Kalipke worries over Sakai survival

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.