Kalipke worries over Sakai survival<\/p>\n
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau<\/p>\n
Few Indonesians are interested in the diverse number of tribes
\nliving in the country's hinterland, much less in the origins of
\nthe Malay dialect, which is the base of Indonesia's national
\nlanguage.<\/p>\n
But that is not the case with Hans Kalipke, an 85-year-old
\nGerman who has lived for more than 17 years among the Sakai
\ntribespeople in a remote area of Riau province.<\/p>\n
Though well-advanced into his golden years, this
\nanthropologist still enthusiastically studies the nomadic forest
\nlifestyle of the Sakai tribe in Bengkalis regency.<\/p>\n
\"Living with this tribe has proven to be an experience that is
\nbittersweet. It is saddening that the Sakai do not receive proper
\nattention and recognition from their own country,\" Kalipke told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
After being a part of the Sakai community for 17 years,
\nKalipke is now a familiar figure among them, having become part
\nof their family. In that considerable period of time, Kalipke has
\nsucceeded in completing a Sakai-English-German dictionary.<\/p>\n
Kalipke's dictionary is a by-product of an extensive research
\nproject focusing on the origins of this tribe in Indonesia. This
\nresearch involves tasks that are very rarely of interest to the
\nmajority of people.<\/p>\n
Kalipke hopes his research, which is supported by the
\nUniversity of Hamburg, will solve many questions about the Sakai
\ntribe, and more importantly help uncover the origins of the Malay
\nlanguage.<\/p>\n
\"The origin of the Malay language is not yet known, and its
\ndiscovery is one of the aims of my research,\" says Kalipke, a
\nwidower.<\/p>\n
Kalipke was assisted in the creation of this 390-page
\ndictionary by Mohammad Agar Kalipke, a Sakai native who completed
\nhis degree in Austronesian Language and Literature at the
\nUniversity of Hamburg in 2000.<\/p>\n
\"We have been compiling this dictionary together since 1989;
\nhe (Mohammad Agar Kalipke) is one of the many Sakai natives who
\nhave been of great help,\" Kalipke said.<\/p>\n
In the process of compiling the dictionary, Kalipke used about
\n5,000 pages of notes as well as about 70 cassettes recording his
\nfindings about the Sakai. The contents of the dictionary are
\nhighly valuable and reliable, as the majority of the words were
\nderived from the Sakai's everyday activities. Kalipke admitted it
\nwas difficult to translate the Sakai into English as well as
\nGerman, and include all three languages into one dictionary.<\/p>\n
He also realizes the limited interest Indonesians have in his
\nwork, even in Riau, home of the Sakai tribe. Because of this, the
\nUniversity of Hamburg is funding the printing of only 500 copies
\nof the dictionary, of which only six are available in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
These six copies were distributed to the speakers of the House
\nof Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly, the
\nIndonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Ministry of
\nNational Education -- all in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
In Riau, copies were given to Riau Governor Saleh Djasit and
\nKalipke's colleague Dr. Tabrani Rab.<\/p>\n
\"So it is obvious that my work is not valued in Indonesia,
\nperhaps because it is not considered important.\" says Kalipke.<\/p>\n
In contrast, the dictionary is highly appreciated in the world
\nof anthropology. According to Kalipke, his dictionary is found at
\nvarious research centers in Germany, as well as at the University
\nof Hamburg. It is held in high esteem by anthropologists
\nthroughout the world.<\/p>\n
The reason for this is that anthropologists are trying to
\ngather together all their research on native tribal dialects and
\nlanguages. From there, the origins of the Malay language
\nhopefully will be found. The completion of Kalipke's dictionary
\nis a single link in a long chain, the completion of which will
\nenable anthropologists to link languages across the globe.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, my work is not yet finished,\" says Kalipke.<\/p>\n
While relating his experiences, Kalipke tells of his shock at
\ninitially not being allowed to conduct his research in Indonesia.
\nIn order to gain authorization, he was obliged to seek permission
\nfrom LIPI.<\/p>\n
\"In my country, any research concerning native tribes is given
\nfree rein. It is a much different case in Indonesia,\" Kalipke
\nsays.<\/p>\n
He disapproves of the Sakai tribe being categorized as an
\n\"alienated\" tribe. He believes there is no such thing as an
\nalienated tribe, just different dwelling places.<\/p>\n
\"I disagree with the notion of the Sakai being an alienated,
\ndistant tribe simply because they depend on the forest for their
\nlivelihood. We must be careful not to be trapped by easily
\nmisunderstood terminologies,\" he says.<\/p>\n
In addition to studying the living habits of the Sakai, the
\ndictionary also explains that the Sakai are forest inhabitants
\nwho are in serious danger of losing their forest. Their future
\nhas been jeopardized in the last 10 years due to the alarmingly
\nrapid rate of deforestation.<\/p>\n
Government policy states that all forests are government
\nproperty, and large companies are given licenses to exploit the
\nforest on a large scale, usually with no consideration for the
\nwelfare of indigenous tribes.<\/p>\n
\"With the destruction of the forest comes the extinction of
\nthe Sakai's way of life,\" says Kalipke.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kalipke-worries-over-sakai-survival-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}