Jambi forest nomads running out of space
Jambi forest nomads running out of space
JAKARTA (JP): A Jambi Social Services Office official is
warning that time is running out for the indigenous nomadic
people who inhabit the province's forests because their
traditional forest habitat is shrinking rapidly.
Imam Achmadi, head of the Social Services Office, said that
the Kubu people who roam the forest lead a unique life in that
they move each time a member of their family dies.
But with much of the forest they inhabit being cleared for
residential areas or being parceled out to timber companies, the
Kubu people could soon run out of space to live in, Imam was
quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.
The Kubu tribe is one of three indigenous peoples still living
in Jambi. The other two are the Talang Mamak, who also live in
the forest but are more permanently settled, and the Bajau
people, who live on the coast.
The interests of the three tribes, with a combined population
of 10,480 people in 2,637 families scattered throughout the
region, are handled by the Social Services Office.
They live in 52 different localities, but the government can
only establish routine contacts, to provide assistance, with 27
of the communities.
Imam said the government is having difficulty encouraging the
Kubu people to settle in one area because they are holding on
strongly to their age old tradition of continually moving from
one area to another.
He fears for them because "the size of the Jambi forest is not
only limited but also declining," he said.
He also feared that the Kubu people could one day become
involved in territorial conflicts with concessionaires.
The government has launched a study on the culture and
traditions of the Kubu people so that it can better handle their
affairs, Imam said. "Handling the Kubu people requires a
different approach and takes a longer time," he said.
Jambi province has already designated a total area of 28,703
hectares in Bukit-12 in the Sarolangun regency for the Kubu
people. It is estimated that 1,000 families live in the area,
which is part of the protected forests.
Located about 60 kilometers from the regency town of Bangko,
the area is reserved solely for the Kubu people so that they can
carry on with their traditional life style. (emb)