<
https://theconversation.com/from-pop-songs-to-baby-names-how-simeulue-islands-smong-narrative-evolves-post-tsunami-246153>
"Off the southern coast of Aceh lies Simeulue, a small island with a powerful
story of survival. When the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami killed hundreds of
thousands across the region in 2004, only five people died on Simeulue — some
say just three.
This remarkable survival was credited to a local wisdom called
smong — their
term for tsunamis in the Simeulue language — that taught them to read nature’s
warning signs and escape to safety.
Passed down through generations since a previous tsunami struck in 1907,
smong describes the signs of an upcoming ghostly wave: a strong earthquake
and the receding of seawater. This knowledge becomes a survival guide that
directs them to move away from the coast immediately or head to higher ground.
Two decades after the 2004 disaster, our research shows that this life-saving
knowledge is transforming, reflecting broader social shifts and information and
communication technology development. It is no longer told only through
nafi-nafi (oral storytelling) but adapting to new channels, from traditional
songs to pop music and even into children’s names."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
