Preserving Ancestral Traces: Preserving Culture and Sovereignty of Customary Territory at Jambu Ra Limbi Customary School

As time goes by, culture and traditional knowledge are often marginalized, many young generations are starting to lose their attachment to their cultural roots. Jambu Ra Limbi Sanggar Traditional School was established as an effort to bridge the gap between the young generation and cultural roots, maintain customs, and defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

With the support of Direct Funding through the Nusantara Fund, the strengthening program of the Jambu Ra Limbi Traditional School located in Kore Village, Sanggar District, Bima Regency ran from early February 2024 to June 2024. In February, the Traditional School held a preparatory meeting with the community and traditional leaders to formulate and agree on the implementation structure of the activity. Including the preparation of a framework for traditional education such as mother tongue, traditional arts, traditional sports, folk games, and local knowledge about herbal medicines. This activity was fully assisted by PD AMAN Bima.

The next stage in early March was the exploration of cultural sites in the Sanggar customary area, which lasted for four consecutive days. Facilitators, customary leaders, and Indigenous Peoples, all generations together studied historical cultural sites. Starting with a visit to Wadu Ntanda Rahi in Taloko, a site known as the “Batu yang Meanti Suaminya,” and Rade Nae in Boro, an ancient tomb that holds ancestral stories. In addition, a pilgrimage was continued to Mada Oi Tampiro in Piong, a spring site that is believed to be sacred and was once a witness to the Tambora eruption. The Customary School facilitators also cleaned the site as a form of respect.

Finally, the journey continues to Doro Bedi and Balambo in Kore, a place known as an ancient port. Not just a pilgrimage, but a moment to learn about the origins of the community and indigenous knowledge passed down orally from generation to generation.

The trip visit also included documentation of the presentation of stories from local traditional figures. The stories contain historical values, spiritual values, customary norms, all as moral guidelines for the community. The results of the documentation were then written as a complete story as teaching material at the Jambu Ra Limbi Sanggar Traditional School.

In April, Jambu Ra Limbi Sanggar Traditional School held a capacity building training for 14 facilitators, consisting of 11 men and 3 women. The training was held for five days and was guided by the Head of BPH AMAN Bima, Ayaturahman, and OKK AMAN Bima, Ade Purnawirawan. Training materials include the duties and roles of facilitators, cultural history, Indigenous Peoples' rights, and communication skills.

Facilitators are taught to be intergenerational liaisons, especially in transferring indigenous knowledge inclusively and adaptively to students' needs. During this training, facilitators are also trained to develop inclusive and responsive learning programs to indigenous contexts, such as group discussions, role simulations, and direct observation. The training is closed with a joint evaluation, to ensure the level of understanding of participants in the training. 

Each learning module that is compiled, whether musical arts, mother tongue, or traditional history, acts as a guardian of the collective memory of the Sanggar Indigenous Community. Through stories excavated from cultural sites and teachings from elders, the Jambu Ra Limbi Sanggar Traditional School becomes a center for connecting the younger generation with ancestral values.

This program also integrates education about the importance of maintaining and defending the rights of indigenous peoples. Not only teaching history and customs, but the Jambu Ra Limbi Traditional School also includes special material about the importance of recognizing indigenous territories and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Through exploration and documentation of historical sites such as Wadu Ntanda Rahi and Mada Oi Tampiro, they also record physical evidence and stories that strengthen their claims to indigenous territories. The Sanggar community not only maintains their cultural heritage and wisdom, but also positions themselves as protectors of indigenous territories. It is not only a matter of documenting traditions from memory and orally, but creating a basis for the younger generation to continue the defense of indigenous rights and territories inherited from their ancestors.