Umbu Ndjurumanna's relatives bringing ponies to Sarah Hobgen's local house as a "belis" (traditional term for marriage proposal gift) before the procession of Sumbanese traditional marriage proposal. Archival photo. Reportage (2011).
Image details
Contributor:
Reynold Sumayku / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2C8C4WTFile size:
20.8 MB (1.4 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
3300 x 2200 px | 27.9 x 18.6 cm | 11 x 7.3 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
28 September 2011Location:
Prailiu, Kambera, East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, IndonesiaMore information:
This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.
Sumba Island runs a controversial catch-a-bride, but also this traditional-international pre-marriage procession_ Umbu Ndjurumanna, a Sumbanese royal leader, led his family and relatives in a march and procession of royal marriage proposal in Prailiu and Kaburu villages near Waingapu City in East Sumba regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. Archival photo (2011). Umbu Uman, as he popularly known, is the oldest son of the Prailiu royal family. On this series of photographs, Umbu Uman was traditionally about to ask Sarah Hobgen, an Australian, to marry him. As Sumbanese tradition requires, Sarah was "adopted" by a local family who would act as her family on this traditional procession that would take place all night long. Sarah was a PhD student of Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods at Charles Darwin University. She was staying in the area for a study when she met Umbu Uman. Tambu Rambu Margaretha, mother of Umbu Uman, said that Prailiu (Parai Liu) has been receiving many university students conducting research, including from overseas. Sarah was one of them. This procession shows a true side of Sumba Island's marriage tradition. In contrary, a photo went viral recently, showing a young woman is being abducted by a group of men, against her will. She was forced to marry a man in Dameka village on the same Sumba Island. As reported by South China Morning Post (SCMP) on 20 July 2020, the villagers say that it's the Sumbanese custom called "kawin tangkap" (catch-a-bride). In Waingapu City, a well-known trader of Sumbanese traditional weavings had showed one of his collections illustrating catch-a-bride, in which a man and a woman can be seen riding a pony together. The woman has not been portrayed as being abducted. "Catch-a-bride is a violation of Sumba's traditions, which has repeatedly happened and finally been considered a custom, " says Umbu Jowa, an expert on Sumba's traditional custom and rites, as quoted by SCMP.