This study aimed to gain an understanding of how the indigenous children in Sianjur Mula Mula Cultural Center in the rural of Samosir Island, North Sumatra view their activities and experiences as they strive to preserve their culture under the guidance of a central figure, Nagoes. This study utilized the ethnographic research in which the researcher studies the shared patterns of behaviors, language, and actions of an intact cultural group in a natural setting over a prolonged period of time (Creswell, 2014). Transcription from video and audio recordings of interviews, personal communications, and the researcher’s field notes during the fieldwork were gathered and organized. Teaching English was involved to get closer and to interact with the children and discuss what happens around them culturally and environmentally. This thesis sheds light on the practices of indigenous pedagogy and proposes that the future of indigenous education lies at the lives of the families, local communities and the fields where cross-generational interactions happen during the process of laboring and everyday activities. It is argued that we should not try to formalize indigenous education and force a “curriculum structure” onto the vibrant indigenous education which actually is still taking place in the community. Instead we should foster the indigenous education in the community and value the roles that the cultural centers are playing in sustaining the cultural tradition and carrying out and on indigenous education.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i
ABSTRACT iv
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF FIGURE x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 The Background of Research 1
1.2 The Statement of Problem 10
1.3 Research Questions 12
1.4 Purpose of the Study 12
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 15
2.1 Education for the Indigenous People 15
2.2 Education Policy to Address Illiteracy Problem in Rural Area 17
2.2.1 Gerakan Indonesia Mengajar 17
2.2.2 Sokola Rimba 19
2.3 Education Movement to Strengthen the Cultural Identity 21
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 25
3.1 Research Design 25
3.2 The Research Location 26
1) Researcher’s Background 30
2) The People 31
3) The Access 33
4) Living Arrangement 36
3.3 The Participants Selection 39
5) Founder, Volunteer, and Parent 39
6) The Children 41
3.4 The Description of Data Collection Method 44
3.5 Role as a Participant Observer 44
3.6 Interview 46
3.7 Document Analysis 47
CHAPTER FOUR: SIANJUR MULA MULA CULTURAL CENTER; AN INCUBATOR TO RESERVE BATAKNESE CULTURE 51
4.1 The History of Establishment 51
4.2 Ruma Bolon as the Cultural Center Site 56
4.3 A Typical School Day in the Cultural Center 59
1) Local Culture Class 59
2) Environmental Caring Class 65
4.4 The Development of the Cultural Center 67
4.5 The Challenges 71
1) The Volunteers 71
2) The Funding 77
3) The Misunderstanding 79
4.6 The Meaning of Sianjur Mula-Mula Cultural Center for the Children 81
CHAPTER FIVE: LABORATORY OF INDIGENOUS EDUCATION 85
5.1 Teaching Arrangement 85
5.2 Lesson Plan 87
5.3 Learning Session 88
5.4 The Children Learn to Cook Traditional Food 94
5.5 Teaching Traditional Dance 98
5.6 Bring Children to Study to the Pansur 101
CHAPTER VI: THE MAKING OF INDIGENOUS EDUCATION 105
6.1 A Prime Mover Approach to Carry out Indigenous Education 106
6.2 Indigenous Pedagogy 111
6.3 Where to go from here? 114
REFERENCES 117
APPENDIX 123

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