Haumeni Lost his Identity on the Island of Timor

One of the identities of Haumeni village is the Saldalwood tree. Image from Pixabay.com

Writer: Fredy Suni

Tafenpah.com - Haumeni Village is synonymous with the fragrance of sandalwood. Haumeni can also be Haumene which means sandalwood. Sandalwood symbolizes the identity of the Haumeni village community.

The origin of sandalwood from the Indonesian Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says, "Cendana, or fragrant sandalwood, is a tree that produces sandalwood and sandalwood oil. The wood is used as spices, incense ingredients, aromatherapy, perfume mixtures, and bayonet keris (Warangka) Good wood can retain its aroma for centuries. It is said that from Sri Lanka this was used to embalm the bodies of the king's daughters since the 9th century. In Indonesia, this wood is found in East Nusa Tenggara, especially on the island of Timor, although now can be found on the island of Java and other islands of the archipelago."

The romanticism of sandalwood invites the Portuguese and the Dutch to invade the village of Haumeni. The oral tradition that the writer got from his parents, especially grandparents who had lived during the Portuguese and Dutch occupation of Timor. Especially the village of Haumeni, the writer's village.

The sandalwood trunk stored by the author's grandfather is very fragrant. The range is between tens of years and even hundreds of years. The sandalwood trunk owned by the author's grandfather can reach a radius of several tens of kilometers.

Sandalwood stems are barter for the Haumeni people. Where when certain families need a goat, cow, etc., it can be exchanged for sandalwood. Mathematically and economically we do not know for sure how much per kilo? The most important thing is what the people who need the goods want are fulfilled. The price is left to the market.

the feel of a village that is identical to the scent of sandalwood only leaves a memory for the Haumeni people. The cause is human greed for irresponsible environmental exploitation.

The loss of the sandalwood fragrance also eliminates the Haumeni people's identity of their identity. Supposedly, the fragrance of the Haumeni people did not only end in the colonial era. Instead, the identity of the sandalwood fragrance continues to exist to illuminate the work across generations.

As a step to restore the fragrance of Haumeni Village in Timor, we have cultivated sandalwood plants. However, the damaged environment, the more hostile the sandalwood tree is.

As a result, all types of sandalwood cultivation end in death. The death of the sandalwood tree means the loss of fame in the village of Haumeni in Timor.

The identity as a land of sandalwood is lost, the environment is increasingly damaged, the apathy of the people also completes the list of lost assets that are very meaningful for future generations.

The younger generation of Haumeni only enjoys the proud narratives of the past. While there is no empirical evidence. It is very unfortunate, the wealth that is very valuable for the younger generation and the nation is also lost. Worse, if the identity as a generation of the Dawan Haumeni tribe is lost in the midst of foreign cultural contamination.

As a first step to preserving sandalwood tree plants, there's nothing wrong with trying again. Let the experience of failure in the past be a lesson for us to look to a better future.

A good future, symbolizing the return of the identity of Haumeni village as the center of sandalwood fragrances in Timor.