Negotiating Tradition and Islam in Indigenous Marriage Rituals of Tabang, Indonesia
Keywords:
customary law, acculturation, local Islam, marriage rites, cultural performativity, indigenous peoplesAbstract
The traditional marriage rituals of the people of Tabang, North Sulawesi, retain cultural complexities that reflect the ongoing negotiations between customary law, Islamic values, and contemporary social dynamics. This study aims to uncover how the living law system is integrated with Islamic religious norms in the marriage procession and how social changes reshape the meaning of tradition in the context of Muslim indigenous peoples. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with indigenous and religious leaders, and local documentation studies. The study results show that the Tabang people have built a stable model of cultural acculturation, in which traditional elements are filtered through Islamic values without removing their symbolic and performative structures. However, this process also faces serious challenges due to the entry of modern entertainment practices such as songs of remembrance and youth parties that shift moral and spiritual values in traditional rites. This study confirms that conventional marriage ceremonies in Tabang are not just a cultural practice, but a field of contestation of values and identities that continue to be negotiated. These findings enrich the discourse of cultural studies and legal anthropology by offering a new understanding of how Muslim indigenous peoples manage their cultural heritage in a dynamic and ambiguous modern landscape.
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