By: TARH RAMYA, ASIN CHARU, KANO TABOH, GODA MEPUNG
This study examines Adi funerary rites, rituals, and customs through Gennep’s model of passage, questioning whether these categories fully capture the complexity of these practices. Rather than viewing death as a singular transition, Adi rites and rituals function as an ongoing negotiation between the living, the deceased, and the spiritual world. The spirit must find its way to the afterlife, the mourners must navigate their loss, and the community must reconcile tradition with continuity. This preliminary study engages with Turner’s concept of anti-structure, arguing that while mourning rites and rituals foster communitas, they do not fully dissolve hierarchy. Instead, the structure is momentarily blurred but never entirely abandoned. By situating Minyong practices within theoretical and indigenous perspectives, this study highlights the need to interpret these practices on their own terms. This study focuses on the Minyong subgroup of the Adi, recognizing that funerary practices may vary across villages. Centred on the Minyong communities of Riga, Parong, and Pangkang, the research integrates older data from previous scholars who have worked on the Minyong, aligning their findings with recent fieldwork. Citations from earlier publications are annexed to provide historical context and continuity.
