Page 66 - BAB I-V ADATMINANG

Datuk Perpatih nan Sabatang comes from the Bodi tribe and the

Caniago tribe, and then the two merged and were called lareh Bodi
Caniago.

In the Bodi Caniago lareh, power is positioned above the

sovereignty of the people. A king indeed leads a country, but in
essence it is the people who rule. In the traditional mamangan you

can see: tagak samo high, duduak samo randah. (upright as high,
sitting as low). Evenness and equality among the Minang people is

a priority in the adat of this type of lareh, but that does not mean
that adat leads to liberalism, namely excessive individual freedom.

Minang society rests on the principle of harmony or

balance (law of causality). As a person, the Minang belongs to
himself, but he also belongs to the members of his own community

because fraternity among members of the community is a
customary doctrine. This was conveyed by AA Navis:

Meanwhile, harmony is understood as the harmony
or suitability of life among institutions and fellow

individuals, between institutions and individuals and vice

versa. Each institution or individual has differences in
levels and roles. Therefore, they will not be able to unite

with the others, but will remain the same as the others. So,