One of the easternmost islands in Indonesia, Papua is known by many names. To some, it is referred to as ‘the heaven that fell to Earth’. Anyone who has visited the island and seen its beautiful landscapes or witnessed its wildlife will testify to the accuracy of this description. Integral to the preservation of this heavenly place is the wisdom of Indigenous peoples.
“Ang binhi kinabuhi (Seed is life),” said, a Higaonon resident of Baungon, Bukidnon.
The Karen people are among the Indigenous Peoples from Northern Thailand. Their relationship with the forest is an important part of their identity. Their political, social, and economic relationships and activities are deeply attached to and dependent on the forest, their environment.
“Indigenous communities have the knowledge to manage natural resources both at sea and on land,” says Arif Satria, Chancellor of the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), adding that these traditional food systems are “environmentally friendly, easily adaptable to weather changes and have high nutritional value.”
From 29-30 May 2024, the Samdhana Institute took part in a national workshop entitled ‘Youth Food Systems Dialogue and Movement 2024: Promoting Local Knowledge for Sustainable Food Systems in Indonesia’. Hosted at IPB University in Bogor, the event was part of a programme that aims to revive local, sustainable food systems in Indonesia, with particular focus on passing traditional wisdom down to the next generation.
On 12 September 2023, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) officially designated eight customary forests in Aceh, Sumatra. This included three in Pidie Regency, namely Mukim Beungga, Mukim Kunyet and Mukim Paloh. One of the institutions that played an integral role behind the success of the Aceh Customary Forest Decree determination process was the Aceh Indigenous Community Network (Jaringan Komunitas Masyarakat Adat Aceh or JKMA Aceh).
Mariana Tuto Demon, more known to her peers as Ria, strives to protect the cultural heritage passed down by her ancestors, and protect the environment through the promotion of their community’s traditions on weaving.
In 2023, the Samdhana team in Mekong worked with the Che Su Mo Women Group in Huay Eh Khang village in Mae Win, a sub-district of Mae Wang in Chiangmai, Thailand. They had sought Samdhana’s support to improve their branding and marketing capacity for their woven products.
A number of farmers in two villages of Baungon town in Bukidnon – Lingating and Liboran – are now shifting from individual to collective farming, using techniques on integrated farming systems that they have learned through training supported by Samdhana Institute.
