Indigenous people marginalized at Wasur National Park<\/p>\n
R. Kristiawan, Contributor, Merauke, South Papua<\/p>\n
Wasur National Park is essential for the well-being of Merauke,
\nSouth Papua.<\/p>\n
Located 13 kilometers from the city, Rawa Biru, the 10,400
\n(checking units) area of open water in the center of the park is
\nalso a water source of the city's people. The national park is
\nvery rich in terms of biodiversity.<\/p>\n
Melaleuca eucalyptus, savanna, mangrove and lowland forest can
\nbe seen. In the park, 390 animal species, including 80 mammal
\nspecies, are to be found. Tribes numbering some 2,550 people live
\nin 14 villages. They have existed for hundreds of years in the
\npark, surviving on simple planting and hunting.<\/p>\n
Demographic changes in Merauke have endangered their
\nlivelihoods, as modern hunting and illegal logging pose a threat
\nto Papua's richest park in term of biodiversity.<\/p>\n
The park is very beautiful indeed. After turning left from the
\nMerauke road, a very rich lowland forest can be seen. Eucalyptus
\ntrees stand tall everywhere. Many bird species, like cockatoos
\nand parrots screech loudly.<\/p>\n
Between the bushes, white ants build their mounds from soil.
\nUnlike Javanese white ants, which live underground, the white
\nants of Wasur build their nests like towers. They can reach four
\nmeters in height. You can find the same thing in Australia.<\/p>\n
There are many animal species in the park, including birds,
\ndeer, kangaroos, wild pigs and reptiles. Lying east of the Wallace
\nLine, Papua has no tigers. The main predators in the ecosystem
\nare eagles, crocodiles, snakes and humans.<\/p>\n
The tribes usually hunt deer, kangaroos and wild boars to
\nsatisfy their protein needs. Present-day economic realities mean
\nthey also now sell the animals since they are the only products
\nwith a high value that they have to trade.<\/p>\n
The local tribes hunt using sustainable methods. At certain
\ntimes, people are forbidden from hunting in specified areas.
\nPoles, to which coconut leaves are tied, signify forbidden areas.<\/p>\n
The system, known as sasi, is aimed at providing an
\nopportunity for animals to breed. The system has proved itself
\ncapable of saving animals from extinction.<\/p>\n
The demographic situation in the area has changed rapidly. The
\nNew Order government's transmigration policy has created a new
\ndemographic structure, in which Papuans are in the minority in
\nMerauke now.<\/p>\n
Javanese are in the majority (40 percent), followed by
\nMakassarese (20 percent), and the Manadonese, Maduranese,
\nAcehnese and Chinese (10 percent). The indigenous peoples of
\nMerauke account for only 30 percent of the population. The total
\npopulation of Merauke is around 100,000 people.<\/p>\n
There are no significant ethnic conflicts in Merauke. But the
\ninflux has had serious consequences for the sustainability of the
\nWasur National Park. Non-indigenous people have adopted new
\nhunting methods. They employ modern weaponry, not just bows and
\narrows as the indigenous people used.<\/p>\n
According to many sources, modern hunters obtain their weapons
\nand ammunition illegally, sometimes even from the police. They
\nusually ignore the sasi system. They also ignore hunting quotas.<\/p>\n
As a result, there has been a significant decrease in the
\nanimal population.<\/p>\n
Kristianus Dimar, 70, a leader of the Kanume tribe, said that
\nit was now very difficult to obtain kangaroo, deer or wild boar.
\n\"It was once very easy for a group of hunters to get five
\nanimals; now it is difficult even to get one,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The tribes usually consume the meat or sell it in the market.
\nThey make Rp 10,000 for a kilogram of kangaroo meat, and Rp
\n15,000 for a kilo of deer meat.<\/p>\n
They use the money to buy rice, sugar, coffee and soap. They
\nneed Rp 400.000 to cover the monthly cost of living of a family.
\nWhen there were no modern hunters, they could live easily. But
\nnow it is hard for them to make money. They also have to eat more
\nrubber than meat, since meat is very hard to get.<\/p>\n
For their carbohydrate intake, they consume rubber (checking)
\nand sago flour. But the damage caused to the forest has left sago
\ndifficult to find. \"I feel full when I eat sago. I don't feel
\nthat way when I eat rice,\" said Kristianus.<\/p>\n
He and the members of his tribe are unable to do much to stop
\nthe illegal modern hunting methods as they have only bows and
\narrows while the hunters have automatic weapons. For large
\npredators, modern hunting has also resulted in a lack of prey.<\/p>\n
Besides ecological damage, modern hunting also threatens the
\nlives of the indigenous people. Simple agriculture and hunting
\nare the only skills they have. Such skills have sustained them
\nfor hundreds of years without modern intervention.<\/p>\n
The modern economic system has marginalized them since the
\nthings they have to sell have a low value. The animals they hunt
\nhave, thus far, been the most expensive products they have to
\nsell. Besides hunting, they also make money by selling forest
\nproducts like papaya, oranges and candlenuts.<\/p>\n
Most local adults are elementary school graduates. Their
\nrelative lack of education leaves them unable to join the modern
\nbureaucracy.<\/p>\n
They are smart and their grammatical skills in Bahasa
\nIndonesia are very good, much better than those of many Javanese
\nvillagers. But so-called modernization in many aspects of their
\nlives leaves them marginalized.<\/p>\n
From being hunter-gatherers, they have been forced to leave
\ntheir homes and try to find their way within the world of trade
\nand industry.<\/p>\n
This is gross injustice, as Mgr. Nicolaus Adi Seputra MSC, the
\nArchbishop of Merauke, notes. Modernization represents a point of
\nno return, and this has greatly prejudiced the Wasur people.<\/p>\n
Protection and appreciation for the local culture and ecology
\nwould be an appropriate way of liberating the Wasur people in
\ntheir own homeland.<\/p>\n
The writer is a researcher with the SET Foundation and lecturer
\nat Atma Jaya Catholic University, Jakarta<\/p>",
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