In Memory of Narakati

Born in the 1920s. Died 11 January 2007.
Survived by one sister and three brothers, four sons and four daughters, 11 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren.

She was born in the mountains in southeast Asia, the 4th child of 10. She never went to school, never learned to read and write, never learned the national language. Clothes were scarce and shoes unheard of. Her family lived in a wood house on stilts in a small community. The community was scattered across a mountain ridge and overlooked a long valley and an ocean bay. She spent her childhood scampering up and down jungle trails with her cousins and siblings, or following her parents as they worked. Her father hunted for deer, anoa, and wild pig, and they planted corn, hill rice, cassava, sweet potatoes and vegetables. Coconuts didn’t produce much oil at that elevation so making oil was very time consuming. Sometimes people would go into the forest looking for rattan to sell. When there was drought they would have to eat cassava or bitter tubers.

She married a young man of her same ethnic group and eventually had 10 children of her own, 6 sons and 4 daughters. Her husband was a slash and burn farmer like their parents before them, hunting to supplement their diet. She learned from her mother to weave mats, and various sorts of woven containers. She also learned many of the traditional herbal remedies for common ailments. While she was pregnant with her 10th child her husband died of a sudden illness. A few years later she married her husband’s older brother who by then was also widowed with 10 older children. The second husband died many years ago now and she lived with her brother and her adult children.

She was a sharp, down to earth lady and carried herself with dignity. She went to church often, though she really didn’t understand the national language. She was often one of the group of elders who handled disputes in the community. Her house was a magnet for visitors and many people came seeking advice. She didn’t like sitting still and preferred farm work over house work - she would hoe for hours in the hot sun and was happy to leave the cooking to her daughters. She loved going to the market each week and would always find something to sell such as rice, corn, boiled peanuts, or a few vegetables. Four years ago her health began to deteriorate with a series of strokes. She was lovingly cared for by her daughters at home and will be greatly missed by us all.