Ginger Cultivation, Customary Territory Mapping, and Nature Conservation in Bulusu Jalai

The Bulusu Jalai Indigenous Community in Bunau Village, Sekatak District, Bulungan Regency, North Kalimantan, is part of the Indigenous Community network under the auspices of PW AMAN North Kalimantan. They actively fight for customary rights and still maintain traditional farming systems as their main source of livelihood. In an effort to ensure that land, culture, and resources remain sustainable, this community initiated a ginger cultivation program and mapping of customary areas with the support of the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding.

Ginger Cultivation with Traditional Techniques

The ginger cultivation program began with careful planning through community deliberations to determine land, resources, and division of roles. A 1-hectare plot of land was cleared through mutual cooperation before planting 100 kilograms of ginger seeds. A total of 12 Indigenous Women and 6 men actively managed the garden using traditional techniques, including soil cultivation, seedling sowing, and pest control without chemicals.

The Nusantara Fund Direct Funding is also used to procure agricultural tools such as machetes, hoes, and watering cans to increase productivity. Every day, they take turns to do maintenance so that the ginger grows optimally. As the harvest approaches, an idea emerged to increase the selling value of ginger and expand market reach, such as the production of ginger powder and ready-to-drink drinks. In addition, the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding is also used for training and facilitation to strengthen traditional Bulusu Jalai agricultural practices. In the training, they learn environmentally friendly soil processing techniques, seedling sowing, weeding, and pest and disease management without using natural materials.

Ginger cultivation has opened up new economic opportunities for the Bulusu Jalai Indigenous Community, environmental sustainability has also strengthened. By maintaining traditional agricultural practices reinforced with knowledge & skills of sustainable agricultural techniques, the community is able to increase land productivity efforts, maintain soil fertility, while reducing dependence on chemicals. The success of the first harvest is a motivation to develop further businesses, including processing the harvest into ready-to-sell products such as ginger powder and herbal drinks.

Mapping of the Agabag Sebuku Customary Territory: Strengthening the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

In addition to ginger cultivation, the community also mapped the Agabag Sebuku Customary Area which includes three sub-communities: Pagun Masagit Masaluy, Pagun Kukuyin Lansadin, and Pagun Tipuon Tipodon in Nunukan Regency to strengthen efforts to legal claim customary areas.

A customary meeting was held again in Bebanas Village. Community representatives, village heads, and customary leaders discussed and coordinated the technical aspects of mapping the customary areas that they would conduct. After the meeting, the activity continued with data collection in the field. The mapping team consisting of community members and facilitators then identified boundaries, documented customary history, and recorded applicable customary laws. GPS technology was used to compile accurate spatial maps.

The mapping results cover 43.800 hectares of customary areas along with socio-cultural documentation and hereditary land use patterns. This data is the main advocacy tool for submitting legal recognition to the government, strengthening the protection of land rights, preventing agrarian conflicts, and preventing exploitation of customary areas. When obtaining legal recognition, Indigenous Peoples have a stronger position in protecting their rights and customary areas.