When we shared an update with you in 2025 that land had been secured and the first foundations were going in for the Mentawai Cultural Arts and Education Centre, this was a huge step – for the Suku Mentawai community, and for everyone who helped make it possible.

Since then, things have been moving. Not quickly (moile-moile, as is termed in Mentawai), and not without challenge. But in the last few months something exciting has happened…

The Mentawai Cultural Arts and Education Centre and Suku Mentawai office space is entering its final stage of construction!

Mentawai Cultural Arts & Education Centre in progress – Images provided by Suku Mentawai

The building follows the form of a traditional Uma, the Mentawai longhouse. Raised on stilts, with a steep thatched roof and strong geometric patterns across the front, the Cultural Centre follows Mentawai traditional design and architecture.

The build process has followed Mentawai techniques that have been passed down for generations. The floors, the walls, the railings, the benches, the doors and windows – everything has been shaped and assembled from materials taken from the surrounding forest. Soon, the relevant ceremonies will take place to protect the Centre, and important cultural paraphernalia (like the tuddukkat) will be added. The Centre is truly an expression of Mentawai culture, and a legacy taking shape before our very eyes – so much more than we imagined.

Mentawai Cultural Arts & Education Centre in progress – Images provided by Suku Mentawai

Getting to this point hasn’t been simple. Building on top of a hill, on a remote island at the edge of the Indian Ocean comes with real challenges – materials take additional time to source, transport and prepare; unforeseen costs arise, and plans seem impossible to stick to. But the team have worked through challenge after challenge; banding together, creating a place where knowledge can be shared, culture practiced, and young people can stay connected to who they are and where they come from, even as things rapidly change around them.

To everyone who has given support to this project and been part of the wider journey in Mentawai, thank you. As the Suku Mentawai and community soon begin to use and shape this space in their own way, this story will continue to grow, create and inspire. We can’t wait to share what grows from this Centre. Thank you all for playing such an integral part.

Further tax-deductible donations to support completion of this project can be made via IEF, GoFundMe or (for US-based donors) Creative Visions.

Masura’ bagatta – Thank you, from all of us at IEF and Suku Mentawai