Modern lifestylethreatens Wana tribespeople
Erik W., The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi
Members of isolated communities, wherever they are, live modestly and have little in the way of luxury. They do not enjoy the comforts of paved roads, luxurious houses, mineral water, electricity, hospitals, satellite dishes or the Internet.
They are familiar with simple homes, usually in or among trees, eat cassava, drink river water and go to shamans for medical treatment.
These are the everyday living conditions of the isolated Wana tribe in North Bungku subdistrict, Morowali regency, Central Sulawesi.
"Wana" means people living in the forest. Because it is their home, the Wana tribe protects the forest. The forest must not be haphazardly cleared away, trees must not be simply felled, rattan and resin must not be taken.
There are about 2,000 members of the Wana tribe living in the 225,000-hectare Morowali nature reserve, where farming and hunting are part of their daily routine.
Behind this modesty, the times are constantly changing with outsiders encroaching on the forests, mountains and even the homes of the Wana.
A businessman from the town of Luwuk in Banggai regency once came to distribute rice, clothes, salted fish and radios to hundreds of Wana tribespeople.
Strangely enough, many of them preferred the fish to the radios. It seemed that they didn't understand the radio broadcasts in the Indonesian language.
The businessman tried to persuaded the people to move to the lower plains as he wanted to build a road through the Morowali nature reserve.
The project, which would have disturbed the peace of the Wana tribe and damaged the forest, was blocked thanks to pressure from NGOs.
Members of the Wana tribe now constantly find themselves surrounded by material temptations. Radio-cassette players, jeans and watches are items they apparently now need to accompany them on long days in the forest.
Iwan Sumantri, a researcher from Hasanuddin University in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, who studied the Wana between 2000 and 2001, said the tribe were regarded as hunters and gatherers.
They depend a lot on their surroundings. Because of that, any damage to the environment threatens them.
They believe in spirits that protect the land. Therefore, any damage to the environment or any change in the natural cycle is seen as the anger of these guardians.
In order to stop or prevent the guardians' anger, the tribespeople usually present offerings when clearing the forest to open new farmland.
However, such rituals are now only known and practiced by a small part of this community.
City life has begun to penetrate the land of the Wana. The desire to possess modern goods is great, putting the people at risk of becoming indebted to traders.
Consequently, the Wana people have become inclined to damage the forest to make quick money to pay off their debts.
Thus, their presence in the Morowali nature reserve has come to be seen as a threat to the tropical forest rich in flora and fauna.
Jabar Lahadji, director of the Morowali Friendship Foundation, which helps educate the Wana tribe, said there were concerns about the impact of the increasingly modern lifestyle being adopted by the Wana tribe.
But the foundation continues to remind them not to damage the forest, he added.
There has been a campaign aimed at protecting turtles and coral reefs, tourist guide training for Wana youths, educating women about child care and providing them with handicraft skills and various other activities.
Jabar said the Wana tribe and the Morowali nature reserve were tourist attractions and valuable research objects. Every year, domestic tourists and researchers visit the forest.
The phenomena of modern influences on the Wana tribe should be studied. Members of the tribe have the right to better lives and the conveniences of the modern world.
But the problem is whether the Wana tribe can progress without damaging the forest?