Wai Humba Festival is a festival designed to bring people closer together with God the Almighty and the environment, while uniting four regions in Sumba island, namely East Sumba, Central Sumba, West Sumba and Southwest Sumba. The festival itself is a gratitude to God the Almighy for the blessing of water and reflection on the importance of preserving Sumba's natural environment.
Wai Humba is derived from word ‘Wai/wee’ means water and ‘Humba/zuba’ means Sumba. Many places found in Sumba are preceeded with prefix 'Wai' such as Waingapu in East Sumba, Waibakul in Central Sumba, Waikabubak in West Sumba and Weetabula in Southwest Sumba. For the Sumbanese, water is the source of all life on earth and they refuse to pollute water and pray to protect water, to be always blessed and protected, and to be kept away from the evil hands of humans who will destroy it.
As for the spirit of the festival is "We are not Sumba toward extinction", in local language 'Nda Humba Li La Mohu Akama (East Sumba)', 'Da Zuba Da Sagage Mod'da Damo' (West Sumba), 'Nda Suba Kima Pa Aro Modda Dana' (South Sumba). The spirit assures everyone that, as time goes on, the Sumba's civilization and culture will not be destroyed or extincted.
Since 2012 Wai Humba Festival has held in 7 locations across Sumba:
Wai Humba Festival I at Paponggu River, Tanadaru Mountain Area, Central Sumba, October 29, 2012.
Wai Humba Festival II on the slopes of Yawila, Umma Pande, Dikira village, South Sumba.
Wai Humba Festival III in the village of Ramuk, East Sumba.
Wai Humba Festival IV in Paponggu, Tanadaru, Central Sumba.
Wai Humba Festival V in Kadahang, Haharu, East Sumba.
Wai Humba Festival VI in Tabera village, Doka Kaka Village, West Sumba.
Wai Humba Festival VII in the village of Ekapata, Yawila, Southwest Sumba.
Wai Humba Festival VIII will be held in Kananggar, East Sumba, October 18-20, 2019.
The three days festival is designed with different events each year, such as fraternity vows, Sumba arts and culture, reforestation, ‘kalarat wai’ or rituals to bless water, Humba village discussions, village visits and Wai and Tana Humba awards. From this series of activities came recommendations to the local government, for example, in Festival VI resulted ten points of recommendation to the government, two of those were (1) recommending the government to do inventory and to protect indigenous people, culture ground and forest land in Sumba and to create a Regulation of Community Protection on customary law; (2) making Sumba language as local subject in all schools in Sumba.
The positive response came from the Sumba community, as the indigenous people, they are grateful because the festival provides space to network and strengthen bonds of brotherhood among Sumbanese as well as a place for exchanging views on issues and understanding related to Sumba; for the younger generation, the festival can enhance new understanding while growing love to land of Humba. Beside the Sumbanese, the visitors were also from outside Sumba. These activities are exciting and may give new insights about local cultures that differ from theirs.
Hopefully, the Wai Humba Festival brings positive impact on Sumba's development and unites the Sumba indigenous people even though they are spread in different administrative areas. We are not Sumba toward extinction! (Antonia Maria Oy)