Puang: A Medium of Blessings in Kinship System of Pakpak Tribe

Puang is the main element in the kinship of Pakpak Tribe in North Sumatra
Province, which strengthens the family relation, Sukut with prayer and divine blessing.
The society puts puang in the highest position in the kinship system of sulangsilima
because it represents the origin and points to divinity as the true origin in the maternal
line. This paper is based on the results of qualitative research conducted in a field study
of "SulangSilima: The Kinship System of Pakpak Tribe and It's Contribution to
Strengthening Indonesian Nationalism. The results of a philosophical hermeneutic
analysis of the data collected through interviews, observations and documents show that
puang is in upstream position, represents divinity as true origin since it becomes a
medium of divine blessing. Puang, with such a position, determines the validity of every
important decision in the family, Sukut, maintains and strengthens family integrity with
prayer and divine blessing. The figure of puang is needed by the nation to maintain the
integrity and harmony among the elements of the nation