o - Aceh Books website

766 TAUSUG
types of bamboo traps are used. Some fishermen use piscicides and illegal
dynamite charges to secure catches. At night, fishermen may use kerosene lanterns
to attract squid and sardines to their lines. Other fish caught include tuna,
shark and ray fish. The fisherman's surplus often is sold by middlemen to Jolo
Island. Another important economic activity is smuggling European and American
goods imported to Southeast Asia to Jolo and Zamboanga and selected
Philippine products to various Southeast Asian ports.
Except for Jolo town, and for coastal villages and small towns of fishermen,
the Tausug typically reside in dispersed communities. They live near their fields
(of which a farmer may have several in different localities). Another reason
nucleated settlements are rare is that the sense of community among the Tausug
is weak.
The typical Tausug dwelling is a lumber and bamboo-walled rectangular room
with a thatched gable roof raised six to eight feet above the ground on piles.
The house usually is surrounded by a series of elevated porches leading to a
separate kitchen. The residence often is enclosed by a stockade for protection
of household members and penning of the family's animals.
The smallest territorial unit is the household or a cluster of households, often
of kinsmen. The next larger unit is the hamlet (lungan), which again may include
many related members. Still larger is the community (kauman), which has a
common name and headman. The solidarity of the kauman depends on such
factors as the amount of intermarriage among its residents, the effective authority
of the headman and attendance at a common mosque.
Jolo town is the political, economic, educational and transportation center of
Sulu and the traditional site of the sultanate. Inter-island vessels move daily
between its port and other smaller islands to the south and Mindanao to the
north. An airport connects the island with the rest of the Philippines. This largest
city of Sulu includes several schools, modern stores, hospitals, movies and
government offices. The population consists of Tausug, Sama, Bajau, Chinese,
Christian Filipinos and some Americans and Europeans. Jolo town was badly
damaged in 1974 during the fighting between Christians and Muslims. The
population of Jolo town dropped from 45,000 in 1970 to 37,600 in 1975.
The ideal marriage among the Tausug is still one arranged by the parents.
However, among younger Tausug, courting may occur and the young people
select their own mates. First and second cousins are favored spouses since their
parents are kinsmen and the problems of inheritance are simplified. A series of
negotiations occur between the two groups until the bridewealth (the bride's
outfit and food and drink for the festivities) and other wedding expenses are
requested by the girl's family and agreed upon by the boy's family. Popular
times for a wedding are after the end of the Ramadan fast and during the month
in which Muhammad was born. The bridewealth must be given to the girl's
family before the wedding, which is held in the groom's residence with the imam
officiating. The newly married couple first lives with the wife's family. Later