Uma Lulik - Uma Fukun (Sacred Houses) of Fehan Tetun People in Suai, East Timor

Uma Lulik, or Uma Fukun (Sacred House), has existed for thousands of years since the arrival of the Fehan Tetun people in Suai. They arrived in various tribes and established themselves in different villages in Suai. They are Raimea, Kamanasa, Suai Loro, Matai, Nuarae, and Busakukun. These tribes are divided into multiple clans, each with its own Uma Lulik, which connects one or more families. The families that belong to Uma Lulik descended from the same female lineage, a lineage to which the people of Fehan Tetun belonged.

Uma Lulik is the identity of the Fahan Tetun family. Each Fehan Tetun family identified themselves with Uma Luik. It's like an identity card or government-issued passport. It is the cultural identity of each clan living side-by-side within a village. The identity that enables a family to survive controls the social order and cooperates with other ethnic groups. Without it, the people of Fehan Tetun would not have survived and adapted to their surroundings for thousands of years.

In September 1999, pro-Indonesian militias, the Lakasaur, burned down all villages in Suai and forced most people to flee to West Timor. Their Uma Lulik burned. After the United Nations took control of Timor-Leste, the people of Fehan Tetun and other ethnic groups returned to Suai. They slowly reconstructed their lives and homes, and of course, they did not forget to rebuild their Uma Lulik. How did they get off the ground? The United Nations gave construction materials to each household to build their houses. After one or two years, each clan began to rebuild their Uma Lulik. If Uma Lulik were unimportant to them, they would have abandoned the house because they had nothing left. However, because Uma Lulik is their identity, thanks to the community's cooperation, they managed to reconstruct their Uma Lulik.

There are no resources in the library to provide you with a definition of Uma Lulik. To give you an overall view of Uma Lulik, I have to describe how the people of Fehan-Tetun live with their families and in the community. The ancient Egyptians built pyramids for kings and queens to worship their spirits and deities. On the other hand, the Fehan-Tetun people built Uma Lulik not for their kings and queens but for their families and the community to worship their forefather's spirits and supernaturals. Uma Lulik is the root of their lives; without it, the Fehan people would not exist. It plays a significant role in maintaining laws and social order in the community. It gives purpose to life and brings families together; it gives you a sense of belonging and togetherness. In addition, Uma Lulik is where we keep our forefathers' property, including silver coins, bronze coins, gold discs, and other sacred objects.

The people of Fehan live in a tight-knit community. One or more families make up a clan; these families are linked and live in a group according to their Uma Lulik. Everyone in the community belongs to a certain Uma Lulik and knows who they are and where they belong. They know who is the chief of Uma Lulik and who is the chief of the village. They share the same cultures and traditions. Whether you build a new house, someone's daughter gets married, or someone dies, every Uma Lulik clan has to come together and help each other.

Like the structure of an organisation, Uma Lulik also has a structure. The upper level of Uma Lulik is Nain Uman, which serves as a cultural and ceremonial centre. Then there are other Uma Lulik of some clans, like Uma Bukar, Uma Basalu, Uma Beikoli, and Uma Baukatal, all working under Nain Uman. The most popular Nain Uman of the Fehan-Tetun population is Nain Uman Talutu in Suai Loro.

Nain Uman is usually led by a traditional leader called Bei Nai Katuas, who coordinates cultural activities with other Uma Lulik. Similarly, other Uma Lulik is also headed by a traditional leader; the title varies from Uma Lulik to Uma Lulik. For example, Uma Basalu is under the direction of Bei Fukun, and Uma Bukar is under the direction of Bei Bukar.

As the main ritual centre, no one lives at Nain Uman. The house is used for special ceremonial rituals like the war ritual, harvesting new crops, and death. In addition, we keep some sacred objects of our ancestors inside Uma Lulik. For the other Uma Lulik, each clan chooses one member to live in and maintain the house. When the house ages or needs to be renovated or rebuilt, clan members get together and make financial and physical contributions. It is the clan's responsibility to look after their Uma Lulik.

That is what Uma Lulik is all about and how important it is to the Fahan-Tetun people of Suai.