Protecting the Village Forest: Efforts of the Youth to Revive the Ancestral Knowledge of the Benakat Indigenous Community of South Sumatra

In the Benakat Clan Customary Area in Muara Enim Regency, South Sumatra, especially in Benakat sub-district (Padang Bindu Village, Betung Village, Pagar Dewa Village, Rami Pasai Village, Pagar Jati Village, and Hidup Baru Village), it includes the Ada Rimbo Sekampung Forest which was designated by the Dutch government, precisely in 1932 by de Opzicter Bijhet Boscwesen. The Benakat clan is a clan of the Lematang Ilir tribe. While the Lematang Ilir tribe is one of 13 tribes in Palembang, South Sumatra. The 13 tribes in Palembang include Komering Ulu, Komering Ilir, Lematang Ilir, Lematang Ulu, Muara Dua, Musi Ilir and Suku Anak Dalam, Musi Ulu, Ogan Ulu, Ogan Ilir, Palembang and Banyuasin, Pasemah, Rawas, and Tebing Tinggi. Previously, the Benakat clan claimed an area of ​​​​approximately 6.000 hectares of its customary forest, but after the entry of a number of palm oil plantation companies and HTI companies, which have concessions, as well as coal companies in Muara Enim Regency, Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU), Lahat and Musirawas, the customary forest was designated by the Muara Enim Regency Government as 3.000 hectares.

The existence of the Sekampung Rimbo Forest remains crucial for its water catchment, rituals, healing, and livelihoods for Indigenous Peoples, some of whom have shifted to working as palm oil plantation laborers, rubber farmers for those who still own land, or even a small number who have been involved in forest encroachment. Regrettably, the widespread illegal logging has resulted in the loss of many trees, including agarwood, merbau, sungkai, medicinal and ritual plants, and other local plants. The forest remains a frequent site for elephant crossings. Therefore, the Marga Benakat Indigenous Community is rehabilitating its customary forest, with the aim of building a boundary fence between its customary territory and the company's work area, as well as revitalizing local knowledge for women and the younger generation. This rehabilitation involves three Indigenous Schools: the Hidup Baru Indigenous School, the Benakat Indigenous School, and the Belanti Indigenous School.

The rehabilitation activities began with a process of revitalizing local knowledge through Berasan Adat (Customary Recitation) or meetings with traditional leaders. It is hoped that traditional activities and traditional advice can be carried out again to preserve the customs of the Benakat Clan Community. Next, there is an activity to document the types of plants found in the Benakat Clan customary area. After the introduction of the types of plants is carried out, Berasan Adat is carried out again before starting to plant local plant species in the Rimbo Sekampung Customary Forest. This activity is intended to gain an understanding of the customary side from the traditional elders. Then the team from the Customary School began a survey to determine the priority location for rehabilitation of 10 hectares. Only after that, nurseries were carried out through mutual cooperation at the Nursery House. Then, the Customary School planted local plants in the Customary Forest. After that, monitoring was also carried out to replace dead seedlings with new ones. This activity was also disseminated throughout the customary area so that it could be known and studied by members of the Customary Community, both women and the younger generation, to jointly care for and preserve it. At the end of the rehabilitation activities, a village meeting was held to promote the customary forest rehabilitation program, including disseminating information about the local plant species found in the customary forest that had been planted (plants with economic value, medicinal uses, and rituals). They also made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Puyang, the village founder, and performed a traditional alms ritual, or communal prayer.

This activity, conducted directly by the Traditional School, is expected to continue the rehabilitation of the 3000-hectare Rimbo Sekampung Customary Forest, a quarter of which has been rehabilitated. The initial boundary fence is expected to mark the process by which women and the younger generation defend the customary territory of the Marga Benakat Indigenous Community from oil palm plantations and coal mining, while also ensuring its sustainable use for the sustainability of ritual practices, livelihoods, and healing.