By Syamsidar & Cendera Rizky
Pekanbaru (19/07) - Talang Mamak medication ceremony ""Belelik"" wasdemonstrated in Pekanbaru on Saturday, July 16, 2011 on a cultural performance event titled “Senandung Anak Talang” Belelik is a medication ceremony conducted Talang Mamak tribe who live in and around Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.
The phrase “Talang Mamak” comes from the word “talang” which means agricultural field and the word “mamak” which means relatives of the mother who should be respected.
The Talang Mamak people believe that nature will do well to people if they do not bother it. Land and forest are regarded by them as insperable part of their lifes. For hundred of years they have been living in harmony with nature. The customary belief is reflected in the medication ceremony ""Belelik."" It represents their great respect to “datuk” (forest keeper).Datuk is the local name for tigers. In “Belelik” tradition, the shaman (traditional healer) gave offerings to the ancestors of seven types of cakes, grilled chicken, eggs, betel leaf) and others. Then he begged the spirits to heal the sufferers. The medication was conducted in an arena which is installed by bamboo and leaves fencing.
In the 4 X 4 area, some places had been prepared for the ceremony. The center aims for placing the offerings, , the room for the sick (pyramid like house made of creepers and long-stemmed woody vines, and a bamboo chair for the Shaman. The Shaman will surround each of these places up to 7 times.Talang Mamak people believe that during the medication process, Shaman would turn into a tiger after he jumped on a pile of ember (hot coal) which was set up around the treatment arena. Shaman will sound like the roar of a tiger and then fled into the woods to do the praying ritual while asking the spirits to heal the sufferers.

The tradition which has become infrequently performed was introduced by WWF-Indonesia Riau Program through “Belelik” performance by Talang Mamak communities. 18 Talang Mamak people from Bukit Tigapuluh National Park were imported to Pekanbaru to demonstrate that medication ceremony. In addition to that, martial arts tradition and Gambus (traditional stringed musical instrument) performance were also enlivened the event. A total of three songs were played by Talang Mamak female musician named Asmara who intentionally created a new “gambus.” ""The Old Gambus has already worn out,"" she said.
Asmara, is the mother of three children who came from Bengayuan, Rantau Langsat village in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. In her spare time, she often plucked the gambus strings while entertaining the kids and neighbors in the village which is inhabited by about 15 family heads. Hundreds of people visiting Riau Cultural Park were impressed by Asmara’s performance that night.
“Senandung Anak Talang” also featured a photo exhibition lasted for three days. Collections displayed were photographs of the Eyes on the Forest (EoF) investigation picturing forest destruction in of Riau and numbers of photographs by some environmentalists and local photographers.