A String of Words, From Our Homeland

A String of Words, From Our Homeland

Arum, a young high school girl from a small town, was known as a fluent wordsmith. She had a unique gift for weaving words that could touch the hearts of anyone who heard them. Since childhood, Arum had deeply loved her regional language, rich in meaning and local wisdom. This love was passed down from her parents and grandparents, who were traditional karawitan (gamelan) artists in their region. Traditional dance movements, the melodies of traditional kawih songs, and the sounds of gamelan filled Arum’s days, as her family owned a studio and performance hall used for training. It’s no wonder that the blood of traditional art flowed through Arum, including her love for the regional language that served as the medium for every cultural performance.

The village of Endah, where Arum lived, still upheld a strong oral tradition. Every night, one could still hear folktales in the regional language being told in homes, and on certain evenings, the community gathered in open spaces to listen to stories from elders who were artists or cultural figures. From these stories, Arum learned about history, values, and the philosophy of life embedded in each string of words. One evening, after listening to a tale from Grandpa Jaya, a master storyteller, Arum felt inspired. Grandpa Jaya spoke about the importance of preserving language and culture, illustrating how words could reconnect us with our roots and identity. “Our language is a heritage that must be preserved. Every word we speak carries the soul of our ancestors,” he said, emphasizing how precious language is in shaping culture.

Arum then decided to reach out to her friends from neighboring villages, many of whom often used foreign languages in their daily conversations. Arum’s friends were caught up in the craze for neighboring countries’ cultures, from fashion styles to food trends. They could even spend entire days watching dramas and movies from those countries. Arum often reflected on the richness of Indonesian culture—with so many ethnic groups, the diversity of both culture and language was astounding. From these reflections, Arum became increasingly passionate about exchanging ideas and sharing her love for traditional arts, especially their local language.

When her friends came over, Arum enthusiastically invited them to discuss the richness of their own language. She began demonstrating some unique expressions from her region and their meanings. “When we speak in our language, we speak from the heart—it’s more than just words,” she said. She then shared fascinating facts about the origins of those words, explaining how each word carried spirit and deep meaning. Arum emphasized that when regional languages fall out of use, they gradually disappear, and with the loss of language comes the loss of the ethnic group itself, as their identity fades without preservation.

However, as she spoke, Arum realized her friends struggled to adapt to using the regional language. They felt awkward and had difficulty pronouncing unfamiliar words. Concerned, Arum thought hard about how to help them grow more comfortable with the language. She then proposed creating a theater group that would perform dramas in their regional language. “Let’s create a show that not only entertains but also educates. By acting, we can learn while having fun!” she exclaimed enthusiastically.

Her friends agreed, and over the following weeks, they worked hard to prepare the performance. Through intense rehearsals, they gradually became more familiar with the regional language and began to understand its meaning. “When we speak using our language, we speak from the heart, not just with words,” she said. She then recounted interesting facts about the origins of those words, explaining how each word carries a deep spirit and meaning. Arum emphasized that when a regional language is rarely used, it will gradually disappear, and with its disappearance, so too will the ethnic group that speaks it—because the language is neither used nor preserved.

However, as she spoke, Arum realized that her friends seemed to struggle with using the regional language. They felt awkward and found it difficult to pronounce some words that sounded unfamiliar to them. Concerned, Arum thought hard about how to make the language more familiar to them. She then proposed forming a theater group that would perform plays with dialogues in the regional language. “Let’s create a show that is not only entertaining but also educational. Through role-playing, we’ll learn while having fun!” she exclaimed enthusiastically.

Her friends agreed, and over the following weeks, they worked hard to prepare for the performance. Through intensive rehearsals, they began to get used to using the regional language, understanding its meanings, and appreciating the beauty it held. Arum taught them through word games, songs, and moving dialogue practices. Finally, the night of the performance arrived. They performed at the Village Hall, in front of an enthusiastic audience. Arum watched as her friends performed with confidence, each word they spoke filled with passion. The audience cheered, feeling every emotion conveyed.

After the show ended, Arum and her friends were greeted with thunderous applause. They realized that they had not only enjoyed the performance but also connected with their own culture. Arum felt proud for successfully reigniting the spirit of language and culture among her peers. Since that night, Endah Village became known not only for its natural beauty but also for its young people who bravely revived their language and culture. Arum continued her efforts to preserve and share her love for the language, believing that every radiant word carried an invaluable legacy and identity.

And the struggle did not stop there—it required collaboration with key stakeholders, especially local governments as policy makers in preserving regional languages, because regional languages serve as guardians of traditional arts and culture. Arum’s family’s cultural center and studio became increasingly popular among the youth of Endah Village, who came to learn traditional arts using the regional language as the medium. Through meaningful words, Arum realized that language is not merely a tool for communication, but also a bridge that connects soul and culture, revives history, and will never fade.