Local Lineages in Kerinci, Sumatra

ABSTRACT The district (kabupaten) of Kerinci lies on the western border of Jambi, neighbouring West Sumatra, and is now part of the province of Jambi. Previously it was incorporated into the Dutch colonial government’s province of Sumatra’s West Coast. Not knowing quite where to place Kerinci reflects an uncertainty as to which of its neighbours Kerinci, geographically isolated as it is, has the closest cultural and historical affinities. Among other puzzles thrown up by such a consideration is how to assess the structure and significance of lineages in Kerinci. Each Kerinci village has its own specific set of lineages. In north Kerinci, the area bordering West Sumatra, the lineages are matrilineal in terms of recruitment and seem to resemble their West Sumatran counterparts. However, the situation is complex. In order to provide a full ethnographic picture of the situation this article gives a detailed description of the lineage structure of one village, Pondok Tinggi, in central Kerinci. This description discusses the function and recruitment of office-holders within each lineage and their continuing significance in the political structuring of the community.