processing, and do other activities that will heighten your interest in and fascination with
the natural philosophy of the Mentawaians.

Natural phenomena
Tsunami
The term of tsunami comes from the Japanese which means harbour ("tsu") and wave ("nami"). A
tsunami is a series of waves generated when water in a lake or a sea is rapidly displaced on a massive
scale.
A tsunami can be generated when the sea floor abruptly deforms
and vertically displaces the overlying water. Such large vertical movements of the earth's crust can occur
at plate boundaries.
Subduction of earthquakes are particularly effective in generating tsunami, and occur where denser
oceanic plates slip under continental plates.
As the displaced water mass moves under the influence of gravity to regain its equilibrium, it radiates
across the ocean like ripples on a pond.
Tsunami always bring great damage. Most of the damage is caused by the huge mass of water behind
the initial wave front, as the height of the sea keeps rising fast and floods powerfully into
How Venus Eclipse Happens
On May 16, 2010, people in most regions in the world have seen a very rare natural phenomenon. It was
Venus eclipse. It was very rare amazing natural event. It was reported that the Venus eclipse will seen
again in the future in 2050. Do you know how this rare Venus eclipse happens?
Well, actually Venus eclipse is like Sun eclipse. Venus eclipses occurs when the position of the earth,
moon and Venus is parallel. Venus planet will slowly disappear for a moment because it is covered the
surface of the Moon. Venus planet seems to move to the back side of the Moon.
The moon and planets are sharing a similar apparent path in the sky. That is why, it is not unusual for
the moon to appear to pass close to Venus. In fact, the moon appears somewhere near it about once a
month. However, most people dont see these events because they are visible in the evening sky only
half the time, and then only for a short period after sunset. The apparent closeness varies from month
to month as well.