Local Wisdom of Baduy Community and Kampung Kuta for Forest Conservation:

A Preliminary Research

Ali AkbarDepartment of Archaeology

Faculty of HumanitiesUniversity of Indonesia

International Climate Change Workshop R h P i iti d P li D l ton Research Priorities and Policy Development

Depok, 19 Maret 2010

INTRODUCTION

The destruction of an environment, in particular forest,h b f t d t ll blhas now been fast and uncontrollable.

An NGO once released the number of Indonesian forestry lost caused by various problems. In one minute, the loss of the forestry in Indonesia is equal to

4-time football yard.

How to solve the problem?

V i ff d h b d t t t f t i d th t it b d f thVarious effords have been done to protect forest in order that it can be used for the present needs and heritage for the future.

One of the effords is by implementing the high values which have been done by several iti i I d i d thi i d ff ti t th f tcommunities in Indonesia and this is proved effective to conserve the forest.

Baduy and Kampung Kuta community

LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIANUMBER 41 YEAR 1999 ABOUT FORESTRY

Article 50

2. Each person was given the area of business permits, …, business permits the utilization of forest wood and not wood are prohibited from doing activities thatutilization of forest wood and not wood, …are prohibited from doing activities that cause damage to the forest.

3. Each person is prohibited: b chop forest area;b. chop forest area; c. perform logging of trees in the forest area with a radius or distance of up to:

1. 500 (five hundred) meters from the edge reservoir or lake; 2. 200 (two hundred) meters from the edge of the water right and left in the river; 3 100 (one hundred) meters from the left and right river bank;3. 100 (one hundred) meters from the left and right river bank; 5. 2 (two) times the depth of the canyon cliff edge;

d. burn the forest; e. chop down trees or harvest or collect forest products in the forest with no rights or

have permission from the authorized officer;have permission from the authorized officer;f. receive, buy or sell, receive an exchange, store, or a forest products that are known

or suspected should come from the forest area to be taken or are not valid; k. bring tools commonly used to cut, chop or trees in the forest area without the

permission of the authorized officer;permission of the authorized officer; m. remove, take, carry away and vegetation and wildlife that are not protected by laws

that came from the forest area without permission from the official authorities.

Article 511. To guarantee the protection of forests, the forestry officials to the particular nature of

their work in accordance with the powers granted the police special. 2 Officials of the police special powers referred to in paragraph (1) is authorized to:2. Officials of the police special powers referred to in paragraph (1) is authorized to:

a. the patrol / patrolling in the forest area or area law; b. check the letters or documents relating to the transportation of forestry in the forest

area or territory law; c have been receiving reports about the occurrence of a crime related to the forestc. have been receiving reports about the occurrence of a crime related to the forest

and forest products; d. seek information and evidence of a crime related to the forest and forest products; e. caught in the hand, must arrest the suspect to be submitted to the authorities, and f to report and sign a report on the occurrence of a crime related to the forest andf. to report and sign a report on the occurrence of a crime related to the forest and

forest products.

Article 78Whoever intentionally against without permission from the government referred to articleWhoever intentionally against without permission from the government referred to article ...... paragraph .... punishment prison forever 15 (fiveteen) years and or a fine up to the high Rp5.000.000.000 (five billion rupiah)

Research Location

Baduy

Desa KanekesDesa Kanekes Kecamatan LeuwidamarKabupaten Lebak

Baduy Kampung Kuta

Propinsi Banten

Baduy Kampung Kuta Kampung Kuta

Dusun Kuta, Desa Karang P i lPaninggal Kecamatan Tambak SariKabupaten CiamispPropinsi Jawa Barat

Baduy• Sometimes Baduy community also mentions himself as a

K k b it i i th Vill K kperson Kanekes, because it is in the Village Kanekes.• There are about 8,000 Baduy. They are devided into two

groups: (1) Outer Baduy (2) Inner Baduy. Each village in the Inner Baduy led by a Puun (the supreme leader).

• The usual dresses wear by Inner Baduy more dominatedThe usual dresses wear by Inner Baduy more dominated by the white-white. Meanwhile, Outer Baduy more wears a black turban with a blue batik figured.

• The Baduy’s sacred responsibility is to guard the enviroment and the spiritual heritage of their ancestors p gfrom change. To maintain balance and harmony they must live a very simple lifestyle, being moderate in all things and changing nothing. Their purpose in being is to pray for the benefit of the people of the world. Here are p y p psome Baduy sayings which reflect their philosophy of life:

– Mountains could not be destroyed valleys could not be ruined.

– Traditional laws should not be broken taboos could– Traditional laws should not be broken, taboos could not be changed.

– Long could not be short, short could not be lengthened.

Baduy

• The Baduy religion is called Sunda Wiwitan (early Sunda). Followers worship their ancestors. The highest god is Batara Tunggal (Holy One) and their holiest place is Sasaka Domas This is where theholiest place is Sasaka Domas. This is where the souls of the dead will be united with Batara Tunggaland the ancestors.

• They keep the nature with doctrine (pikukuh) “lojor teu di t d k t di b ”menang dipotong, pondok teu menang disambung.”

That doctrine means that they should run their life straight, including to preserve the nature, no more and no less.

Kampung Kuta

• There is a legend about “The first man in Kampung Kuta: Amurama Raksabima Kalijaga.” The name means “Mother and Father that preserve the world.”

• People in Kampung Kuta said, Prabu Siliwangi from G l h Ki d (500 AD) t thi l d t tGaluh Kingdom (500 AD) come to this place and want to build a royal palace, but it is cancelled.

• Although it can not be happened, the remains of the material are still exist.

• They still believe that the remains as a forbidden orThey still believe that the remains as a forbidden or secret places. One of them is Sacred Forest (leuweung karamat).

• Nowadays, people in Kampung Kuta are Moslem and there is a mosque in this village.K K t i l l t ifi ti d th i l• Kampung Kuta is a rural electrification and there is also paved road in this village. People use mobile phone to communicate each other.

Sacred Forest (leuweung karamat)

One way to respect the forest is by implementingsome taboos for those who want to enterthe sacred forest. Some taboos are as follows:

• It is forbidden for us to wear sandal, • It is forbidden for us to wear jewelry,• It is forbidden for us to wear black clothesIt is forbidden for us to wear black clothes• It is forbidden for us to defecate, urinate, and spit• It is forbidden for us to bring electronical appliances,• It is forbidden for us to take away anything from the forest

It i f bidd f t t th t• It is forbidden for us to cut the trees• It is forbidden for the government officer to enter the forest• It is forbidden for the woman having their period to enter the forest• It is forbidden for us to enter the forest, except on Monday and Fridayp y y• Entering the forest with only Kuncen’s (the supreme leader) permission

Kampung KutaThe policy to make a decision on some areas as sacred forests leads the forests inThe policy to make a decision on some areas as sacred forests leads the forests in

Kampung Kuta well preserved.The punishment for those who break the taboos is that they can get unlucky life, for example

sickness or loss of official position. There is no regulation on fine or prisonment

Piala Kalpataru 2002

President of Republic of Indonesiahas awarded the community a Kalpataru

Honor as the Environmental KeeperHonor as the Environmental Keeper

ConclusionConclusion

• The communities of Baduy and Kampung Kuta have agreed on forbidden or sacred forests. These agreements are tightly followed by the communities to respect their ancestors and have become traditions taught from generation to generationancestors and have become traditions taught from generation to generation.

• Although the agreements are not written, these traditional ”laws” are more really obeyed by the communities than the government’s law.

• This research discoveres that the communities implementing their taboo regulations do not know the government’s regulation, president’s, and minister’s regulations

ConclusionTh ’ l i i l ffi i l i l d i i f• The government’s rule or positive rules are not efficiently implemented in preserving forests.

• The research shows that a specific law implemented in a limited area is more effective than positive law with more general coverage.

• Therefore, the taboos or societal law as implemented by Baduy and Kampung Kuta need to , p y y p gbe further analyses and this can be implemented in other societies as these have been proved by Baduy and Kampung Kuta.