TITI MENTAWAI: SANGGAHAN TERHADAP TATO MENTAWAI TERTUA DI DUNIA (TITI MENTAWAI: REFUTATION OF THE OLDEST MENTAWAI TATTOOS IN THE WORLD)

Abstract

Tato tradisional adalah salah satu tradisi prasejarah yang tidak memiliki catatan yang dapat ditelusuri kapan diciptakannya. Tato Mentawai adalah salah satunya. Namun, ada gagasan yang  menyatakan bahwa tato Mentawai tertua di dunia. Asumsi ini menjadi perdebatan di dunia akademik dan tersebar di media-media digital. Sebahagian orang meyakininya asumsi itu sebagai sebuah kebenaran. Bahkan asumsi ini dijadikan sebagai acuan yang sahih dalam membuat sebuah kebijakan publik di Mentawai. Argumen ini telah menuai kontroversi di masyarakat Mentawai. Setelah mengulas sumber-sumber ilmiah yang mendasari munculnya asumsi tato Mentawai tertua di dunia fakta-fakta berbeda ditemukan tentang tato tradisional Mentawai. Berdasarkan fakta-fakta itu disimpulkan adalah bahwa tato traditional Mentawai sebagai yang tertua di dunia tidaklah berdasar.

(Traditional tattoos are perceived as a prehistoric tradition because they have no traceable records of when they were invented. Mentawai tattoos are one of them. Nonetheless, an assumption has been made to declare that the Mentawai tattoo is the oldest in the world. This assumption has been debated in academic world and spreaded through digital media. This argument has also sparked controversy in Mentawai society. Most of people believe that this assumption is a truth. Even, this assumption has been used as a valid reference in making particular public policy in Mentawai. After reviewing scientific sources of which the assumption of the oldest Mentawai tattoos in the world is made, different facts were found about traditional Mentawai tattoos. Based on these facts, it can be concluded that traditional Mentawai tattoos as the oldest in the world are unfounded).