27. Subak = the name for a water management irrigation system in Bali. This system was made to help irrigate fields efficiently, and manage water shortage and water drainage in rice terrains. Water flows from one farmer’s rice terraces to another, and each get an even amount of water. Dozens of farming families belong to each subak. About 1300 subaks exist in Bali. Irrigation allows 3 growing seasons per year. Rice is the most grown and eaten food in all of Bali, and the fertile volcanic soil has let that happen. Work is done through manual labor using water buffalo. The Subak method of irrigation dates back at least 1,000 years. In 1987 computer models were built to show how effective an ecosystem Subak was. - Jason Sorensen & Mia Spare
28. Banjar = is an organization with family members that have jobs such as religious, political, social, and educational. It’s also where people plan social activities and ceremonies. Each Bali village has many Banjars. Banjars have been in place for centuries. Family members and relatives are in the organization. Balinese believe the responsibility of everyone in the Banjar is to help one another. The people in the Banjar organization also do many important community tasks. The word Banjar means “ward”, or “neighborhood”. Each Banjar has its own property, such as a meeting hall and gamelan instruments. If a person in the Banjar doesn’t help out with the Banjar duties, such as preparing for funerals or religious holiday, the person is fined. It’s also a term to describe “the traditional local organization of the Balinese”. - Jeremy Liando and Austin Bettencourt
29. Bali Aga = Bali Aga means “Old Bali”, and this is what the native Balinese people call a small group of villagers that do not follow the Hindu culture. “Aga” originates from an Old Javanese word meaning “mountain”. The Bali Aga are considered the original inhabitants of Bali before the Hindu-Java migration. There are two major Bali Aga villages in the eastern side of Bali known as Trunyan and Tenganan. The Trunyan village is across Lake Kintamani, it is a small Bali Aga village that is known for its huge, centuries-old banyan trees. These banyan trees are sacred, and are used to lay down dead corpses. Unlike the rest of Bali, Bali Aga people don’t believe in cremation, so as an alternative they just lay the dead corpses under the village’s banyan tree. The Bali Aga rarely communicate with outsiders, speaking their own dialect of Bahasa Bali. This makes the Bali Aga people and their culture very different to other Balinese areas. - Caitlynne Vassella & Michelle Cheung
30. Balinese Castes and Names = Balinese caste system is a system of social organization into 4 different social classes called castes. The system depends on what family you’re born into and also depends on your occupation, culture, and your political power. The 4 different Bali castes are Sudras, Wesias, Satrias, and Brahmans. Sudras were traditionally peasants making up more than 90% of Bali's population. Wesias were the caste of merchants, Satrias the warrior caste (it also included some nobility and kings) and Brahmans - holy men and priests. Balinese castes were brought to Bali by Princess Mahendradatta from east java. Each cast speaks and knows different levels of Bahasa Bali or Balinese language. Balinese names depend on what number child you are. The first born would be called Wayan, the second would be Made, the third would be Nyoman or Komang, the fourth would be Ketut and if there is a fifth child, it would be called Wayan Balik, or in other words, Wayan again. And if you didn’t have a last name, then your last name would be replaced by the name of your caste. - Ravina Shankar and Andrea Yanez
