Faithfully Guarding Nature on Haruku Island
Many environmental saviors have fallen to earthly temptations. Eliza Kissya is one of the rare caretakers of the environment who has survived. At the age of 70, he remains committed to protecting nature on Haruku Island, Central Maluku regency, Maluku.
From his yard in Haruku village on Haruku Island on Friday, Feb. 1, Eliza chanted some rhymes accompanied by ukulele. The poem he had written was mostly about nature and his own life as a guardian of nature, called kewang in the local language.
For the past 40 years, Eliza has been the chief kewang continuing his family\'s legacy. One of his poems reads: "Open up the garden on the edge of a cliff, let\'s grow dragon fruit/let’s live in poverty, the ancestral heritage must be maintained..."
Eliza is a sixth generation chief kewang. According to local customs, the chief kewang should come from his family.
Since childhood, his parents considered Eliza worthy of becoming the next generation of kewang. Their assessment was based on Eliza\'s concern for protecting nature even in small ways like planting trees. This motivated his parents from preventing Eliza from taking part in a primary school examination.
His parents were worried that if Eliza passed primary school, he would have a chance to continue his studies in the city. They wanted Eliza to stay in the village to become the chief kewang, who has the duty to protect the marine, terrestrial, air and customary values of the community. The waters in front of Haruku village are now rich in fish.
The residents involved in “fish bombing” have been arrested. Bagan (fish traps) are prohibited. Fishing on the coast and in estuaries and rivers is also prohibited for certain periods of time. This prohibition is called sasi in the local language.
Once a year, the fishing ban is lifted and locals are allowed to harvest the fish. Before being harvested, the kewang usually holds a traditional ceremony to herd fish moving from the sea into the river. Thousands of people from outside Haruku Island are also allowed to come and join the fish harvest.
The fishing season, which takes place every September or October, has become a tourist attraction. In addition to protecting fish, Eliza collects turtle eggs on the coast to be hatched and then released.
At the end of April 2019, he released dozens of sea turtles. Sea turtle fishing is prohibited in the coastal area of Haruku village.
To protect the forest, kewang also closely monitor the cutting down of sago trees that belong to the village community. Sago is the main staple food in Maluku. Similarly, fruit must not be picked before they are completely ripe.
Tree felling is prohibited. For birds, Eliza has also built a breeding ground for Gosong birds. Many birds lay eggs around the yard of his house. Eggs are then buried under the sand for 40 to 70 days. After the eggs hatch, he nurtures the baby birds and then releases them into the wild. If residents find Gosong eggs in other places, he will buy them then bury the eggs under the sand until they hatch. He buys the eggs Rp 5,000 each.
His persistence in protecting the environment has gained appreciation. In 1985, Eliza was awarded the national Kalpataru environmental award for the category of environmental savior. In addition, he was awarded the Satyalencana development award in 1999, the Siwalima Award for environmental protection from the Maluku provincial government in 2018 and many other environmental awards.
In social life, Eliza seeks preserve local languages that are starting to disappear through a number of activities such as by organizing competitions for fairy tales and rhymes in local languages. The yard of his house is a gathering place for children. His attention to cultural and language preservation saw the cultural department of the Maluku provincial office award him for being a literary activist in 2017.
In the same year, the Education and Culture Ministry also gave an Eliza an appreciation award as a traditional arts maestro. "I do not work to win awards. The appreciation I receive further motivates me to continue working consistently," he said.
Challenge
Being a preserver of the environment in resource-rich areas is not an easy matter. Earthly temptations come and go. He also often receives threats. His opposition to a planned gold mine on Haruku was the most memorable experience for Eliza. In 1995, a gold company began to establish its influence on Haruku, an island of only 150 sq kilometers.
I cannot choose now. There will be time later. Let time decide.
Eliza led the movement to oppose the mine. The struggle at that time was not easy because the company was supported by the government. He did it with limited access to information, unlike the current movement that can be carried out through cyberspace. Thanks to the support of a number of parties, the movement was successful. After two years, the company finally left. "Nowadays, the challenge of being an environmental preserver is even greater. There are many temptations. Sometimes, people easily fall after being given a bottle of alcohol or invited to stay in a luxury hotel. All can disappear in an instant,” he said.
At his old age, Eliza has to choose one of his three sons to replace him. "I cannot choose now. There will be time later. Let time decide," he said.
A love of the motherland and a dedication to preserving nature and culture flow in Eliza’s blood. He seems to have learned the way of life of the Gosong birds, which always return to the place where they hatched. The Gosong birds are also loyal. If one dies, his or her partner will not find another partner. "It looks like Gogong birds are more loyal than humans," he said.
Eliza Kissya
Born: Haruku, Maluku, March 12, 1949
Education: Primary School (not graduated)
Award: Kalpataru 1985