Written by: Agetha Tri Lestari*
Indigenous Youth are key actors in preserving forests and the environment. Abu Meridian, Lead Campaigner of Kaoem Telapak, stated “Kaoem Telapak has provided capacity building for indigenous youth in independent forest monitoring in response to the seizure of indigenous territories by various industries,” He also added that involving youth in forest monitoring work is strategic.
In August 2024, Kaoem Telapak again provided basic forest monitoring training to 30 indigenous youth from the Talang Mamak Indigenous community, Indragiri Hulu Regency, Riau Province. “We organised this training event for four days, the participants will be given material related to report writing, the use of land navigation, security, and monitoring documentation,” Abu explained.
During the training, the participants expressed concerns about the increasingly threatened forest conditions. ‘The forest in our village is gone. In the past, if we were sick, the medicine could be found in the forest, but now those resources are getting scarce,’ said Diani, a member of the Talang Langkat Indigenous Community. The dispossession of indigenous forests, the destruction of nature, and the resulting disasters are clear evidence that the cause-and-effect relationship between deforestation and environmental degradation is never-ending, especially in areas that depend on forests.
Land Grabbing Towards Indigenous’ Forests
“Our customary territories (Talang Mamak) have been seized by oil palm plantations to mining through government permits and policies that do not favour Indigenous Peoples,” Said Gilung, Indigenous Talang Mamak, during the Basic Training of Kaoem Muda Pemantau Hutan held by Kaoem Telapak in Riau in August 2024.
This statement by the Chairperson of AMAN Indragiri Hulu’s Regional Management (PD) is not just a personal opinion, but the collective voice of his community who have long felt oppression. He clearly remembers that this statement was first made in a proclamation and resolution that emerged from the Gawai Gedang event, a pivotal Indigenous event, held on 7-8 December 2018 in Talang Sungai Limau, Rakit Kulim District, Indragiri Hulu Regency. In the event, indigenous communities gathered, discussing the fate of the forest and the future of their increasingly eroded customary lands.
Then, the Kaoem Telapak member continued that the Talang Mamak Indigenous People, like other indigenous communities throughout Indonesia, have a very close bond with nature. For them, nature is not just a resource, but an interrelated and inseparable part of life. They live in ancestral forests, surrounded by rivers in the middle of peat swamps. They make a living in the forest. They maintain their traditions and preserve sacred places full of spiritual significance in the forest too. In recent decades, however, the forests they guard with such reverence have undergone drastic changes. What was once a natural landscape rich with biodiversity has now been largely replaced by monoculture oil palm plantations. The presence of palm oil estates has not only altered the physical landscape but has also destroyed the environmental balance that they had preserved.
Similarly, Sel, an indigenous youth from Anak Talang, described the drastic changes in his neighbourhood. At the Kaoem Muda Pemantau Hutan Basic Training in Riau, in August 2024, he recounted that the river that was once the lifeblood of his community has now dried up, replaced by expanding oil palm plantations. ‘The river that used to be our source of livelihood has now been replaced by palm oil plantations,’ Sel says, reflecting on the real impact of customary land grabbing.
Consisting of 29 communities, the Talang Mamak now face serious concerns over the land grabbing of their ancestral forests. Gilung said that more than 20 companies have obtained Cultivation Rights Title (HGU) permits in their customary territories, and even some lands managed by customary farmer groups have been included in forest areas and company concession areas.
Therefore, he emphasised the importance of encouraging Talang Mamak indigenous youth to continue fighting for the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Indragiri Hulu. “Talang Mamak youth must continue to move. We cannot stand by and watch our customary territories being seized by oil palm plantations and mining through government permits that do not favour Indigenous Peoples. This is the time for us to move,” he said.
Gilung emphasised recognising the rights of the Talang Mamak Indigenous Peoples is important. According to him, indigenous peoples must continue to fight for these rights by accelerating the mapping of customary territories, preserving local wisdom, and pressing for fairer policies from stakeholders.
Ibrahim, Advocacy Division of AMAN Indragiri Hulu and Paralegal of the Indigenous Peoples Defence Association of the Archipelago (PPMAN) Sumatra Region shared similar concerns. He explained that the encroachment and destruction of ancestral forests by outsiders is still happening, and there are even individuals who control hundreds of hectares of customary land. “Not only companies but there are also individual actors who control hundreds of hectares of customary land of the Talang Mamak Indigenous Peoples,” he said.
According to data from the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), throughout 2023, at least 2,578,073 hectares of customary territories have been seized by the state and corporations. These seizures are often accompanied by violence and criminalisation, with 247 people becoming victims. Of these, 204 were injured, one person was killed by gunfire, and around 100 indigenous people’s homes were demolished because they were deemed to occupy conservation areas. This deprivation illustrates how vulnerable Indigenous Peoples are in the face of state and corporate forces that often ignore their rights. This violence not only causes physical damage but also destroys hopes for justice and better recognition for Indigenous Peoples across Indonesia.
Capacity Building for Indigenous Youth
Since 1997, Kaoem Telapak has been engaged in efforts to protect and preserve forests. ‘One of Kaoem Telapak’s main strategies is to increase the capacity of indigenous youth so that they can play an active role in protecting forests through more effective monitoring,’ said Muhammad Khalid, Kaoem Telapak Campaigner.
Therefore, Kaoem Telapak is committed to organising forest monitoring training for indigenous youth. The training has been organised in various parts of Indonesia. ‘Kaoem Telapak’s basic monitoring training has been held in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Papua, and will continue to expand to other regions. Soon, training will be held in North Maluku,’ said Khalid.
Khalid added that by providing forest monitoring training to Indigenous Youth, Kaoem Telapak strengthens the role of Indigenous Youth as guardians of customary forests. This capacity building equips them with the advocacy skills needed to fight for the rights of indigenous peoples and resist the seizure of customary territories. ‘Through close cooperation with local communities, Kaoem Telapak hopes that this programme can expand more widely to various regions in Indonesia. Kaoem Telapak believes that empowering Indigenous Youth is key to maintaining the sustainability of the environment and customary forests in the future,’ said Khalid.
*The Author is a Kaoem Telapak Campaigner
