Forests for Dayak tribes are not just economic assets. More than that, forests are a symbol of unity and spirituality, a place that preserves historical value, and a space to transfer knowledge among generations.
Sembolon, 44, a Dayak Tae resident in Tae village, Balai Batang Tarang district, Sanggau regency, West Kalimantan, was walking in the forest in the village. He had with him a container of rattan knitting, which is locally called ngkalakng, on his arm.When he arrived at a local fruit tree called mpuak, Sembolon climbed to harvest the fruit, then put it in his ngkalakng. The mpuak fruit is round with a diameter of 4-5 centimeters, brownish red skin with a white inside resembling mangosteen, and tastes sweet.
Moreover, in the forest there are also rambai fruit, the skin and inside of which resembles duku. There are also durian and mangosteen.
Besides fruits, there are also medicinal plants, such as patah kemudi, which treats fever, abdominal pain and swelling. There is also kumis kucing (Orthosiphon aristatus) for urinary tract and kidney health. The bark of the local fruits are also used as medicine. Rambai fruit bars, for example, is for eye pain.
Locals call the forest tembawang, an area in a customary forest that has been historically used as lading and inhabited by peopleThe area has now become a forest because it is conserved with biodiversity, fruits, wood, rubber and medicinal plants.
In the past, their ancestors farmed and lived nomadically.
Tembawang was then passed down from generation to generation, but some were communally owned by all the people in a village. The village with 440 families has an area of approximately 100 hectares of tembawang.
"We are the seventh generation to inherit it. Tembawang is shared with each relative so that it is easier to take care of. Although divided to make it easier for them to care for, overall the status remains to be shared," Sembolon said.
Every generation that inherits the tembawang cultivates it with new plants. Especially during the fruit season, fruit seeds are sown in various corners of the forest so that new plants grow again.
"Local fruit harvest here can sustain the economy. During the harvest season of local fruits last December, sales profits could reach tens of millions [of rupiah]," Sembolon said.
Asep, 77, another Tae resident, owns 5 hectares of tembawang. Each fruit season, his fruit harvests are in abundance.
Symbol of unity
Tembawang is a symbol of unity. They know who has lived and farmed there in each generation. During the fruit season, families living in various regions are asked to come to the village to enjoy fruit together. Families have a shared right to access resources in it. Here tembawang unites families.
If there are family members who sell tembawang secretly, for example, to a corporation so that its function is converted into a plantation, it will trigger a split in the family. Their relationship will be torn apart.
Director of the Institute of Dayakology, Krissusandi Gunui’, said that every Dayak sub-group had its own terms to refer to tembawang. In Ketapang there are some who call it dohas (Dayak Pesaguan, Kayong, and Gerunggang) and dahas (Dayak Jalai). The age of tembawang generally reaches hundreds of years.
Tembawang also provides community needs that enable them to live independently. Tembawang becomes a space to pass on knowledge as well. There the transfer of intergenerational knowledge is carried out, for example, in relation to natural medicines.
Moreover, forests are also part of spirituality. During the fruit season, the mpaya fruit ritual is held in the village, namely as a thanksgiving ceremony for the fruit harvest. Tae village is an example of a region that can maintain its customary land.
Saved
There have been numerous efforts over the years to protect customary territory in Tae village, including tembawang. Empowerment of Kalimantan Natural Resources Management of Pancur Kasih secretary Richardus Giring said preserving customary forests, including in Tae village, was not easy.
The community has proposed the ratification of customary forests since 2007/2008. The Dayakology Institute, along with other members of the Pancur Kasih Empowerment Movement ,took part in the process. In 2011-2014 the participatory mapping started. Then, in 2014 the participatory maps were submitted to the Sanggau regency government.
Later, the regency government issued a draft regional regulation on the protection and recognition of the Sanggau customary community in 2017. Customary communities were recognized through a decree.
When the decree was issued, then they made a request to the Environment and Forestry Ministry so that the Tae region would be designated as customary forests in 2017. After going through verification, President Joko Widodo handed over in 2018 a decree of the customary forest of Tae village with an area of 2,189 hectares, including tembawang.
Not only that, at the same time, another decree of customary forests was handed over, namely 651 hectares of Tembawang Tampun Juah customary forest, Sanggau. Then, 100 hectares of Pikul customary forest, Bengkayang regency.
Even though there are those that could be saved, many areas in West Kalimantan lost their tembawang and customary forests mostly due to land conversion. The social relations of the people whose customary lands are disappearing are slowly changing.
They start to lose their social capital. Many families become hostile when a part of their land is sold by one family to investors. The forest as a unifying tool is gone. The inheritance of intergenerational knowledge is cut off.
They were previously independent, when during the fruit season they could just picking by themselves. Now, many people who do not have their own land eventually become "coolies" in their own land by becoming plantation laborers.