From Land to Tradition: Rehabilitation of Balik Sepaku Customary Forest

The Balik Sepaku Indigenous Community in East Kalimantan is one of the Indigenous Communities that still persists in maintaining and preserving the values ​​and cultural practices of their ancestors amidst the changing times. Rooted in local wisdom that has been passed down for years, the forest is an integral part of their lives and identity. However, extractive logging activities by commercial companies in the past have left their mark, destroying most of their customary forest areas. Many customary forests are bare so that they no longer provide for their living needs and customary rituals, most of what is lost are forest fruit trees.

In fact, most of the Balik Sepaku Indigenous Community depend on forest products and the customary land they manage for their livelihoods. Day by day, native plants and trees that are sources of food, medicine, and other customary needs are increasingly difficult to find. The Balik Sepaku Indigenous Community with the support of Nusantara Fund Direct Funding focuses their program on rehabilitating customary forests to restore the sustainability of the ecosystem and protect their ancestral heritage.

The customary forest rehabilitation program by the Balik Sepaku Indigenous Community is divided into several stages of activity, starting with the preparation stage. The indigenous community held discussions and customary deliberations democratically to involve all groups in the community, especially women, youth, and customary elders. The discussion discussed how best to protect their degraded customary forests, as well as drafting new customary laws that specifically regulate forest management.

Participants in the deliberation contributed their knowledge regarding best practices in managing forest land, as well as sharing experiences and ancestral traditions. Through customary deliberation, the community succeeded in agreeing on the rules contained in customary law, which serve as a guide in maintaining, preserving, and utilizing forest products sustainably.

After thorough preparation and customary rules are established, it is continued with the establishment of a local plant nursery center in the community area. In the nursery center, seedlings of typical Kalimantan trees and fruit trees are carefully prepared before being planted on the rehabilitation land. The seedlings selected include 900 trees, consisting of 150 ironwood seedlings; 150 lime seedlings; 150 meranti seedlings; 150 durian seedlings; 150 petai seedlings; and 150 Borneo cherry seedlings. The seedlings are selected by considering ecological and cultural values.

For example, ironwood trees, not only function to improve forest ecosystems but are also known as strong and durable wood, the Balik Sepaku Indigenous Community commonly uses ironwood for building materials and equipment. In addition to providing oxygen and absorbing carbon like other trees, the strong root structure of ironwood ensures that the hydrological cycle is maintained. Meanwhile, fruit trees such as durian and petai can be a source of additional income. Fruit trees are also favored by fruit-eating wildlife, these fruit-eating animals will help spread seeds in the forest.

The tree seedlings were planted in April 2024 and covered an area of ​​27 hectares of customary forest that the community wanted to preserve. Each seedling was planted taking into account soil and environmental conditions, ensuring that the plants could grow optimally. All community members were directly involved, including AMAN East Kalimantan, Tuo-Tuo Tompong of Balik Sepaku Tribe, Head of Balik Sepaku Tribe, and Pokdarwis members. Indigenous women lead prayers before planting begins, young people take part in digging holes, watering, and maintaining seedlings. Young people are quite dominant in field activities, because this nursery and planting also serve as a space for implementing the traditional school curriculum, one of the classroom practices of which is planting local plants and monitoring the post-planting of local plants.

Rehabilitation activities also include the implementation of traditional rituals in the forest, led by traditional elders. This traditional ritual is a form of gratitude and respect for nature, as well as a form of commitment from the Indigenous Peoples community in protecting the forest which has become an important part of their lives. After the ritual, the traditional elders and indigenous women shared stories about the meaning of each type of tree planted and how these trees have become part of their traditions and daily lives.

At the end of the event, the indigenous community conducted an evaluation of the implementation of the activity. The results of the activity were reported in detail, including details of the number of seedlings successfully planted, obstacles during the planting process, and steps that had been taken to ensure the success of the rehabilitation of the indigenous forest. In addition, the community held a reflection session where participants shared experiences and lessons learned from the program. The reflection session was followed by a discussion on the sustainability of the customary laws that had been established, ensuring that customary rules remain relevant and can be implemented effectively by the community in the future.

Planting 900 local plant seedlings on 27 hectares of land not only supports environmental restoration but also provides opportunities for the younger generation of indigenous people to be actively involved in forest conservation. 

To maintain the ecological balance that underlies the diversity of life in the region, native trees remain a dominant part of the rehabilitation of customary forests. This effort will strengthen the complex ecological network in which each species has an interrelated role. Planting local plant seedlings such as ironwood, lime, meranti, durian, petai, and Borneo cherry allows the forest to again provide a source of food and shelter for native Borneo animals, some of which may have become accustomed to depending specifically on these trees. In turn, supporting a variety of organisms from insects, birds, to large mammals that depend on the forest environment for shelter and survival.

When the degraded customary land recovers, the Balik Sepaku Tribe Indigenous Community also has the seeds of a local fruit plant nursery to encourage economic independence to become one of the areas producing local fruit plants. Indigenous Communities can also conduct customary education in customary areas. In the future, elders will no longer just tell stories like storytellers, but will be able to show the younger generation directly where the trees are, what the fruits look like, which ones can and cannot be eaten, which ones are poisonous and which ones can be used as medicine.