00:00:13
Open your mouth
00:00:20
[laugh]
00:00:29
I am Samsul Maarif
You can call me Anchu
00:00:39
(Music)
I have seen for a long time, indigenous communities
often experience negative stigma
00:00:51
In the colonial period, they were considered primitive,
and so deserved to be colonized
00:00:59
and modernized
00:01:04
(Music)
00:01:09
Since independence until now, they
have continued, to be accused of animism
00:01:19
(Music)
00:01:29
(Music)
00:01:43
They were forced to convert to one,
of the religions recognized, by the government
00:01:52
(Music)
not enough by that, they are often accused
00:01:59
of syncretic
syirik and even heresy
00:02:05
as a result they have to face
various from of social exclusion
00:02:11
and discriminatory treatment from the government
00:02:16
(Music)
00:02:18
I will verify the stigma assumptions and accusations
00:02:25
which have been placed on indigenous communities
00:02:28
I will show, that it's all
based on a misunderstanding
00:02:37
an anti-humanitarian sentiments,
and problematic scientific rationale
00:02:47
(Music)
Amidst various discrimination
00:02:52
and forms of social exclusion
00:02:53
indigenous communities continue
to struggle to survive. This situation
00:03:01
encouraged me to learn and study
study more depth the knowledge and experiences
00:03:05
indigenous communities.
Especially when the Covid 19 happened Indonesia
00:03:11
(Music)
00:03:15
(Music)
00:03:23
The Covid 19 pandemic
00:03:25
that shakes Indonesia and the world
00:03:27
reveals many things
00:03:29
The pandemic exposed,
how vulnerabilities we are in the health sector
00:03:35
in the health sector
00:03:39
(Music)
00:03:47
The pandemic also opens problem
of hunger amidst abundance of natural resource
00:03:54
natural resource
00:03:56
The spread of the virus forces
restrictions of community activities
00:04:03
which results in many people losing jobs
00:04:09
(Music)
00:04:15
Restrictions on activities during the pandemic
encouraged me to interact more
00:04:22
closely with indigenous communities
With (ICIR) Intersectoral Collaboration on Indigenous Religions
00:04:29
We initiated the online thursday forum at the beginning of the pandemic ,
We invite (the adherent of indigenous religion)
and indigenous communities
00:04:40
to share knowledge and experiences
00:04:45
particularly in facing this pandemic situation
(Music)
00:04:51
It turns out
00:04:54
that indigenous people in Indonesia actually have stronger,
resilience when facing a pandemic
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compared to
the general public
00:05:06
(Music)
From this initial knowledge
00:05:11
I decided to dig more deeper
00:05:16
I decided to see firsthand how adat (traditional systems)
00:05:21
can be an instrument of resilience for communities especially when they are facing a pandemic
00:05:52
(Music)
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(Music)
00:06:10
(Music)
00:06:25
(Music)
00:06:42
Dayak Luhur is an indigenous community
that builds an ecotonic identity
00:06:49
A cross-cultural identity formed
from the Java and Sunda
00:06:56
(Music)
They live in the Central Java region
00:07:01
but they communicate in Sunda language
00:07:06
(Music)
Moreover they are strong in Islam
00:07:12
at the same time, firmly implement their adat practices
00:07:15
(Music)
The Dayak luhur Community is spreaded across six villages
00:07:23
In order to know more, I meet
Ceceng Rusmana. Head of the adat or traditional
00:07:30
who lives in Hanum Village.
So here, in adat ceremonies, almost ritual
00:07:36
begin with alms (sedekah).
Because alms is basically
00:07:40
like giving
charity to present
00:07:44
we present something,
which is basically not only
00:07:49
to humans, but also for others
One of the rituals meant by Ceceng
00:07:56
is the sedekah ketupat
00:08:13
Sedekah Ketupat or ketupat alms is a ritual
to respect guests, to respect relations between people
00:08:22
(Music)
The concept of the Ketupat alms
00:08:30
event basically has value
when we attend
00:08:36
a traditional event, there is respect
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for the guests.
00:08:42
If we were present at the ketupat alms event, would be a garland. The garland does not use flowers, but instead uses a ketupat
00:08:47
which is usually garlanded by traditional elders. If the guest is a woman,
00:08:50
the caretaker's mother will drape it like that.
00:08:53
Pengalungan has meaning
when we take part in the ketupat alms
00:08:58
event with the same respect
as the native people, it means you are
00:09:03
given the freedom to enter our
village. That means there are no
00:09:09
obstacles in our village for you, so don't hesitate,
if you come to play at our place,
00:09:13
Because by participating in the ketupat alms
it means that you as a guest have
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respected our event.
00:09:22
Besides that
here are also rituals, to relate human
00:09:30
with other creatures.
People often, ask why we
00:09:35
carry food to the grave,
a forest, or elsewhere, to In the past
00:09:40
Keramat or sacred place
In the past, people thought that giving food
00:09:44
in the Keramat or sacred place is waste,
why did your ancestors eat that?
00:09:48
It is based on the way you see it,
the problem is not like that,
00:09:51
we need to go back to terms “alms” globally.
Are there really only ancestors in the forest?
00:09:56
Are there really only ancestors in the forest?
There are other creatures who might be hoping
00:09:59
hoping for that event, for example what?
there are and other creatures
00:10:04
who eat the crumbs,
don't they also get blessings from that event?
00:10:09
Maybe it was the ants' prayers that were answered,
maybe that's how it was
00:10:16
(Music)
From the Ceceng’s story, I was encouraged
00:10:36
to experience directly,
one of the rituals preserved by the Dayak luhur community.
00:10:47
Here, I meet Karso
a custodian at the Citalaga site
00:10:55
who guides me, to do the sedekah bumi or earth alms ritual
00:11:02
(Music)
00:11:17
(Music)
If there is no one to take care of it,
00:11:30
no one to look after it, what will happen, sir?
If it isn’t taken care of
00:11:37
the bamboo will run out, If somebody takes it
and takes care of it, it's okay,
00:11:42
I'm just sincere.
Even if there's no salary,
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it's okay, I'm just sincere.
00:11:50
I'm sincere. I want to clean up the place here.
You don't want
00:11:56
this forest to be destroyed ?
Yes, I just want to protect this. If there is no one to look after it,
00:12:02
the wood could run out
and the bamboo will be cut down by people.
00:12:08
Even though the people who take it are not the same.
Many people will take the
00:12:13
wood because it's this close so someone has to guard it;
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that's why the wood here is sacred.
[Musik]
00:12:41
Pandemic, raves the world and indonesia,
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indigenous communities are facing it as if it was part of daily practice.
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daily practice, they understand the threat of Covid-19
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observe health protocol rules but their social, cultural,
00:13:04
and economic activities, still continue
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continue
00:13:27
Yes, basically, there are also people who come, migrants from the city here, but there are no people
00:13:32
but there are no people who have (covid) here,
Even though
00:13:36
Even though traditional events take place,
here we still use health standards,
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wash our hands, wear masks of all kinds, keep our distance
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but we don't reduce the sacred value
00:13:49
of these rituals.
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Adat communities always face threats and challenges, but with
00:14:01
their traditional systems, they have
sustainable social and ecological resilience.
00:14:07
resilience
The concept is like this
00:14:12
maybe we are no longer in harmony
with nature, we are greedy with
00:14:15
with nature, right? Humans are basically able to
Humans are basically able to live, if they are not greedy,
00:14:20
if they are not greedy, but when they are greedy,
that changes the balance in nature.
00:14:29
(Music)
00:14:33
For the Dayak Luhur community
in the Dayak Luhur Cilacap
00:14:40
Adat is a heritage of life,
from the ancestors to the present generation,
00:14:47
up to the next generation.
Life is inherited through various
00:14:52
various series of cultural,
social
00:14:56
religious, and natural preservation activities.
00:15:13
[Music]
00:15:15
[Music]
00:15:18
For the Dayak luhur community
water is a symbol of life
00:15:25
[Music]
00:15:35
Water comes, from the mountains through springs,
flows into the estuary, crossing the fields
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and residents' houses without stopping
[Music]
00:15:50
Water's function is to preserve life,
preserve relations between humans
00:15:59
preserve relations between humans and other living creatures
[Music]
00:16:13
[Music]
Learning from people
00:16:16
forest, earth, water, have the same interest
have the same interest to protect each other
00:16:24
to maintain and take care of each other
00:16:31
[Music]
00:16:39
[Music]
00:16:43
Our journey to study the knowledge
and experience of adat communities doesn't stop on
00:16:49
on the land of Dayeuhluhur. I explore further in
other places, that is
00:16:57
Dayak Iban adat communities in Sungai Utik
East Kalimantan
00:17:02
[Music]
00:17:23
The Dayak Iban community is strict with
their adat principles
00:17:36
emphasizing their relation with nature
to preserve each other
00:17:45
The Dayak Iban people are Catholic
however their adat system is as if they have not undergo any
00:17:53
change
For the Dayak Iban people, the land is
00:17:59
their mother, the forest is their father and the water is
the blood
00:18:11
[Music]
00:18:16
To get more information about the adat system
of Dayak Iban, specifically related to
00:18:23
related to human-nature relation. I met Apai Inam
[Musik]
00:18:30
He is the leader of the Sungai Utik area,
who knows well how the
00:18:35
Dayak Iban community
is trying hard to maintain their tradition of preserving nature.
00:18:42
Yes, the struggle is since the beginning,
our elders have defended this land
00:18:49
and now it is our turn to keep maintaining it to keep maintaining it. If we do not
00:18:53
make it, we ourselves, will suffer the consequences;
If we do not make it,
00:19:00
we cannot drink from the rivers
from the rivers if the springs are damaged.
00:19:06
We have to protect
this land, from generation to generation,
00:19:11
emphasizing the importance of this forest
nature as well.
00:19:27
From the leader, I met the main figure
of the Dayak Iban community
00:19:42
This main figure is Apai Janggut.
He is the adat leader
00:19:48
besides a community leader,
He is also a ritual leader
00:19:55
and a religious or spiritual leader
00:20:01
I learned from Apai Janggut about
the adat system as a way of resilience
00:20:08
for the Dayak Iban Community. I told
the children,because this is at the adat school.
00:20:16
Do not be naughty, that is all my message.
00:20:25
If we are naughty, we are not respectful and there will be problems later.
00:20:28
[Musik]
Moreover, our actions should not be bad,
do not steal people's things
00:20:34
Do not steal it, if you do not have it, tell me later.
00:20:52
we are waiting for good fortune, where we can get it cheaply.
Maybe later we can get everything good.
00:20:59
everything good.
(Music)
00:21:03
But we do not need to steal, that was what I said.
00:21:09
because in adat schools,
00:21:10
if people understand something,
people will learn a lot from it.
00:21:26
I see that Betang house has three functions
each function is interrelated
00:21:33
is interrelated
00:21:36
The Bilik functions as a private space
00:21:47
And the last is Teras as a symbol of
interaction space between human and nature or the outside parties
00:21:55
These three spaces can be interpreted
as symbols of social and
00:22:02
ecological management of the Adat Community of Dayak Iban
00:22:09
So, if we look at it, it has
an orientation, to the south
00:22:15
then the longest side
is the west and east
00:22:25
it is interesting, why? Because it means it has controlled
Because it means it has controlled the shortest side. If this
00:22:29
If this were a square there would
definitely be a short side
00:22:33
and this short side was made
to control the sun's arrival.
00:22:38
the sun's arrival, because it is tropical,
you cannot make a lot of this,
00:22:43
you cannot overdo it. If it is open, the axis is tilted towards
the axis is tilted towards north
00:22:49
and south, then it will be exposed to get more sun.
will be exposed to get more sun, So it is controlled
00:22:53
Well, I saw air circulation as well,
it was the same as that.
00:22:59
So this must be seen, how they also
placed themselves among the vegetation.
00:23:04
How vegetation becomes a kind
of buffer or catcher for
00:23:09
air circulation
00:23:15
Rumah Betang or Rumah Panjang is
the center of socio
00:23:21
cultural activities and spirituality or religiosity
00:23:24
religiosity
00:23:26
Adat Community of Dayak Iban Sungai Utik,
living in it and carrying out their daily lives
00:23:33
based on adat rules and systems
They keep maintaining the solidarity
00:23:40
community, earth,
forest, water for the community
00:23:47
resilience and sustainability
00:23:55
In terms of spatial layout and interior, this
is what is important, we observe
00:24:01
and imitate,
to adapt to very
00:24:05
tropical environment. So it’s very good
very good dan very clear
00:24:12
how they treat the environment
00:24:16
the environment and then enginer the building
engineer the building according to
00:24:23
the natural landscape that occurs.
00:24:27
(Music)
00:24:35
Dayak Iban community utilizing
ruai as a public space
00:24:41
to conduct various activities
00:24:50
[Music]
00:24:58
One of them as I witnessed
was a blessing ritual, performed in
00:25:05
traditional and catholic way for Bayu
A dayak iban young man and high school student
00:25:13
who is preparing to
take the class up examination
00:25:39
(Music)
00:25:49
(Music)
00:26:11
This blessing shows that
Bayu's interests are community support to Bayu
00:26:23
(Music)
00:26:55
If ruai functions to strengthen social behavior then bilik functions
00:27:02
private space to hone independence
00:27:20
Here I met Santi
she was making tumpe
00:27:27
a traditional Dayak Iban snack
made from sticky rice
00:27:33
We live in adat society
live in kampong, we have traditions
00:27:40
traditions, o we need to preserve them
that is very important, that was the message
00:27:45
of our ancestors in ancient times.
Tumpe will be served as part
00:27:50
post-harvest party or gawai
00:28:16
Gawai is a celebration of the results
of the Dayak Iban community's hard work
00:28:24
over the previous year
They celebrate it collectively and
00:28:29
should not do any activities other
than for gawai. They strengthen
00:28:35
solidarity between families
and even between people
00:28:42
and ancestors forests, rivers, land,
and all other creatures
00:28:49
(Music)
00:29:42
(Music)
00:30:06
(Music)
00:30:24
(Music)
00:30:32
(Music)
00:31:42
How does it feel after going through
the Gawai process on the Utik river?
00:31:47
Hard and challenging
It's not easy to understand and explore
00:31:52
traditional communities
We need to have full commitment to
00:31:58
make it go. What's interesting the challenge is
the challenge is something that's really exciting
00:32:05
Exciting but also potentially
damaging
00:32:11
The commitment required
is to control and navigate the
00:32:18
destructive potentials
00:32:31
(Music)
00:32:35
Is there still a (drinking) tradition of going door to door?
Yes, That's a fun tradition
00:32:39
After all finished,
00:32:41
then people drink again from the other end of the house
Yes, all the way to the lower house
00:32:46
(outside the betang house) until it's finished
00:32:55
(Music)
[applause)
00:33:09
(Music)
00:33:25
(Music)
00:33:38
(Music)
00:33:51
(Music)
00:34:20
(Music)
00:34:30
What's the name of this, Apai?
This is, for the Iban language, called keduren pansud
00:34:38
This is our way
of saying thank you
00:34:46
for the reward of our income, which is
given
00:34:51
by God
This is also our way asking for
00:34:59
asking for something back so that next year
can get more
00:35:06
than last year
00:35:11
(Music)
00:36:00
(Laugh)
00:36:03
(Music)
Every year we hold this event
00:37:01
To give back to nature again, isn’t?
Yes
00:37:11
How many chickens are there?
one
00:37:32
(Music)
00:37:46
(Music)
00:37:53
(Music)
00:38:07
(Music)
00:38:18
(Music)
00:38:24
(Music)
00:38:32
(Music)
00:38:37
After carrying out the entire practice
of gawai
00:38:40
hey started the beginning of the year with knowledge and wisdom
that all creatures both human beings ancestors land forests rivers and others
00:38:56
are committed to each other protect
care for each other and share each other
00:39:05
through preserving traditions
so that regeneration works
00:39:10
Maintaining the soil so that the field
and productive
00:39:15
Protecting forests so that basic needs
are fulfilled
00:39:21
and
Caring for the river so that the water
00:39:25
continues to give it life
00:39:31
That knowledge and wisdom are the
basis of territory preservation/ and
00:39:37
social resilience for the Dayak Iban community
00:39:42
(Music)
If pandemic still felt in city until now
00:40:04
it's because it's not being fed,
Apai and the Dayak Iban community here feed it,
00:40:10
here feed it, so it doesn't come here,
00:40:13
Why didn't it arrive?
00:40:19
In Putussibau, it comes,
00:40:22
one or two getting covid comes,
00:40:30
Because we, as what we called it, have ngampun
00:40:37
That things don't want to violate that prayer
We are one family, equally healthy,
00:40:45
we make no mistakes
we are together
00:40:58
Doesn't that make people panic?
There's not too much panic,
00:41:05
the residents feel it's normal,
00:41:11
the important thing is that we all don't mind it too much.
All activities are going on
00:41:18
But like what Apai say earlier
residents are not allowed to go out of town
00:41:25
but they can still go to the fields
If outsiders come here,
00:41:30
there are guards too.
00:41:38
Hasn't anything changed at Betang's house?
00:41:44
For example, there is a ban on gatherings,
Does this mean that
00:41:50
gatherings with outsiders are prohibited?
Yes, that's what it means.
00:41:55
Because the Betang residents here
have not changed,
00:41:58
hose who live together still keep
heir distance, or are close together.
00:42:03
Don't get close, this means outsiders,
okay? Not to the people inside.
00:42:10
There isn't any.
(Music)
00:42:19
I also discovered similar knowledge
and wisdom in the Dayeuhluhur through their
00:42:25
ritual practices
(Music)
00:42:31
The concept of alms or sedekah correlates with the concept of sacred
00:42:37
Dayak Luhur community, sacred are embedded
to those who are have a service
00:42:43
or contribute to life
00:42:48
(Music)
00:43:02
Ancestors are sacred because
hey started and passed on wisdom
00:43:08
life and identity guidelines
In Dayak Luhur, it is not only about maintaining human relationships
00:43:13
it is not only about maintaining human relationships
We maintain traditional life of humans and nature
00:43:19
so does the environment and ancestors. This also
lies in how we actually treat our ancestors whether
00:43:23
our ancestors whether, they are still
alive or not, We treat ancestors,
00:43:27
who have died,
as if they were still alive.
00:43:34
Springs are sacred because
they share life through water
00:43:41
(Music)
00:43:47
(Music)
00:43:59
Forests are sacred because they offer wealth that human needs
00:44:06
as Ceceng and citizens and
citizens do in the Mayangkar mountain forest/
00:44:11
Mayangkar mountain forest which are located
on the border Hanum village
00:44:17
Why do we go to the forest during the corona pandemic?
The medicine is in the forest.
00:44:21
Philosophically and socially, that's how it is.
00:44:35
Besides that the concepts of animism and
syncretism are problematic scientific theories
00:44:42
because they interpret
traditional practices as worship of ancestors
00:44:53
(Music)
00:44:59
(Music)
00:45:15
All this time many scientists understand
animism as a belief in spirits
00:45:22
or worshipping ancestors
Even today some scientists still frequently
00:45:28
scientists still frequently to accuse indigenous communities who perform rituals on a site
00:45:38
as worshipers of ancestors or spirits
00:45:39
Whether we realize it or not the accusation legitimate government discrimination which treats indigenous communities
00:45:50
as not or have not been religious
00:45:59
(Music)
00:46:05
As a result the government discriminates and
marginals them to In order to be recognized
00:46:12
citizen indigenous communities must
must accept one of the religions recognized
00:46:17
by the government
(Music)
00:46:27
(Music)
After they accept one of the religions
00:46:32
they are frequently accused of syncretism
because they accept a religion but still practice their traditions
00:46:38
still practice their traditions// Indigenous citizens were then
accused of being impurely religious
00:46:44
syirik and heretic
00:46:52
Indigenous communities do not worship but
but respect their ancestors for their services
00:47:00
Like a child who continues, praying
for his mother and father who have
00:47:05
died
More than that the act of respecting ancestors
00:47:10
is also the act to preserve traditions and
territories they do not worship the forest
00:47:16
or forest guardian spirits but
respest and maintan them for
00:47:22
the preservation of their area and life
(Music)
00:47:41
(Music)
From what I witnessed in the two indigenous
00:47:49
communities I can conclude that
00:47:55
accusation of indigenous communities as primitives
animism and syncretism and are anti-humanitarian
(Music)
00:48:13
What people accuse as primitive
is a sustainable system of developing
00:48:19
is a sustainable system of developing social and ecological resilience
00:48:26
(Music)
Practices of gawai that support guests and
00:48:35
practices of alms or sedekah to guests effectively
strengthen solidarity
00:48:42
and social resilience
so indigenous communities remain solid in
00:48:49
facing challenges such as
a pandemic
00:48:53
(Music)
Gawai practices that bless the land
00:48:58
And ritual practices that bless forests, water
Have successfully
00:49:05
Made nature sustainable
00:49:09
As a result, their needs are still,
Fulfilled including during the pandemic
00:49:18
(Music)
In the forest we will survive more
00:49:24
survive more easily than in other places
at least
00:49:29
we have water
Whether we cook the water or not
00:49:33
Whether we cook the water or not
at least we have met our water needs
00:49:36
So does the food.
nstead of going to the market,
00:49:41
we can directly look for vegetables here.
Even for hundreds of thousands of people,
00:49:45
if there were forests, we wouldn't starve.
In ancient times, humans basically lived in forests
00:49:48
humans basically lived
in forests they didn't farm
00:49:52
they didn't cultivate rice fields
they didn't
00:49:56
create industries like that
Even in the forest it self there are many types of food
00:50:13
[applause]
00:50:17
By learning directly from them,
we can understand how intelligent and
00:50:24
visionary indigenous peoples are in building regional systems
ecological preservation
00:50:30
and social resilience
00:50:40
Their resilience in facing the pandemic
provide us a lesson that with their adat system
00:50:46
with their adat system they are resilient
(Music)
00:50:54
With their modesty, adat communities preserve
00:50:58
water culture as well as national character
00:51:06
(Music)
00:51:14
(Music)
00:52:18
(Music)
