Kalipke worries over Sakai survival

Haidir Anwar Tanjung The Jakarta Post Pekanbaru, Riau

Few Indonesians are interested in the diverse number of tribes living in the country's hinterland, much less in the origins of the Malay dialect, which is the base of Indonesia's national language.

But that is not the case with Hans Kalipke, an 85-year-old German who has lived for more than 17 years among the Sakai tribespeople in a remote area of Riau province.

Though well-advanced into his golden years, this anthropologist still enthusiastically studies the nomadic forest lifestyle of the Sakai tribe in Bengkalis regency.

"Living with this tribe has proven to be an experience that is bittersweet. It is saddening that the Sakai do not receive proper attention and recognition from their own country," Kalipke told The Jakarta Post.

After being a part of the Sakai community for 17 years, Kalipke is now a familiar figure among them, having become part of their family. In that considerable period of time, Kalipke has succeeded in completing a Sakai-English-German dictionary.

Kalipke's dictionary is a by-product of an extensive research project focusing on the origins of this tribe in Indonesia. This research involves tasks that are very rarely of interest to the majority of people.

Kalipke hopes his research, which is supported by the University of Hamburg, will solve many questions about the Sakai tribe, and more importantly help uncover the origins of the Malay language.

"The origin of the Malay language is not yet known, and its discovery is one of the aims of my research," says Kalipke, a widower.

Kalipke was assisted in the creation of this 390-page dictionary by Mohammad Agar Kalipke, a Sakai native who completed his degree in Austronesian Language and Literature at the University of Hamburg in 2000.

"We have been compiling this dictionary together since 1989; he (Mohammad Agar Kalipke) is one of the many Sakai natives who have been of great help," Kalipke said.

In the process of compiling the dictionary, Kalipke used about 5,000 pages of notes as well as about 70 cassettes recording his findings about the Sakai. The contents of the dictionary are highly valuable and reliable, as the majority of the words were derived from the Sakai's everyday activities. Kalipke admitted it was difficult to translate the Sakai into English as well as German, and include all three languages into one dictionary.

He also realizes the limited interest Indonesians have in his work, even in Riau, home of the Sakai tribe. Because of this, the University of Hamburg is funding the printing of only 500 copies of the dictionary, of which only six are available in Indonesia.

These six copies were distributed to the speakers of the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Ministry of National Education -- all in Jakarta.

In Riau, copies were given to Riau Governor Saleh Djasit and Kalipke's colleague Dr. Tabrani Rab.

"So it is obvious that my work is not valued in Indonesia, perhaps because it is not considered important." says Kalipke.

In contrast, the dictionary is highly appreciated in the world of anthropology. According to Kalipke, his dictionary is found at various research centers in Germany, as well as at the University of Hamburg. It is held in high esteem by anthropologists throughout the world.

The reason for this is that anthropologists are trying to gather together all their research on native tribal dialects and languages. From there, the origins of the Malay language hopefully will be found. The completion of Kalipke's dictionary is a single link in a long chain, the completion of which will enable anthropologists to link languages across the globe.

"Therefore, my work is not yet finished," says Kalipke.

While relating his experiences, Kalipke tells of his shock at initially not being allowed to conduct his research in Indonesia. In order to gain authorization, he was obliged to seek permission from LIPI.

"In my country, any research concerning native tribes is given free rein. It is a much different case in Indonesia," Kalipke says.

He disapproves of the Sakai tribe being categorized as an "alienated" tribe. He believes there is no such thing as an alienated tribe, just different dwelling places.

"I disagree with the notion of the Sakai being an alienated, distant tribe simply because they depend on the forest for their livelihood. We must be careful not to be trapped by easily misunderstood terminologies," he says.

In addition to studying the living habits of the Sakai, the dictionary also explains that the Sakai are forest inhabitants who are in serious danger of losing their forest. Their future has been jeopardized in the last 10 years due to the alarmingly rapid rate of deforestation.

Government policy states that all forests are government property, and large companies are given licenses to exploit the forest on a large scale, usually with no consideration for the welfare of indigenous tribes.

"With the destruction of the forest comes the extinction of the Sakai's way of life," says Kalipke.