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Watching Over Wehea
Ledjie Taq remembers the moment he became an adult.After a
seven-day fast, he emerged from the Wehea forest with two things: a
dead deer and pride. The meat proved that Ledjie Taq could now help
provide for his village, Nehas Liah Bing, in the Indonesianprovince
ofEast Kalimantanon the island of Borneo. Nearly half a century
later, he proved it again. In 2004, Ledjie Taq now a primary school
teacher and the first elected tribal leader of theWehea Dayak
people rallied his community to take action against deforestation,
a huge local threat.By working with The Nature Conservancy and
their local government,they set aside a crucial piece of Indonesia
for conservation and enacted a sustainable management plan that
restored the Dayak as forest stewards, building on the centuries
theyve spent overseeing local resources.Wehea Forest is our
identity, Yatim, a local Dayak ranger, says. If the forest is gone,
we lose our identity and culture too.Then what will we have left to
pass on to our grandchildren?Where in the World is Wehea? Wehea
Forest comprises 38,000 hectares (nearly 94,000 acres) of intact
rainforest on the eastern portion of Borneo. It is home
toendangered species such as the Bornean orangutan, the Sunda
clouded leopard, the sun bearand the recently rediscovered Miller's
Grizzled Langur. Its also home to the Wehea Dayak people, who have
lived in and depended on these forests for hundreds of years. On a
practical level, trees provide Ledjie Taq and his community with
livelihoods, food and medicines. But the forest is also core to the
identity of the Dayak people.Protecting it isnt just about leaving
resources for the next generationits about making sure thereisa
next generation to continue the way of life that defines the Wehea
Dayak. The forest is the source of our livelihoods, where we get
food and medicinal plants, Ledjie Taq says. So when TNC came in to
talk about community conservation, we welcomed them.
Branching OutBefore the Conservancy arrived, Wehea Forest hosted
other not-so-welcome guests: loggers.Deforestationwas business as
usual until 2004, when the local timber companys logging license
was revoked. Thats when Ledjie Taq got to thinking. Realizing that
the long-term health and livelihood benefits provided by the forest
outweighed any short-term financial outcomes gained through
logging, Ledjie Taq rallied the villagers of Nehas Liah Bing around
the idea that conservation was the best way forward. Working with
the Conservancy and their local government,local Dayak communities
are establishing Wehea Forest as a protected area that's off-limits
to logging companies.As a result, Ledgie Taq and his people are
able to instate their customary laws in the Wehea Forest. Now,
cutting trees or clearing land for personal purposes isn't allowed,
and the Conservancy helps villagers facilitate community patrols
(known asPetkuq Methuey, or Forest Guardians) in which groups take
month-long turns protecting Wehea Forest from illegal logging.
New Twists on an Old Way of LifeThose guardians also help
conserve local biodiversity.With support from the Conservancy,
sixPetkuq Methueyrecently assessed the localorangutan population,
which has aided the development of a database for orangutans in the
Wehea area.The forest is home to an estimated 400-600
orangutans,making it a crucial refuge for the highly endangered
species.Petkuq Methueyalso monitor wildlife by using cameras and
keeping watch over the boundaries between their forest and the
neighboring timber concession.The Conservancy has worked with the
Wehea Dayak to host guided nature walks as part of an
emergingecotourismprogram and to develop a tree nursery plantation
that will sell seedlings for reforestation programs conducted by
the government and local mining companies.A lot of changes have
taken place in the decades since a young Ledjie Taq emerged
triumphant from Wehea Forest but theyre changes aimed at protecting
the Dayak way of life.The new arrangement also helps us maintain
our own tradition, our own values,Ledjie Taq says. With TNCs
support, our Wehea Dayak Society has been holding regular cultural
festivals, and this has been a way to preserve our culture for our
next generation. Just like the forests, we hope.While the
Conservancy has helped the Dayak people to conserve their resources
and way of life, they need support to continue their patrols and
ensure that logging doesnt return to Wehea Forest. Join Ledjie Taq,
and help us continue one of Indonesias greatest rainforest
conservation stories.
(Source:
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/asiaandthepacific/indonesia/explore/watching-over-wehea.xml)
-- November 26, 2012A. Vocabularies Vocabularies (Louiza/21)1.
Railled: mengumpulkan, mengerahkan2. Enacted: menetapkan,
ditetapkan 3. Intact: utuh, lengkap 4. Refuge : tempat perlindungan
5. Timber concession: konsesi kayu Hidden Vocabularies (Audrey/3)6.
Forest Stewards: penjaga hutan7. Revoked: dicabut 8. Instate:
melantik9. Triumphant: jaya, kemenangan10. Assessed: menilai
B. Asked Question
1. What is Ledjie Tag position in the community of Wehea Dayak
people? (Evita/7)He is the first elected tribal leader of theWehea
Dayak people.
2. How many acres of intact rainforest on the eastern portion of
Borneo does Wehea Forest comprise? (Jennifer/16)Wehea Forest
comprises nearly 94,000 acres of intact rainforest on the eastern
portion of Borneo.
3. What are the three main reasons that made the Dayak people,
led by Ledgie Taq, determined to save rainforests in Kalimantan
from logging? (Amira/1) -Rainforests are the core to the identity
of Dayak people. - Rainforests are the sources of their
livelihood.- The benefits provided by the forests outweighed any
short-term financial outcomes gained through logging
4. Does protecting only mean to leave resources for the next
generation? If not, why? (Amira/1)No. It also means to make sure
that there is a next generation to continue the way of life that
defines the Wehea Dayak.
5. The Dayak made a lot of changes by conserving Wehea Forest.
But their aim is to................. - evita/7(protect the Dayak
life)
C. Hidden Questions
6. When did Ledjie Taq rally his community to take action
against deforestation? (Jennifer/16)He rallied his community to
take action against deforestation in 2004.
7. What are the forest utilities for the Wehea Dayak people?
(Audrey/3)The forest is the source of our livelihoods, where we get
food and medicinal plants.
8. What Ledjie Taq have done after the local timber companys
logging license was revoked? (Devina/22)Ledjie tag railled the
villagers of Nehas Liah bing around the idea that conservation was
the best way forward.
9. What does Petkuq Methuey do to conserve Wehea Forest and
endangered species in it? -Evita/7Petkuq Methuey do community
patrols to protect Wehea Forest from illegal logging and monitor
wildlife using cameras and keeping watch over the boundaries
between their forest and the neighboring timber concession.10.
Wehea Dayak Society has been holding
................................................, and this has been
a way to preserve their culture for the next generation by the TNCs
support. (regular cultural festivals) Louiza/21
