Future of Indigenous Communities

We must defend our indigenous communities, who make up around 24 percent of the national population. Defending our indigenous communities also means defending Indonesia.

TANGKAPAN LAYAR YOUTUBE SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

President Joko Widodo (left) together with the Governor of West Java Ridwan Kamil poured soil and water into a pitcher symbolically for the construction of the National Capital of the Nusantara in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan. The water and land come from 27 regencies/cities in West Java.

A Kendi Nusantara ritual, during which soil and water were poured into a gold-plated container, marked the beginning of the President’s activities at Kilometer Zero in the new capital, Nusantara.

The soil from East Java was brought from Trowulan, Mojokerto, which can be traced back to the Majapahit royal palace. The soil rom Bali was taken from Pusering Jagat Temple in Tampaksiring, Gianyar regency, while water was taken from Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh province.

The ritual represents the history leading to the founding of Indonesia. Today, the archipelagic nation is an amalgamation of the land that used to belong to various kingdoms and indigenous communities.

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Indigenous communities, whether or not they were affiliated with the kingdoms of the past, have inhabited the archipelago since time immemorial. Although Sibukdin (60), the customary leader of the Balik tribe in Sepaku village, lives not far from the Zero Kilometer site, we understand that indigenous communities are concerned about being evicted from their ancestral lands (Kompas, 8/6/2022).

There is a long history behind Sibukdin’s concerns. Sibukdin and his tribe were persecuted by transmigrants during the New Order era. Now, they worry about the development of the new capital city of Nusantara. Their worries, as well as that of other indigenous communities, can be dispelled by ratifying the indigenous peoples bill, which has been included in the 2022 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Some of the rice barns owned by residents in Sirnaresmi Village, Cisolok District, Sukabumi Regency, Thursday (3/1/2018). This rice barn is used by indigenous people to store their harvest.

There is great hope for the indigenous peoples bill. The bill is expected to provide answers to the problems that indigenous communities face, as was found in a Kompas survey on 10-13 May 2022. Respondents were of the view that fulfilling the rights of all citizens and recognizing the country’s indigenous communities were urgent.

Parallel to the legislative efforts, more can be done for indigenous communities, one of which is to complete and fine-tune the data for the One Map policy, which is paramount to minimizing land disputes.

We must also side with our indigenous communities by listening to their problems, aspirations and needs. Because each indigenous community has unique issues, they also require unique solutions.

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We also hope that government officials and law enforcement officers will provide or at least facilitate solutions to the problems faced by indigenous communities. Thus far, indigenous people have been often criminalized or been victimized by acts of violence that target them. Moreover, academics, especially anthropologists, must also be present in the efforts to help resolve conflicts that involve indigenous communities.

We must defend our indigenous communities, who make up around 24 percent of the national population. There are 2,061 indigenous communities across the country. Indeed, defending our indigenous communities also means defending Indonesia.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.