Sacred Speech, Social Authority, and Coastal Conservation: Manahelo Oral Traditions in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract

Coastal conservation approaches that rely predominantly on formal regulations often overlook the role of oral traditions and customary authority in fostering collective compliance with environmental protection. This study examines how Manahelo poetic speech constructs socio-religious authority and how myths and customary prohibitions (pamali) shape collective compliance with community-based coastal conservation practices in Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Employing a qualitative linguistic ethnographic approach, the research was conducted in two coastal customary territories, Dengka and Ba’a, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Data were collected through audiovisual recordings of 6 (six) customary speech performances, in-depth interviews with 12 informants, participant observation, and document analysis. The data were examined using initial coding, axial coding, and ecocritical thematic analysis. The findings reveal that Manahelo oral traditions function as socio-religious institutions that legitimize customary authority, cultivate moral obligations, and regulate ecological behavior. Beliefs in supernatural guardians, particularly Oematan Nitu and Tasi Nitu, reinforce customary prohibitions (pamali) and territorial restrictions (fai punu) through perceived supernatural sanctions (mula). Although collective compliance is continually negotiated in response to everyday economic pressures, Manahelo's sacred authority remains an important source of legitimacy for environmental regulation beyond formal law enforcement mechanisms. The implications of this study extend sociological understandings of religious authority, cultural legitimacy, and social control in environmental governance, while highlighting the importance of recognizing customary institutions in developing inclusive, participatory, and sustainable conservation policies.

Pendekatan konservasi pesisir yang bertumpu pada regulasi formal sering kali mengabaikan peran tradisi lisan dan otoritas adat dalam membentuk kepatuhan masyarakat terhadap perlindungan lingkungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis bagaimana tuturan puitis Manahelo membangun otoritas sosial-keagamaan serta bagaimana mitos dan larangan adat (pamali) membentuk kepatuhan kolektif dalam praktik konservasi pesisir berbasis masyarakat di Rote Ndao. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan etnografi linguistik di dua wilayah adat pesisir, yaitu Dengka dan Baa, Kabupaten Rote Ndao, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Indonesia. Data dikumpulkan melalui perekaman audiovisual terhadap 6 (enam) pertunjukan tuturan adat, wawancara mendalam dengan 12 informan, observasi partisipatif, dan studi dokumen. Data dianalisis melalui pengodean awal, pengodean aksial, dan analisis tematik ekokritis. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa tradisi lisan Manahelo berfungsi sebagai institusi sosial-keagamaan yang membangun legitimasi otoritas adat, menanamkan kewajiban moral, dan mengatur perilaku ekologis masyarakat. Kepercayaan terhadap entitas penjaga alam, seperti Oematan Nitu dan Tasi Nitu, memperkuat larangan adat (pamali) dan pembatasan wilayah (fai punu) melalui keyakinan terhadap sanksi supernatural (mula). Meskipun kepatuhan masyarakat terus dinegosiasikan dengan kepentingan ekonomi sehari-hari, otoritas sakral Manahelo tetap menjadi sumber legitimasi pengaturan lingkungan di luar mekanisme penegakan hukum formal. Implikasi penelitian ini memperluas pemahaman sosiologis tentang peran otoritas keagamaan, legitimasi budaya, dan pengendalian sosial dalam tata kelola lingkungan, sekaligus menunjukkan pentingnya pengakuan terhadap institusi adat dalam pengembangan kebijakan konservasi yang inklusif, partisipatif, dan berkelanjutan.