Maintain Tradition Strengthen the Economy: SIMAKASE Village Chicken Cultivation

The Balla Satanetean Indigenous Community is part of the Pitu Ulunna Salu Kondosapata Uai Sapalelean Indigenous Community in Mamasa Regency, West Sulawesi. Their social life is based on customary traditions or kehadatan, including language, ceremonies, and various customs that are in harmony with nature. One important aspect of kehadatan is the implementation of customary rituals that are still maintained today, with native chickens as the main raw material in various sacred processions.

One tradition that continues to be maintained is the obligation for each family to bring one native chicken during traditional rituals as a form of participation and support for the implementation of traditional ceremonies. One ritual that still takes place today is “Ma'Rompo Bamba,” which literally means “territory fence.” This ancestral ritual aims to ask for protection from the Creator so that disease outbreaks do not enter the traditional territory. This tradition was carried out when the Covid-19 pandemic hit several years ago.

In the “Ma'Rompo Bamba” procession, three roosters, black rice and a certain amount of white rice are prepared. All the ingredients are then put into bamboo, burned until cooked, then placed in an offering place called Kabombongan.

Located in a remote area with limited infrastructure, the Balla Satanetean Indigenous Community's access to information is severely limited. Lack of access means lack of opportunity, a condition that contributes to prolonged economic instability. However, with the support of the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding, the community is beginning to overcome these challenges by capturing the high market opportunities for native chickens, through the development of environmentally friendly livestock farming.

As the population increases along with increasing market demand, free-range chicken farming has great potential to develop further and become a major source of income for the community. Farming also answers the need for raw materials for traditional rituals, contributing to the preservation of tradition. In addition, livestock businesses also play a role as a source of animal protein for the local community, ensuring local food sovereignty.

In a series of activities accompanied by AMAN Kondosapata, as many as 25 members of the Sikamase Livestock Business Group from the Balla Satanetean Indigenous Community received intensive training in local chicken farming, including techniques for selecting superior seeds, environmentally friendly chicken care, use of technology to increase livestock productivity, and processing livestock waste into compost.

The program also includes the procurement of livestock equipment, the construction of collective pens, and business management training. Now, members of the Sikamase Livestock Business Group, including Indigenous Women, have access to adequate collective pens and supporting equipment that were previously unavailable.

Know and be able, this is now the knowledge and skills of the members of the Balla Satanetean Indigenous Community in cultivating native chickens. The Sikamase Livestock Business has succeeded in producing more than 1.000 native chickens ready for sale, not only meeting the needs of traditional ceremonies, but also strengthening group cooperation and solidarity, and opening up wider economic opportunities for the community.