3,078
edits
Changes
no edit summary
Minangkabau people in Indonesia have a unique system of deliberation. It is called Adat. The cultural heritageof the Minangkabau is based on maternal linage and heredity of property from the mother. Adat is a normative rules and usage of the deliberation and decision making system. Adat institutes active in the villages, and some time is cities. most villages have adat.
Buah gadang is the smallest social unit recognized under the adat. Its members share a common property. It is leaded by panghulu. There are about 20 to 100 buah gadangs under the village council. The council has members which are called panghulu. Each panghulu represents his linage. Every linage has sub-linages which are represented by mamks. The memks represent their people.
The adat have several rules:
:The Kamanakah (people of the sub-linage) are subject to the mamk (head of the sub-lineage).
:The mamk is subject to the panghulu (head of the lineage).
:The panghulu is subject to the mupakat (village council?)
:The mupakat is subject to the power of reasoning
:The power of reasoning is subject to what is possible and appropriate.
:And possible is subject to truth.
:It is truth which is the highest authority (which becomes king)
The problem should be solved at the lowest possible level, and only if the appropriate level can't solve it, they should go to a higher authority. Everybody has its own tern to speak. The deliberation is led by the head of the council (in the respective level). Decisions are made unanimously. All families are equal.
The decision should have consent on all parties involve, all down the ladder.
==Sources about the Minangkabau deliberation==