THE dawn has not yet broken when the Ma’tinggoro Tedong sacrificial ritual begins. One by one, each with their throat cut, sacrificial cows collapse to the ground. The ritual is a signal that the remains of the deceased waiting in Lakkien, a temporary resting place made of bamboo, will be buried the following day.

The ceremony is accompanied by a mourning dance, Pa’katiya, where dancers stand in a row without any attractive movements. They s