By: Rutiana Yudafat (KAoem MUda) and Agetha Lestari*
The Internationl Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebrated on August 9 becomes an important moment to remember, appreciate, and strengthen the voice of the indigenous community across Indonesia. In West Papua, amid the forests that still preserve the beauty and richness of nature, Uty (of KAoem MUda) and many young indigenous women of West Papua are inviting us to dive down into the struggles in protecting the ancestor’s heritage that is beyond priceless.
A forest on the edge of the water in West Papua.
Picture by Kaoem Telapak, 2022
Within West Papua, forest is more than merely a group of trees and a vast land. For the Indigenous Peoples, forest is the vein of their life which pumps up their daily life, as well as the soul that connects them to the ancestor’s land.
Uty is among the voices of the youth who is brave and indomitable in protecting such soul of life so that the forest survives the test of time. She told the story about the Merbau tree, a huge tree that used to stand tall and proud as the symbol of their forest’s prosperity, one that is now unfortunately getting more difficult to see due to the transformation of the rich vegetation into a vast and empty wasteland, leaving behind the scars of illegal logging.
“Years ago, our forests used to be dense and the Merbau trees stood proudly everywhere. But now, many trees disappear from us,” said Uty.
Nature situation in Knasaimos
On the other hand, Uty also told the story of the rich potential of Knasaimos indigenous region that spreads across the area, ranging from the abundant sago, fisheries resources like shrimps and fishes, up to the forest of sweet potato and many other vegetations. Despite all that, Uty felt that the Knasaimos Indigenous Peoples have yet to manage all of them completely.
The limited facility and knowledge become the biggest obstacles for the Knasaimos community. A lot of natural resources that they are currently unable to harvest and process, making the potential still not enough to become the main resources for welfare.
“We are still learning on how to maximize the potentials sustainably to bring about real benefits for the community,” Uty commented.
There’s also the talk of a new threat lurking around their indigenous region. News about companies who aim for the indigenous land to turn it into palm oil field and exploitations of other natural resources are also very frequent among the villages.
In spite of that, Uty answered, “We still have no idea who’s going to do that, but we are vigilant of such issues and ready to defend our region.”
Responsibilities as an indigenous youth
As an indigenous youth, Uty feels the huge pressure in protecting the ancestor’s heritage. Together with her friends, they begin their movement in managing the natural resources, such as processing sago into traditional cakes as valuable local delicacies.
With confident, she said, “This is still a small step, but we believe that this is a good start.”
Unfortunately, such energy hasn’t spread far and wide, especially among the indigenous women. So far, Uty only sees one or two women doing things by their own initiative, whereas her other friends require a more direct persuasion one by one.
In addition, after visiting the South and Sorong regions twice to encourage the community to care and protect the forest that becomes their lifeline, she encountered numerous challenges. The lack of public facilities, coupled with the lack of awareness among some of the people become a big issue which causes the still-rampant illegal loggings, with financial struggles being their excuse.
Illegal forest conversion that occurred in West Papua.
Picture by Kaoem Telapak, 2019
“We understand that this relates to their financial situation, but forest is our lifeline. If we lose the forest, then we also lose our life,” she continued.
Amid the struggles, Uty remains optimistic. She believes that with collective awareness and effort, the Indigenous Peoples can preserve and manage the forest well, so that this natural heritage remains preserved and enjoyed by the future generations.
For Uty and the Knasaimos Indigenous Peoples, forest is more than just a forest: She is a mother, the source of life, and a heritage worth protecting. Uty is one of the loyal guardians of the lifeline who continues to fight for the ecology justice, embroiding hope so that the forest continues to stand tall in the future.
*This article is a collaboration between Kaoem Telapak and Rutiana Yudafat, KAoem MUda from West Papua
