Sovereign, Independent, and Dignified on Customary Land: Goat Farming and Baruga of the Pamboang Customary Community

The Pamboang Indigenous Community in Majene Regency, West Sulawesi, has obtained legal recognition through Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Recognition, Protection, and Empowerment of Indigenous Legal Communities. This legal product is the basis for the official recognition of Indigenous Communities in Majene Regency through the Regent's Decree. However, this recognition is not accompanied by recognition of the Customary Territory. The Pamboang Indigenous Community faces the threat of massive control of customary territory by private parties.

The threat comes from the extractive industry which continues to narrow the living space of the Pamboang Indigenous Community. Currently, there are four C mining companies and one asphalt manufacturing company operating in their customary territory. The presence of these companies has caused environmental degradation, reduced productive land, and the loss of local livelihoods.

Responding to this situation, the Pamboang Indigenous Community, including indigenous youth and women, initiated the protection of indigenous territories through improving land management. They developed collective economic enterprises based on goat farming, rehabilitated indigenous territories, and strengthened community education through the construction of Baruga. These efforts directly benefited all members of the Pamboang Indigenous Community, consisting of 873 men and 919 women, including 484 youth.

For better management of customary land and strengthening the economy, the Pamboang Indigenous Community built a collective goat farm. Adequate pens have been built, and livestock management training has been conducted to increase community capacity. Currently, the Uwairatu Goat Breeding Group has bred 15 goats as the initial step of the Pamboang Indigenous Community's collective business.

In addition to raising livestock, they also planted more than 1.200 Indigofera (tarum) and Gamal trees on 5 hectares of land. This step not only serves to rehabilitate customary areas affected by mining activities, but also ensures a stable supply of animal feed. The planting activity begins by identifying land managed by the community in the Pamboang customary area, then followed by cultivating animal feed plants at the nursery center. When they are strong enough, these seedlings are planted on the land that has been inventoried.

Tarum and Gamal plants were chosen because they are easy to care for, can grow in less fertile land, and have high protein content that is ideal for goat feed. In addition, tarum plants also have economic value as natural dyes, opening up additional business opportunities for the community.

In addition to livestock farming, the Pamboang Indigenous Community established Baruga as a discussion space, learning, and community information center. Baruga is used to hold formal and informal meetings to discuss strategic issues, such as the impact of environmental damage due to mining, protection of indigenous territories, political education, monitoring the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Regulation in Majene Regency. and business development. Baruga also has a library that provides reading material for the community, especially the younger generation, to strengthen their knowledge and critical awareness of indigenous and environmental rights.

Baruga as a community strengthening center is a means to ensure their struggle in the Indigenous Peoples' movement for sovereignty, independence, and dignity on customary land remains strong and solid. Following the strengthening of the collective economy based on livestock, the Pamboang Indigenous Community hopes that more residents will choose to protect their ancestral land rather than hand it over to extractive industries that damage the environment.