The house as a Ritual and Social Center. As is the case in many other parts of the Indonesian Archipelago, a house is not only meant to be a living quarter. In Sumbanese, the words for 'house' and the reference to male descent in a family, occupying a particular house for ages, are the same. House in Sumba carry a distinct name and acquire more ritual value after being moved and rebuild on another than the original location. Needless to say that an operation and matching ceremony require huge amounts of money and the mobilization of many people.