In the Mentawai Islands, the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community still continues to protect the forest, land, and traditions in their daily lives. Located in Dusun Sirilanggai, Malancan Village, North Siberut District, Mentawai Islands Regency. It is 10 kilometers from the Regency Capital and can be reached by sea transportation from Padang for 4 hours to 12 hours, depending on the type of sea transportation used: a fast boat for 4 hours or a ferry with a travel time of 12 hours.
Malancan is a small village, with a population of 15 Heads of Families (KK). On average, each KK consists of 4-6 people. In Malancan Village, 32 men and 23 women have joint rights to the Uma Saerejen customary area.
Uma Saerejen is part of an Indigenous Community that is threatened by various land conflicts and exploitation in its customary territory, with companies that hold logging permits. However, amidst these threats, there is hope for recognition of rights to customary territory through customary territory mapping efforts.
Located in Malancan Village, Uma Saerejen is one of 26 tribes that inhabit this village area. “Uma” is the term for the unity of the Indigenous Community or tribe, and “Saerejen” is the name of the clan that connects the generations that live together in their customary area. In Malancan Village there are a total of 20-30 clans divided into 7 Uma.
Of the seven uma, three Uma have received recognition, namely Saponduruk, Samongilailai, and Satanduk from the Mentawai Regional Government and efforts are being made to obtain recognition of customary forests. However, until now it has not yielded results.
Barnabas: Customary Forests as a Source of Livelihood
- At the age of 42, Mr. Barnabas is a member of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community who is trusted as the Administrator of the Uma Saerejen traditional institution, a position he carries out with full responsibility. Every morning, he walks about one kilometer to the fields in his customary area that he manages with his family for a source of livelihood. In the fields, Mr. Barnabas and his family plant areca nuts and bananas, two main types of crops that are now used to meet daily needs.
Not only Mr. Barnabas and his family depend on the Saerejen Customary Forest for their livelihood, the entire community in Uma Saerejen walks to their fields which are quite far away every day to get produce to meet their daily food needs. Thus, caring for and protecting the forest is part of the daily activities of the Uma Saerejen Customary Community. For the Saerejen community, land and forests are sources of food and life that maintain their identity as an Indigenous Community.
In addition, the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community has local knowledge and wisdom in recognizing, maintaining, managing, and utilizing the potentials in their customary territory. This knowledge inherited from their ancestors still lives on in everyday life. One of these knowledges is about the division of space in customary territory with the management and utilization functions of each, namely:
- Leleu means mountains or hills are forest areas that are still dense and hilly and are used for farming, raising pigs, hunting grounds, searching for and collecting forest products.
- Onaja means swamp.
- Success means valley or lowland for settlements, plantations and rice fields.
- Gaping means as a large pool in just or swampy areas.
- Oinan Chart means river especially big river.
- Hairpiece which means that there are many tributaries in the forest, leleu and suksuk. Bagan sopak is usually also one of the boundary markers in the ownership system and division of customary territory between uma.
The main livelihood of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community in general is farming, gardening, and rice fields. The community utilizes the land around the settlement and in the hamlet area to open fields, gardens, and rice fields. There is one stretch of rice field in this hamlet whose harvest is sufficient for household food consumption. There is also a stretch of sago plantation, fields and gardens planted with various types of food crops and commodities, with a multicultural concept, where there are various types of plants in one stretch of field or garden.
Food crops planted apart from rice and sago, are various types of bananas and tubers which in the local language are called can, such as taro or gettek and cassava or gobik. Banana or gud Apart from household consumption, it is also sold to collectors in the hamlet or can also be sold directly to collectors in the port area in Pokai.
Fields and gardens are not only places for farming, but also centers of interaction and community cooperation. Each family in Saerejen has around 0,5 to 1 hectare of land, depending on their management ability and needs. Some of the community's garden produce is sold to meet daily needs. cash (cash), some others are sold once a week via a ferry that passes near the Saerejen area. The community's income ranges from Rp 200.000 to Rp 400.000 from the sale of betel nuts and bananas. The income is enough to meet daily living needs.
Mr. Barnabas said that the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community utilizes what is in the forest, including sago, as a staple food in addition to field produce. With the vast customary forest it has, the Uma Saerejen has a high potential source of livelihood and until now the community is free to manage the land in its customary territory according to its needs. However, the freedom to utilize the land is not free from the threat of land conflicts that occur between the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community and logging companies that threaten the existence of the Uma Saerejen customary territory.
Threat of Land Conflict with Forestry Companies
In 2004, the wood processing company obtained a natural forest logging permit from the government through the Minister of Forestry to manage 48.000 hectares of forest in Mentawai Regency, including the areas of Malancan and Saerejen Villages. The claimed land is in five villages covering two sub-districts in Mentawai Islands Regency, namely Simalegi and Sigapokna Villages in West Siberut District; Malancan, Mongan Poula, and Sotboyak Villages in North Siberut.
Since then, the life of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community has been disrupted by the threat of deforestation that will damage the ecosystem and disrupt their livelihoods. For the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community, a forest is not just a collection of trees, but a living space that protects water sources, food sources, animal habitats, and soil fertility. Although according to Mr. Barnabas, until now the company has not carried out any logging in the Uma Saerejen customary forest, the company's claim to the area of the logging includes the area of Malancan Village. Now the company has cut down trees in the area of Sigapokna Village, which is the closest neighboring village to Malancan Village.
"Now our area has been plotted by HPH but we from Uma Saerejen do not agree to be managed by the company. HPH has been running but has not reached our area, only to Sigapokna which is 40 km from Sirilanggai." "Mr. Barnabas explained.
Mr. Barnabas and the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community did not remain silent. In 2016, the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community together with two other tribes, Sapunduru and Samunggilai, took action to reject the logging company. What was done at that time was to cut the bridge to prevent the company from entering the Uma Saerejen customary area.
This action is not without risk. Mr. Barnabas was once targeted for criminal acts for his protest, but support from the community and understanding from the Regional Government made him escape the threat. He realized that the presence of this company did not bring benefits to the community and was not at all in accordance with the principles and traditions of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community that had been maintained until now, but only threatened the land and traditions of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community.
Mr. Barnabas said, "If the company comes in, erosion and flooding will occur more often, because the trees that protect our land will be cut down. Moreover, we will not get any benefits from the wood, because the logs will be sent out without any contribution to us in Malancan Village." The determination of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community is firm: the Customary Forest must be maintained for the survival of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community and the future of the generation.
The Struggle and Initiative of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community for Recognition of Customary Territory
The Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community has long struggled to gain recognition for its customary territory. This process became more concrete after the ratification of Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 11 of 2017 in the Mentawai Islands Regency, which recognizes the existence of the Mentawai Indigenous Community as a customary law community unit. However, this recognition must be strengthened by a Regent's Decree (SK) to ratify the boundaries of the Uma Saerejen Customary Territory so that its status is legally valid. Until the next stage is to gain recognition for the Saerejen customary forest.
Mr. Askurnis from the Citra Mandiri Mentawai Foundation (YCMM) who has been working with the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community to fight for the Saerejen customary territory explained, “To meet the requirements for recognition of Customary Forest, YCMM has facilitated participatory mapping activities in the Uma Saerejen area. This mapping involves a long process to understand the history of land ownership, determine customary territory boundaries, and coordinate with neighboring uma-uma (tribes) that directly border Uma Saerejen.” This mapping process is an important foundation in ensuring that Indigenous Communities can claim rights to land that has been guarded for generations.
Mr. Barnabas and the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community are aware that without official recognition, their customary forests are vulnerable to being seized. Together with YCMM, the community began a participatory mapping process to document the boundaries of their customary territory. This mapping was carried out by exploring the history of land ownership, determining important coordinate points, and inviting neighboring uma-uma who directly border the area to ensure the clarity of the boundaries of each land. This participatory mapping involved the community, including indigenous women and youth who were actively involved in the planning process, including exploring corners of the customary territory to mark coordinate points which were then poured into the form of a map.
The mapping activity began with an initial discussion to determine the steps needed. From there, various teams were formed to carry out the mapping in the field. “We traced the history of land ownership, dug up names of boundaries, and determined important points within it,” said Mr. Askurnis. With assistance from the Nusantara Fund, the mapping involved long journeys into hard-to-reach forest areas, and required tight coordination because the mapping team came from Padang, which needed to adjust its schedule to the local community.
From the results of this mapping, it was recorded that the area of the Uma Saerejen customary forest reached 2.400 hectares. This map has also been verified together with the Uma Saerejen Customary Community, neighboring uma-uma, and the Village Government. The area is dozens of times larger than initially imagined by the Uma Saerejen Customary Community.
"Initially it was estimated to be around 100 hectares, after we got the story of the discovery of this land and then the story of the boundaries being sketched, I as a companion was sure that this area would not be small." It is clear that Mr. Askurnis from YCMM.
The results of the area were obtained by tracing history through traditional elders, to then take coordinate points by dividing into 4 teams that also involved youth and women to participate in tracing the boundaries of their customary areas. "We then conducted internal verification to ensure that all boundaries were correct and accurate, witnessed by neighboring uma-uma and the local village government," said Mr. Askurnis.
After the map is completed, the complete document including the profile of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community is ready to be submitted to the local government through the committee for recognition and protection of indigenous legal communities of Mentawai Regency. Hopefully, this document will encourage the issuance of a Regent's Decree that will recognize the Uma Saerejen customary area as a legitimate area managed by the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community.
This is the land that the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community maintains and hopes to be recognized as a customary forest managed by the Saerejen community itself. However, the struggle is not without challenges. Until now, the Mentawai Regency government has not extended the customary law committee decree which is important for the customary forest recognition process. Without legal certainty, Mr. Barnabas and the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community must continue to fight amidst uncertainty and threats to their customary territory.
Challenges from Companies and Local Governments
Although the process of submitting the recognition is underway, Uma Saerejen faces major challenges from outside. One of the main threats is the presence of a timber company that has a HPH (Forest Concession Rights) permit until 2035. Most of the Uma Saerejen customary area is in the production forest (HP), limited production forest (HPK), and other use areas (APL).
In the HP and HPK areas, the company has a logging permit. However, the indigenous people do not agree with the company's annual work plan to cut down trees in their area. "In Mentawai, even though the company has a permit, they still need approval from the landowner. Without it, they cannot move because we can strongly object if our area is damaged," explained Mr. Askurnis.
This situation raises concerns about horizontal conflicts in the community that companies might exploit to weaken community resistance. According to Mr. Askurnis, companies often exploit divisions in local communities to launch exploitation activities. This situation adds to the complexity of efforts to obtain recognition of customary land, which communities hope will protect them from company activities that damage customary areas.
On the other hand, the implementation of Regional Regulation No. 11 of 2017 also experienced administrative obstacles. Currently, the Mentawai Regency government is led by an Acting Regent, and the customary law committee decree required to continue the recognition of customary forests has not been extended. "We have communicated with the Acting Regent and related agencies, but until now the new customary law committee decree has not been issued. This confuses us because without the decree, the process of submitting customary area recognition cannot proceed," said Mr. Askurnis.
In addition, the location of the district government on Sipora Island adds to the challenges. From Malancan Village, it takes three to four hours by speedboat to Sipora Island, and the journey is often hampered by bad weather between September and December. This slows down the already complex administrative process.
Hope for the Future of Uma Saerejen and Future Generations
In facing the existing challenges, the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community still has high hopes for the future of its customary territory. For the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community, recognition of customary territory is a matter of dignity and survival of the Indigenous Community. The Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community hopes that the district government will no longer issue permits on its customary territory and customary forest, which are a source of livelihood and a traditional heritage that must be preserved.
For Mr. Barnabas and the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community, the recognition of customary forests is not only about land rights, but also about the sustainability of life as an Indigenous Community. This recognition is expected to protect the community from the threat of companies trying to control the land without the community's consent. In addition, the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community hopes for support in managing customary areas in a sustainable manner, so that the forest is maintained and can improve the community's economy.
"I hope the government really hears our voices and no longer issues permits that threaten our customary land. For us, this forest is our life. We will guard this land so that it will remain for our children and grandchildren," said Mr. Barnabas firmly.
Amidst all the obstacles, Uma Saerejen persists and continues to fight for their rights. With all the limitations, the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community submitted a request to the local government, accompanied by YCMM, so that the recognition of the Uma Saerejen customary territory can be realized immediately. For the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community, this is the only way to maintain their customary territory and avoid conflicts that threaten the future of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community.
Mr. Askurnis conveyed the hopes of the community he assists, "We hope that the Uma Saerejen customary area can be fully recognized by the local government. With this recognition, the community can manage the customary area sustainably, not only to protect the forest but also to improve their welfare. We also hope that support will continue to exist, because the community still needs assistance to convey their aspirations to the government."
This recognition is also considered important for future generations, so that the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community can continue to protect and manage ancestral land without interference from outside parties that cause damage.
Although the road is still long, the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community has not given up in fighting for its rights. With the recognition of legitimate customary territory, the community hopes to be able to prevent corporate expansion and protect the forest for future generations. The struggle of the Uma Saerejen Indigenous Community is a real example of the determination of Indigenous Peoples to protect customary territories and traditions amidst forest destruction by private companies that threaten the sustainability of nature and the existence of Indigenous Communities that always protect their territories and the potential within them.