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Traps (hiil fa'i)

A number of different types of hiil fa'i, traps, were evident across the Lautem district. Hiil fa'i are used by Fatuluku tribes to catch wild jungle animals for meat or for use as work animals. Hiil fa'i demonstrated by Orlando Baptista in aldeia Paiira, sub-district Lospalos, are used to catch larger animals such as boars or deer. Hiil fa'i involves a length of strong rope, which is at one end tied to a tree branch, and at the other end, a loop of rope is fitted over pieces of bamboo pegged into the ground. Loose lengths of bamboo form a square creating a raised surface that, when stepped on by an animal, fall away and the rope is released from where it is held in place by the bamboo pegs and jerks up towards the tree, capturing an animal's foot. The more an animal moves to get away, the tighter the rope becomes. To force an animal through the trap, larger bamboo tubes are pegged into the ground of either side of the trap, and assumedly food is place near the trap to entice animals. The rope and bamboo are covered with leaves to hide the trap and disguise the smell.

Photo: Orlando Baptista making a hiil fa'i in aldeia Paiira, sub-district Lospalos.

 
Video: Orlando Baptista making a hiil fa'i.
 
Similarly designed hiil fa'i were made by Evansto da Graca and Januario Pinto in aldeia Horo Lata, Lore II. A log is tied to a tree trunk, creating a new tree branch. The butt end where it is tied to the tree is weighed with a rock to keep the branch horizontal. A loop of loose rope is laid over fitted pieces of bamboo pegged into the ground. Between these bamboo pegs, loose lengths of bamboo form a square creating a raised surface that, when stepped on by an animal, fall away and the rope is released from where it is held in place by the bamboo pegs and jerks up towards the tree, capturing an animal's foot.
 

Photo: Evansto da Graca and Januario Pinto making hiil fa'i in aldeia Horo Lata, subdistrict Lospalos.

 
Video: Evansto da Graca and Januario Pinto constructing a hiil fa'i.
 
In aldeia Soikili, Parlamento, a hiil fa'i was found that appears to be for a smaller animal, perhaps civet cat or cusus. The hiil fa'i is a small 'tent' shape of pieces of wood. Two triangled shapes of wood are pegged into the ground, and a stick of wood is fitted into the 'Y' of the triangle. Attached to one end of this stick is a rope, the other end is tied to a tree above. The stick is held in place with the tautness of the rope, an extra section of this rope holding the stick in place forms a loose loop. Over the stick held between the two wooden pegs are placed short pieces of wood on either side of the longer stick, creating a tent like shape. This forms the trap base. Over this wooden trap the loose loop of rope is draped. When an animal steps on the trap, the longer length of stick is pressed down, and is released from its place and the rope is jerked up towards the tree, capturing the animal by its feet.
 
 
Photo: Joaquim Garcia making a hiil fa'i in aldeia Soikili, sub-district Lautem.
 
 
Video: Joaquim Garcia making a hiil fa'i.
 
Mouse traps, called cura hiil fa'i, are made in aldeia Loho Matu, in sub-district Lautem. Mouse traps are used to catch mice that eat crops stored after harvest. The traps are made from hollowed out bamboo cut to around 50 cm in length. One end is blocked, while the other end becomes the opening for the mice to entre. At the open end a 10 cm length 'tray' or bottom section of bamboo is left, to aid mice to enter the trap. Two supple, thin lengths of bamboo are used to make the clasps of the trap. A mid-section of the bamboo is cut away, creating a hole for one of the bamboo clasps to fit into neatly. The other clasp fits over the mouth, and works to shut the mouse in the bamboo trap when it triggers the trap. The trap is triggered with a length of wood that dangles into the trap from a hole in the top. When a mouse enters the trap, it will gnaw or try to pull at food attached to this piece of wood. This triggers the trap, slipping the clasp down to close the mouth of the trap - the mouse is trapped. The cura hiil fa'i maker learnt how to make the trap from male relatives. He reported that a threat to the viability of mouse traps are that these are used less frequently now as people today use poison to kill mice.
 
 
Photo: Adāo da Cruz making a cura hiil fa'i in aldeia Laho Matu, sub-district Lautem.
 
 
Video: Adāo da Cruz demonstrating use of the cura hiil fa'i.
 
Fish traps, called roso hina, are made by weaving palm leaves into a bell shaped basket. The body of the basket is narrow flaring into a wider mouth. The basket is left on a roof top to darken to become camouflage under water. The baskets are laid out in reef shelves at low tide, weighed down with stones. Fish are drawn into the baskets where they are collected at low tide. Fish baskets can collect around ten small fish.
 

Photo: Miguelina Xavier weaving a roso hina in aledia Mu'a Pusu, sub-district Lautem.

 
Video: Miguelina Xavier explaining how to use a roso hina.


Respondents reported learning to make traps from their parents, and noted that perceived threats to transmission include that young people today prefer to use air rifles for hunting.

Sejumlah hiil fa’i, jebakan, dengan dengan jenis berbeda merupakan bukti yang tersebar di Distrik Lautem. Hiil fa'i digunakan oleh suku Fataluku untuk menangkap sejumlah binatang liar untuk diambil dagingnya atau digunakan sebagai binatang pekerja. Hiil fa'i yang ditunjukan oleh Orlando Baptista di Desa Paiira, Distrik Lospalos, digunakan untuk menangkap hewan besar seperti babi hutan dan rusa. Hiil fa'i menggunakan tali yang panjang lagi kuat, salah satunya terikat pada cabang pohon, sementara ujung lain lubang tali dipasang pada potongan bambu yang dipatok di tanah. Bambu berbentuk persegi menciptakan permukaan yang lebih tinggi. Saat terinjak oleh hewan, pasak bambu akan tersentak ke arah pohon dan menangkap kaki binatang buruan. Semakin banyak binatang tersebut bergerak, semakin kencang pula ikatan tersebut. Agar hewan melalui perangkap, tabung besar dipatok di tanah pada kedua sisi perangkap, umpan dipasang di dekat perangkap. Tali dan bambu ditutupi dengan daun untuk menyembunyikan perangkap dan menyamarkan bau.

Hiil fa’i dengan rancangan yang sama dibuat oleh Enasto da Graca dan Januario Pinta di Desa Horo Lata, Lore II. Sebuah batang kayu terikat pada batang pohon, menciptakan cabang pohon baru. Gagang akhir tempat batang kayu diikat ke pohon, diberi pemberat batu untuk menjaga agar cabang tetap horizontal. Sebuah lubang tali longgar diletakkan di atas potongan  bambu yang dipatok ke tanah. Antara pasak bambu ini, panjang longgar bambu membentuk persegi menciptakan permukaan yang lebih tinggi, ketika terinjak oleh hewan, tali dilepaskan oleh pasak bambu dan tersentak ke arah pohon, menangkap kaki hewan.

Di Desa Soikili, Parlamento, sebuah Hiil fa'i yang ditemukan tampaknya digunakan untuk hewan kecil, kemungkinan musang atau cusus. Hiil fa'i berbentuk 'tenda' kecil dari potongan-potongan kayu. Dua kayu bentuk segitiga yang dipatok ke dalam tanah, dan tongkat kayu dipasang ke dalam 'Y' segitiga. Melekat pada salah satu ujung tongkat adalah tali, yang ujungnya diikat ke atas pohon. Tongkat diletakan di tempat dengan kekencangan tali, sisa tali memegang tongkat di tempat membentuk lingkaran longgar. Di atas tongkat, diletakan di antara dua pasak kayu, adalah potongan pendek kayu di kedua sisi tongkat, menciptakan bentuk seperti tenda. Ini adalah bentuk dasar perangkap. Di atas perangkap kayu ini adalah lubang longgar tali yang terbungkus. Saat binatang melangkah ke perangkap, tali tersebut tersentak ke arah pohon, menangkap hewan dengan kakinya.

Perangkap tikus, dinamai cura hiil fa’i, dibuat di Desa Loho Matu, sub-distrik Lautem. Perangkap tikus digunakan untuk menangkap tikus yang memakan hasil panen. Perangkap dibuat dari bambu berlubang yang dipotong dengan panjang sekitar 50 cm. salah satu ujung diblokir, sementara ujung lainnya adalah pembuka bagi tikus untuk masuk. Pada ujung yang terbuka, ‘baki’ sepanjang 10 cm, atau bagian bawah bambu yang tersisa, digunakan untuk membuat tikut masuk perangkap. Dua bilah bambu yang panjang, tipis dan lentur digunakan untuk membuat jepitan perangkap.

Bagian tengah bambu yang dipotong menciptakan lubang agar jepit dapat masuk ke dalam. Jepit lainnya yang berada pada mulut lubang bekerja untuk memerangkap tikus di dalam ketika perangkap terpicu. Perangkap dipicu dengan kayu panjang yag menggantung ke dalam perangkap dari lubang di bagian atas. Ketika memasuki perangkap, tikus akan menggerogoti dan mencoba menarik makanan yang melekat pada sepotong kayu. Hal ini akan memicu perangkap, sehingga penjepit bawah akan menutup mulut perangkap – tikut terperangkap. Pembuat cura hiil fa'i belajar bagaimana membuat perangkap dari kerabat laki-laki. Dia mengatakan bahwa ancaman terhadap keberadaan perangkap tikus yang jarang digunakan ini adalah lantaran masyarakat saat ini menggunakan racun untuk membunuh tikus.

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