Sangihe is not dependent on the rice supply from Manado on mainland Sulawesi, as long as they can cultivate sago, sweet potatoes, and bananas in their backyards.
By
Kristian Oka Presetyadi
·4 minutes read
Just a series of dots on the map, the Sangihe Islands are truly green gems among Nusa Utara (north islands) in the vast, deep waters of the Sulawesi Sea. The islands’ land and waters remained undisturbed until the plan to develop a gold mine arrived.
Crystal clear water flows from a spring among the dense plantations in Bowone village, Sangihe Islands regency, North Sulawesi. The water flows through a hose into a tarp-lined square wooden basin in a house.
"The spring is at Mount Sahendarumang. The residents live off this water for all their needs,” said Elbi Pieter (53), the guide who led the village tour on Saturday afternoon (7/8/2021).
Bowone village is located to the southeast of the Sangihe Islands, on a coastal hill in South Central Tabukan district. It is home to between 300 and 400 people who live among tranquil farmland shaded by coconut trees interspersed with nutmeg, cloves, and sengon (Albizia chinensis) trees.
Eastward, the village overlooks an ocean containing a diverse fish population that is the villagers’ source of protein. On land, the residents grow sweet potatoes, vegetables and chilies.
“We use the produce for our [personal] consumption and sell some. Four to five sweet potatoes sell for Rp 25,000, while the chili can fetch Rp 100,000 per kilogram. The proceeds are used to buy basic needs,” said villager Meity Makagansa (28).
Mintais Meluwu (65) and his wife Melly Kuhanta (41) were washing sago in the water that flowed through the village. Life in Bowone is in harmony with nature, its residents harvesting what nature freely provides.
Sangihe is not dependent on the rice supply from Manado on mainland Sulawesi, as long as they can cultivate sago, sweet potatoes, and bananas in their backyards. Housewives like Meity and Elbi have a major household role in that they pick and harvest nature’s bounty.
Bowone provides a livelihood through the natural resources that have been sustained from generation to generation. However, the residents have been disturbed of late by a plan to develop a large-scale gold mining project under an Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial decree designating the northern parts of Bowone and Binebas villages as part of the gold mine for Canadian-Indonesian company PT Tambang Mas Sangihe (TMS).
The villages of Bowone and Binebas are to be the location of the primary mining operation, which covers 65.48 ha.
The concession area spans 42,000 hectares, or 57 percent of the landmass of Sangihe Island. The area comprises almost the entire southern half of the island. The villages of Bowone and Binebas are to be the location of the primary mining operation, which covers 65.48 ha.
CSR and external superintendent Robertus “Bob” Priya Husada of TMS said the company had held the Sangihe mining concession since 1997. Exploration activities resumed in 2009 after a temporary halt.
Having completed the environmental impact assessment (EIA) from 2017 to 2020, the company began operation early this year. The company has the right to exploit gold on Sangihe for 33 years until 2054.
"We involved community members and environmental activists in preparing the environmental impact assessment," said Bob.
However, the Bowone villagers say they were never consulted on the EIA. A village representative was invited to the final session of the EIA last year.
TMS is looking to acquire the community’s land for the next three years. The area includes 290 farms covering 100 hectares. “The area is made up of unproductive land and [productive land] with clove, coconut, and nutmeg plantations. We will take those [plantations] into account,” Bob said.
For Elbi, the incursion of the mine means exploiting the natural resources that support their livelihood, with clean water being the villagers’ main concern.
She and fellow villager Aderce Makawata (36) are worried about getting the clean water they need for daily activities like washing, cooking, eating and drinking.
Samsared Barahama, the spokesperson of Save Sangihe Island, a community organization protesting the large-scale mining project, warned about the potential environmental impacts of the mine, such as water pollution.
The local residents are all too aware about mining activities that cause environmental damage and destruction, and want to sustain their island’s pristine nature as a gem of Nusa Utara.
Nusa Utara refers to the cluster of islands comprising the Sangihe Islands, Talaud Islands and Siau Tagulandang Islands, all located in the waters to the north of Sulawesi.
Demanding protection of their land from environmental destruction, Elbi and six other villagers have filed a lawsuit with the Central Jakarta State Administrative Court, demanding the revocation of TMS’s mining permit.
At the same time, a group of 53 housewives from Bowone has filed a similar lawsuit with the Manado Administrative Court.
"Give us a chance to fight for our children’s future," Elbi pleaded.