Makassar. Forest and Society Research Group (FSRG) of the Faculty of Forestry Unhas in collaboration with the Student Activity Unit of the International Forestry Students Association Local Committee of Hasanuddin University (UKM IFSA LC Unhas) again held an online discussion discussing the position of indigenous communities in forestry development. The activity took place starting at 14.00 WITA virtually via zoom meeting and connected directly via the Forest and Society YouTube channel, Wednesday (30/11/2022).
Present as resource person was Emban Ibnurusyd Mas’ud, S.Hut., M.P. (Lecturer at the Faculty of Forestry, Unhas), Martha Doq (Dayak Bahau Indigenous Community and Founder of Nurani Perempuan Samarinda) and Hilman Fahmi (IFSA LC, Lambung Mangkurat University).
Emban Ibnurusyd Mas’ud presented material with the theme “Indonesia, Indigenous Peoples and Forests”. In the material, it was stated that the government’s view in recognizing the existence of traditional communities is by looking at the history of the community, community associations, the formation of traditional institutions in the form of traditional ruling apparatus, customary territories and customary forests, as well as customary legal institutions and instruments, especially customary courts and collective assets. /traditional objects.
“In describing the current existence of indigenous communities, the government looks at the history of these indigenous communities. “The indigenous people of To Manurung (South Sulawesi), locally called Roa, are one of the indigenous communities recognized by the government because they have history and stories,” explained Emban.
On the same occasion, Martha Doq (Dayak Bahau Indigenous Community and Founder of Nurani Perempuan Samarinda) delivered material with the theme “Forest Caregiver”. The material explains how indigenous peoples manage forests because indigenous peoples are the best forest caretakers and have a culture that continues to be maintained. Forests and culture have a close bond. If the forest is lost, their culture will also be lost.
“Based on the facts on the ground that we got from the indigenous people we accompanied, they said that the land is our heart, the forest is our breath and water is our blood,” explained Martha Doq.
Martha Doq further said that the Bahau Umaq Suling Long Isun Dayak tribe is located in Long Pahangai District, Mahakam Ulu Regency, this tribe has the principle that losing the forest will lose their ancestral culture.
The activity went smoothly until 16.00 WITA and ended with a discussion session.
