To commemorate the International Earth Day, we dive into our relationship with the earth, where we live and thrive. Communities in Papua invite us to reflect on this relationship
Herman Malak lives in the Gelek Malak Kalawilis Pasa customary forest and land covering an area of 2,794 hectares with 30 members of his gelek community. The customary land is in the area of Sayosa Village, Sayosa District, Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua Province. Gelek Malak Kalawilis Pasa–or simply called Gelek Malak–is a clan community under the large umbrella of the Moi Tribe. In the Moi language, clans are referred to as gelek.
Herman Malak is the customary chief of Gelek Malak. He and other members of the gelek elders exercise territorial control, administer the customary justice system, and maintain the order of indigenous life at the village level. He is about 80ish years old.
At Herman Malak’s request, in 2019 Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation—an NGO that advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples in Papua—assisted the Gelek Malak to map their customary territory. Rivers, estuaries, and bridges function as landmarks. Gelek Malak’s struggle bore fruit. On October 15, 2021, the Sorong Regency Government issued a Decree regarding the Recognition and Protection of the Moi Customary Law. Since May 2023, they returned to their customary land and forest.
The Papua Deforestation Monitoring Report for the January-February 2024
Period shows that in 2023 the area of deforestation reached 25,457 hectares,
up from 20,780 hectares in 2022.
Never-ending Challenge
When the Gelek Malak decides to return to their customary land, to protect, and to preserve their forests, they must always be vigilant against various parties who are extensions of logging companies, both legal and illegal. These parties use various methods to enter the Gelek Malak customary territory. One of them came from PT Intimpura Timber Company, whose rights have actually been completed since 2009.
Gelek Malak’s concern and vigilance are not without reason. The Papua Deforestation Monitoring Report for the January-February 2024 Period shows that in 2023 the area of deforestation reached 25,457 hectares, up from 20,780 hectares in 2022. The insistence of investors in the logging and palm oil plantation businesses has not faded.
“Without forests, we humans would not be able to live.
We are free to utilize all sources of food, and medicine in the forest […],” concluded Korneles Malak, one of the gelek elders.
Gelek Malak is firm in their stance and honors their promise to the ancestors to protect the land, forests and everything in them. “Without forests, we humans would not be able to live. We are free to utilize all sources of food, and medicine in the forest. If we sell the land, for example, I hold one billion rupiah, the money can run out in one month. But if we have land, we can continue to live by using as much as we need. If we overuse it, we lose ourselves. That’s what separates us from the company,” concluded Korneles Malak, one of the gelek elders.
Food sovereignty
When the Gelek Malak decided to return to their customary land, they began to revitalize the garden for producing staple food. Gelek Malak’s garden is in the middle of several stilt houses, where eleven families live. The communal garden is a vast expanse of land, planted in an intercropping manner. The families grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, and tubers (cassava, sweet potatoes, taro) as well as fruit crops such as banana, coconut, rambutan, sour orange, and langsat fruit. The tubers are their staple food in addition to the essence of the sago plant, which they process into sago porridge (widely known as papeda). With this variety of staple food options available, fluctuations in rice prices do not have much of an impact on Gelek Malak’s daily life.
Even when high rainfall leaves their customary forest surrounded by floodwaters on former logging tracks and the main Mancaraya road, Gelek Malak can still enjoy delicious cuisine thanks to a variety of spices from their garden. There are galangal, turmeric, ginger, lime leaves, lemongrass, pandanus, basil, and chili (rica). They also have dumlas tuber that is used as a food fragrance, as well as gisikisik wood skin that has a flavor similar to onions.
“In Papua, the soil is good. Any crop can grow well. Except for the soil in palm oil plantations, which is too sick from too much chemical fertilizer!” Mince Ulala, one of the gelek members.
Gelek Malak also hunts land animals such as deer, ground kangaroo (lau-lau), and wild boar for their food needs. The kisdek (garden house) of Herman Malak’s sits alongside a low valley fed by a clear water river from the Klais Malak River estuary. This is where their daily clean water needs come from, as well as food sources such as various types of shrimp and fish.
Restrictions on hunting activities are also applied to the younger generation of Gelek Malak. Hunting may only use a spear, taking in moderation, respecting and obeying the boundaries of prohibited areas that are forbidden to cross.
Gelek Malak uses the forest according to its needs. After they get their hunted animals, they will usually hunt again one to two weeks later. “It’s our culture,” explains Herman Malak, “We feel love and respect for what we have.”
Restrictions on hunting activities are also applied to the younger generation of Gelek Malak. Hunting may only use a spear, taking in moderation, respecting and obeying the boundaries of prohibited areas that are forbidden to cross. These customary rules must be adhered to by all Gelek Malak members. Without exception.
Networking and supporting capacity
Gelek Malak understands that the preservation of their traditional territory also depends on the surrounding clan communities (Gelek Gilik, Gelek Klaili, Gelek Sayosa, Gelek Klasibin, Gelek Kalalu, and Gelek Doo), who they invite to work together to protect their customary land. There is still hope in Gelek Malak’s chest that other clan brothers will stand firm in the face of investor lures.
Internally, Gelek Malak continues to improve in terms of managing its customary land and forests. They are gradually conducting an inventory of endemic plants, such as kuku wood (yumuk) and iron wood (merbau). They also began preparing to document endemic birds in their forest areas.
Endemic Papuan birds commonly pass above Gelek Malak customary territory. Gelek Malak plans to visit Malagufuk Village, which pioneered the management of ecotourism for bird watching in their traditional forest, Klaso Forest.
Nature gives life
Klaso Forest in Malagufuk Ecovillage is located in Makbon District, Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua Province. To enter the main gate of Malagufuk Village we have to cross a 3,305 meter long merbau wooden bridge. Along the bridge, the sounds of various types of birds and land animals echoed each other.
Amos Kalami—Head of Malagufuk Village—in 1998 gathered their strength along with other gelek members to evict logging corporation surveyors in the village Malaumkarta Lama—the district’s main road by the sea.
“I remember very well, that on November 18th, 2014, we entered the forest to develop a garden. The next day, November 19th, we found out that there were already tourists visiting Malagufuk to do birdwatching,” Amos Kalami recalled.
In 2002, he along with other Gelek Kalami Malagufuk members initiated to make gardens in the Klaso Forest, as part of the Malaumkarta church program. At that time there was no plan to build a village there. A few years later, an incident of horizontal conflict among the young generation occurred in Malaumkarta. This incident triggered Amos Kalami’s intention to finalize his move to Klaso Forest. The move took place in 2014.
“I remember very well that on November 18th, 2014, we entered the forest to develop a garden. The next day, November 19th, we found out that there were already tourists visiting Malagufuk to do birdwatching,” Amos Kalami recalled, “The decision to develop the ecotourism potential of birdwatching came from our young people. I think the experience of being exposed to their association with NGO friends made them have that vision. Plus, when they were children, they hunted forest animals from Malaumkarta to Malagufuk, they often saw cendrawasih (Lesser bird of paradise) crossing our forest.”
Growing without harming
Malagufuk Village covers an area of 2,717.90 hectares, inhabited by 14 families from the Moi Kalami and Moi Magablo sub-ethnics. In total there are 79 people, occupying 10 housing units. The village’s communal infrastructure includes an elementary school, a church and a cultural house.
To build houses in the village, Malagufuk residents utilize fallen trees in their forests. The trees can only be taken from certain areas. There are areas of the Kalami Malagufuk customary forest that are fully protected, not to be accessed even by their gelek. Amos Kalami dares to say that Klaso Malagufuk Forest is still a primary forest (okrien, the Moi term for natural forest cover).
The increase in the number of villagers is inevitable. Gelek Kalami Malagufuk has a plan, if there is development of residential areas, the focus of development will be towards the West, because the East borders with other gelek.
“There are still many members of our gelek. Some of them live in the city. However, based on customary deliberations, those who already [live] in the city are not advised to return to the village,” explains Opyor Kalami. He is the eldest son of Amos Kalami. This customary deliberation decision is to maintain a balance between the availability of natural resources and the need to live a decent and dignified life.
My life principle: ‘you take care of the forest, you take care of nature, then nature will take care of you’
In Kalawilis Pasa and Malagufuk, sago trees are planted scattered and clustered in certain areas. In the Moi tradition, the sago tree is highly venerated. All parts of the tree bring benefits. The sago trunk that has finished being harvested can be used as material for making the floor and walls of a stilt house. Likewise, whole sago fronds can be used as material for house walls. Sago leaves are used to make the house roof by sewing them together. Like the leaves of the mat tree, sago fronds can also be used as material for making mats. Sago leaf bones are used as material for broomsticks and torches. After sitting for some time, the cut sago roots will become a place for sago worms to breed. Papuans generally harvest these sago caterpillars as food as well.
Ancestral Agreement
To preserve the sources of life, Malagufuk Village collaborating with the church activated the egek tradition. Egek, also known as sasi, is a prohibition for indigenous community members to utilize natural resources in an area, within a certain period. Even if it can be utilized, they strictly determine the areas that can be accessed.
So far, the Malagufuk customary deliberation decision permanently applies egek to natural resources on land [forest]. Residents can only hunt wild boar and deer. “Food resources in the sea are more lenient to consume because they are still abundant compared to food sources on land. We have to admit the fact that now all villages are getting closer [to the forest]. If it is not permanently restricted, more and more people will take forest resources. If that happens, the potential for [forest resource] depletion will be high”, explained Opyor Kalami.
Based on clan community agreements and customary deliberations, it is possible to open the sasi if there is a common need in the village, for example for the construction of the church. What is meant by ‘opening sasi’ is to recall the sacred covenant with the ancestors and the covenant with God. After this is done, only then can natural resources be taken. If the customary deliberation decides there is no need, then the sasi will remain closed. Thus, the prohibition on fishing or hunting remains in effect indefinitely.
Struggling to care for nature
The mating season of the birds–around October–is the busiest time of Malagufuk Village. Despite the increasing interest of visitors, Malagufuk Eco Village management imposes a rule that only a maximum of 20 guests could come at the same time. This restriction is primarily to maintain the welfare of forest animals and for the convenience of bird watching activities.
Opyor Kalami affirms, “My life principle, ‘you take care of the forest, you take care of nature, then nature will take care of you’. By sticking to this principle, I believe we can develop and stand-alone with our beliefs, without much influence from outsiders.”
Even though it has been protected in such a way, the threat of environmental damage lurks in Malagufuk Village. In March 2024, the Southwest Papua Provincial Government gave the green light to investors to build a nickel smelter and steel manufacturing plant in the Sorong Special Economic Zone (KEK). If this plan is realized, Malagufuk Village, Klaso Forest and all its rich biodiversity are at risk of being lost.
This is what indigenous communities and several accompanying NGOs continue to fight for so that the government’s rate of economic growth does not become a threat to the community’s struggle to protect and preserve their living space.
The state should respect the choices and economic patterns of indigenous peoples. This includes protecting the economic resources and living areas that indigenous peoples own, from various threats and extractive economic pressures
Not everyone has the same rights yet
Compared to Gelek Malak Kalawilis Pasa and Gelek Kalami Malagufuk, there are many other sub ethnic clans who face the misery as they gave up customary land management rights to the corporations. The residents of Malalilis Village are among those who experience the bitterness of living in an enclave within the HGU area of PT. Henrison Inti Persada palm oil plantation in Sayosa District. They live in houses built by the government for residents who work and live in palm oil plantation areas.
One of the residents is Yeheskiel Malak’s family. He and his wife had been plantation workers. Both then experienced layoffs. Yeheskiel Malak feels a significant difference in the quality of life between living in Malalilis and in the Gelek Malak customary forest. The Malalilis residents rely on vegetable sellers and itinerant fish sellers. For clean water, they depend on collecting rainwater or buying gallon water.
His gaze wanders, “If the workers receive their salaries late, they are forced to pay for vegetables, fish, groceries, and water. In this situation, the sellers coordinate with the plantation supervisors and request that the debt payment be deducted directly from the worker’s salary. If this is the case, the worker’s life will continue to be in debt.”
Live with dignity according to people’s own choice
The indigenous people in Malagufuk are able to survive by managing natural potential, in line with their respect for customary lands and forests. The way they develop ecotourism can be an inspiration for other clan communities in Papua. Likewise, Gelek Malak’s ongoing efforts of to find a customary land management format that best suits their living areas.
Franky Samperante—Executive Director of Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation—affirmed the initiatives of indigenous peoples such as those carried out in Malagufuk, “In the context of human rights, the state has an obligation to promote the basic rights of the people, that includes respecting and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples. The state should respect the choices and economic patterns of indigenous peoples. This includes protecting the economic resources and living areas that indigenous peoples own, from various threats and extractive economic pressures.”
Text Editor: Kurniawan Adi Saputro
Translated by Astrid Reza
Endnote:
Hak Guna Usaha/HGU: the right to cultivate land directly controlled by the State, within the period as stated in article 29 of the Indonesian Agrarian Law, for agricultural, fishing, or livestock enterprises.
