Documentation:Open Case Studies/FRST522/2022/An assessment of the fate of the Orang Rimbo Indigenous People in Bukit Dua Belas National Park, Jambi Province, Indonesia: Power-sharing or land grab?

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Orang Rimbo in Bukit Duabelas National Park

Summary of Case Study

"Orang Rimbo" or "Suku Anak Dalam" (SAD) is an indigenous people who lives in Bukit Duabelas National Park (TNBD), Jambi Province, Indonesia. They already lived in the area long ago before the government appointed their area as a national park. This decision then made the Orang Rimbo need to choose, either to stay or leave. This article will try to describe Orang Rimbo's culture and their connection to the forest. This article will also try to formulate an answer, whether their experience is a power-sharing or land grab.

Keywords

Suku Anak Dalam, Orang Rimbo, Bukit Duabelas National Park, Jambi, Indonesia

Introduction

The history of Bukit Duabelas National Park

Bukit Duabelas National Park is located in Jambi, Batanghari Regency, Jambi Province, Indonesia. The area was decided by Decree of the Minister of Forestry and Plantations Number: 285/Kpts-II/2000 dated 23 August 2000 through Serengam Hilir Permanent Production Forest (11,400 ha) as well as other use areas (1,200 ha) and the Bukit Duabelas biosphere reserve (27,200 ha)[1]. However, the initial designation was first began with a letter from the Regent of Sarolangun Bangko dated 7 February 1984 Number 522/182/1984 concerning the proposed Bukit Duabelas forest area to become a Biosphere Reserve and Protection[1].

The origin of Orang Rimbo

Orang Rimbo is a local tribe in Jambi Province, which they also called Suku Anak Dalam (SAD). Their origin story is not yet clear, but there are three versions of it[2]:

  1. The rest of the Pagaruyung Warriors dari Minangkabau: A group of paramilitary troops who got lost on their way to Jambi to help the Queen of Jambi who finally decided to stay and isolate themselves in the forest.
  2. The community fro Desa Kubu Karambia: A community that came from the Pagaruyung Kingdom which rejected Islamic teachings and fled to the Jambi forest area.
  3. Descendants of Bujan Overseas and Kelumpang Princess who live in groups and live in the forest area.

Orang Rimbo's culture

Orang Rimbo has culture that is very dependent on the existence of the forest. For them, the forest is a place, not only to get a livelihood, but also to practice their culture.

Social Institution

  • Orang Rimbo lives in groups and between groups, they have a very close relationship.
  • Their social institutions also changed. Marked by the presence of several conflicts between groups that led to the emergence of a new tumenggung (tribe chief).
  • Based on their types of interaction with outsiders, there are three types of Orang Rimbo:
    1. Orang Rimbo still lives in the forest and has very little interaction with outsiders. Most of the time, this group still has strong customary laws
    2. Orang Rimbo lives in the forest but has quite high interactions with outsiders. This group usually goes out of the forest to do economic transactions.
    3. Orang Rimbo who already lives in a village. This group lives in houses that the regional government provides around the Bukit Duabelas National Park. Even though they live outside the forest, their livelihood still depends on the forest.

Mobility

Until now, Orang Rimbo who resides in the forest lives nomadically. There are three main reasons why Orang Rimbo always moves within their forest:

  1. Cultural reason When some relative or family member is sick or passes away, Orang Rimbo will do melangun or mourning ritual. Melangun is an act of leaving sick members with the intention that their illness does not write to other group members. If the sick person has recovered, then he can return to his group. However, this practice is becoming increasingly rare because Orang Rimbo, whose interactions are quite intense with outsiders, usually takes the sick to the nearest health center or hospital. As for melangun because someone has died, the aim is to get rid of sadness and the group will only return to its original place if the sadness due to death has disappeared. In the past, melangun could last for years, but now that the area is increasingly limited and food sources are increasingly limited, the duration of melangun is only up to three months. This shorter duration also could be the effect of the Orang Rimbo know agriculture and plantation which if they leave their farm will make their land/agriculture not maintained.
  2. Internal conflict within their group
  3. Economic reason: Wandering in search of forest products
The economic value of NTFPs that are being used by Orang Rimbo[3]
No Product Value
1 Honey Rp 100.000/litre or 6,37 USD/litre
2 Rattan (Callamus spp.) Rp 6.000-7000/ 4 meter or 0,38-0,45 USD/ 4 meter
3 Jernang (Daemonorops spp.) Rp 1.900.000/1 kg or 121,09 USD/ 1 kg
4 Damar Rp. 1000/kg or 0,064 USD/kg
5 Merpayrang (Scaphium macrpadum) Rp. 50.000/kg or 3,19 USD/kg
6 Durian (Durio spp.) Rp. 10.000/piece or 0,64 USD/piece
7 Sebalik Sumpah (Symplocos spp.) This NTFP is used for making:
  1. Bracelets (Rp. 20.000/piece or 1,27 USD/ piece)
  2. Necklace (Rp. 50.000/piece or 3,19 USD/piece)
8 Balam Sap from Red Balam (Palaquium gutta (Hk.f.) Burck) and White Balam (Palaquium hexandrum (Griff.) Baillon) Rp 25.000/kg or 1,59 USD/kg
9 Jelutung (Dyera spp.) Sap Rp 25.000/kg or 1,59 USD/kg
10 Tunjuk Langit (Helminthostachis zeylanica) Rp. 50.000/kg or 3,19 USD/kg

Note. Adapted from “Type and economic value of non-timber forest products for Suku Anak Dalam in Bukit Duabelas National Park” by M. Ulfa, A. Albayudi, and M. Sirait, 2019, Jurnal Silva Tropika, 3(1), 132-142. https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/STP/article/view/7588

Local Wisdom

The Orang Rimbo has forest protection customary that can benefitting the economic and cultural value:

Orang Rimbo’s forest protection customary[4]
No Name of practice Description
1 The forbidden forest (setali bukit) Referred to as inumon (sacred area), denoting the water catchments located on mountaintops and serving as the primary water source.

This place is believed to be the home of deities and demons, and the area is free from exploitation.

2 The customary forest Areas where the Orang Rimbo store their wealth in the form of fora and fauna.

This includes muaron (fruit gardens), tanoh peranoan (places for childbirth), pohon sialang (the highest trees in the forest, providing honey),

and setubung (which symbolizes the life of an individual in Orang Rimbo cosmology).

3 The residential forest Grow around the outskirts of their settlements, where they open up fields for various crops.

Note. Adapted from “The Sacred Forest of the Orang Rimbo Hunter-Gatherers of Sumatra “by E.M. Wardani, Sacred Forests of Asia, Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003143680-26/sacred-forest-orang-Rimbo-hunter-gatherers-sumatra-ekoningtyas-margu-wardani

In terms of natural resources conservation in Bukit Duabelas National Park, there are some local wisdom that Orang Rimbo still preserves it:

  1. Sialang tree: this is a name for trees that usually used by the bees to create their nest. In Orang Rimbo's culture, it is prohibited to cut this type of trees. The types of trees are usually: kempas (Koompassia malaccensis), kedondong hutan (Spondias pinnata), blackboard tree (Alstonia scholaris)
  2. Benuaron: This is a term which Orang Rimbo use to describe an area that has a varieties of fruits. It is also prohibited to cut trees in this area as it will affect their food security.
  3. Sentubung Budak[5]: Every time a baby is born, the baby will be given a protective plant, a tenggeris tree (Scyma sp) that should be taken care for throughout its life. The baby's placenta is then buried under the sentubung tree (Gonocaryum gracile). Those two trees are also forbidden to be cut down, or else, the violators will have the heaviest sanction based on their customary.
  4. Traditional Spatial Planning: Aside of the trees that are prohibited to be cut down, The Orang Rimbo also have a traditional spatial layout which is forbidden to be opened/converted into plantations as it has usually a cultural function.
  5. Bejernang: a ritual to utilize jernang rattan (Daemonorops spp) to fulfill their spiritual, economic, and social needs
Values of Bejernang tradition[6]
No. Values Behaviour Description
1 Spiritual SAD, before cleaning the area around the jernang rattan,

performs a ritual of reciting a spell;

asking permission and safety.

SAD believes that the jernang rattan is the descendant of the Gods.

The jernang rattan is a sacred plant, and where the jernang rattan grows is a sacred place.

2 Moral 1) Fair; 2) Obey; 3) Honest; 4) Simple; 5) Solidarity SAD believe that their thoughts, words, and actions determine the good and bad of their destiny.
3 Social 1) Internal interaction, customary laws, and child’s education

2) Interaction with Orang Terang

The ritual always includes children, youth, and rombong groups.

Bejernang itself is a way for SAD to interact with Orang Terang

4 Economic Jernang is a source of income, raw material for medicine, and dyes Jernang has a high price in the local market, IDR 2,800,000-IDR 3,000,000/kg. or

179-191 USD/kg

Note. From “Konservasi Hutan Belajar Dari Nilai-Nilai Etik dan Tradisi Bejernang Suku Anak Dalam di Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas, Provinsi Jambi”, by H. Harnov, E. Amzu, and R. Soeukmadi, 2017, Risalah Kebijakan Pertanian dan Lingkungan Rumusan Kajian Strategis Bidang Pertanian dan Lingkungan, 3(1), 24-38. https://journal.ipb.ac.id/index.php/jkebijakan/article/view/15233

Tenure arrangements

In terms of tenure arrangements, the national park implements collaborative management agreement with the Orang Rimbo. After the government negotiate and talk with Orang Rimbo, the national park is divided into several zones. The zoning system is also a mandate from the law[7]. Inside Bukit Duabelas National Park, there are seven zones which have their own ecological and cultural function[8]:

  1. Core Zone/Tali Bukit (Jungut/Tanoh Teperuang): This customary space is part of the Orang Rimbo/SAD home range which is in a hilly and steep topography, so customary provisions prohibit it from being cleared into arable land by their community who are aware of the function of the area as a source of water for life from upstream to downstream. Area: 8,258.1 Ha
  2. Rimbo Zone/ Tali Bukit (Jungut/Tanoh Teperuang)/Rimbo Bungaron/Tengkuruk Sungoi/Ngengentingon: This area acts as a buffer or protective area of the Core Zone/ Tali Bukit. Area: 1,804.5 Ha
  3. Utilization Zone: intended as a tourist spot, both for nature and cultural tourism. Area: 645.3 Ha
  4. Traditional Zone: part of a national park area that can be developed and used traditionally to meet/accommodate the daily basic needs of the Orang Rimbo/SAD Community who still depend on forest natural resources by upholding the principle of sustainability. Area: 36,810.7
  5. Religious Zone: part of a national park area that is used for religious/belief activities and other sacred activities whose designation is only for the Orang Rimbo/SAD Community who depend on forest natural resources by adhering to the principles of sustainability. Area: 5113.4 Ha
  6. Rehabilitation Zone: part of a national park area that has been damaged by human or natural activities, and needs to be rehabilitated/restored using native local species. Area: 179.7 Ha
  7. Local Traditional Community Zone: these are village community rubber gardens that existed before the national park was appointed. Area: 1968.6 Ha

Institutional/Administrative arrangements

Bukit Duabelas National Park Office Logo

Law regarding National Park

In Indonesia, the law regarding the national park is written on the Law No. 5 of 1990 about Conservation of Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems[7]. From that law, it is stated that the national park can be used for the purpose of research, science, education, supporting cultivation, culture, and nature tourism. Furthermore, the management of national park will be carried out by the government, which in this case the Bukit Duabelas National Park Office. The office itself is working under the Ministry of Environment and Forest[9].

Bukit Duabelas National Park Office as the manager of the park

The management of the national park is the task of the Bukit Dua Belas National Park Office (BTNBD) which is the Technical Implementation Unit of the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation at the Echelon II level according to the Minister of Forestry Regulation number: P.03/Menhut-II/2007 concerning the Organization and Working Procedures of the National Park Technical Implementation Unit.[10]

The BTNBD has two objectives[10], which are:

General Objectives:

  1. Protecting the ecological processes that support life.
  2. Preserving ecosystem, species and genetic diversity,
  3. Utilizing the potential of living natural resources and existing ecosystems for research, education, science, recreation, nature tourism and environmental services as well as supporting activities for cultivation.

Specific Objectives:

  1. Protect, maintain, repair and preserve the Lowland Tropical Rain Forest area which has a high diversity of flora, fauna and ecosystems and is threatened with extinction.
  2. Protect and preserve the place of life and culture of the Orang Rimbo (Inner Child Tribe) which has long been in the TNBD area.
  3. Protect and preserve and develop medicinal plants which are a source of livelihoods.

To realize those two objectives the BTNBD has implemented several management activities, which are[11]:

  • Area protection and security: the activities including area security patrols, forest and land fire prevention patrols, intelligence operations, functional operations, joint operations, judicial processes and joint community patrols.
  • Community development: the activities including business improvement and creation of economic enterprises for village communities, Orang Rimbo communities, and community capacity building through skills training.
  • Preservation and management of natural and biological resources and their ecosystems: the activities including identification and inventory of commercial/protected flora, in situ conservation, ex situ conservation, identification and inventory of protected fauna, clinical trials on plants medicine, and comparative study of natural and biological resources management.
  • Conservation counseling and community empowerment: the activities including educating the local communities about the conservation area of Bukit Duabelas National Park.

The Stakeholders of Bukit Duabelas National Park

The national park has several stakeholders play an important role. Those stakeholders can be divided into two major categorization, which are the affected and the interested.

Affected Stakeholder

Defined as any person, group of persons, or entity that is or is likely to be subject to the effects of the activities in a locally important or customarily claimed forest area[12]. Based on that definition, the affected stakeholders in Bukit Duabelas National Park is definitely the Orang Rimbo themselves. This is because their livelihood and their culture are interdependent with the forest. When the forest is gone, they do not have any other alternative to gain a livelihood.

Interested Stakeholders

Defined as any person, group of persons, or entity that is linked in a transaction or an activity relating to a forest area, but who does/do not have a long-term dependency on that forest area[13]. From that definition, there are several stakeholders that interested in Bukit Duabelas, namely:

No. Interested Stakeholders Relevant Objectives Relative Power Influence
1 The government (Regional and National) Ensuring the existence of the national park High High
2 Private sectors (Palm oil companies) Gaining profit by planting palm oil plantations High High
3 NGO - KKI Warsi (Indonesian Conservation Community Warsi) Advocating and supporting Orang Rimbo[14] Low High
4 International Institution - The GEF Small Grants Programme Supporting Orang Rimbo by building capacity[15] Low High

Discussion

The critical issues

Aside of getting to know about the Orang Rimbo culture and the stakeholders of the Bukit Duabelas National Park, it is also important to know the issues that are currently affecting the Orang Rimbo and to know whether they are experiencing a land-grab or power-sharing.

During a case hearing regarding the examination of Law Number 41 Of 1999 Concerning Forestry Regarding The 1945 State Law Of The Republic Of Indonesia, one of the tumenggung (village chief) said about the conflicts and disadvantages that Orang Rimbo has experienced[16]. Many of this problem is driven by deforestation that is conducted by palm oil companies that shifting the forest into a palm oil plantation. This shifting then becoming a main problem to the Orang Rimbo as it leads to a displacement which affecting their aspects of life[17], such as:

  • Daily lives: Many Orang Rimbo is being relocated from their lands due to this palm oil plantation expansion. Either they were relocated to another patch of forest or completely out of the forest. They are also being forced to change religion, mostly into Islam, as the Indonesian government does not accommodate or represent their religion in the national identity card (KTP). Furthermore, they want to go back to the forest and reconnect with their god, as Islam is not their original religion. However, they cannot do that as the forest is no more to be found.
  • Culture: Disconnection from the rainforest prevents them from carrying out the same rituals they have done for centuries and erases their identity as people of the forest[16].
  • Environment: Nearby plantation projects cause decreases in water quality from destruction of nearby peatlands, runoff from plantations using fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals, which worsen water quality, and smoky air from next-door forest-burning projects[18]

In 1984, Orang Rimbo began their protest for the establishment of the TNBD or Bukit Duabelas National Park. The protest was initiated to protect their landscapes and also their lifestyle, as that forest is the only place where they can practice their indigenous way of life[17]. However, the national park was still appointed and agricultural development was done by the palm oil companies. Although those companies try to 'mitigate' their negative impact to the environment and the Orang Rimbo, their help had turned into another problem as it erased their identity[17]

In general, the Orang Rimbo has experienced four different social conflicts[17], namely:

  1. There are differences in perceptions of claims regarding territory between countries, companies, local villagers, and the Orang Rimbo.
  2. There is a conflict of interest in the utilization of forest resources which was previously home to the Orang Rimbo.
  3. Competition in the utilization of forest resources.
  4. The place where they lived for a long time collided with policies that were oriented towards the interests of the group, not their own.

The similarities with other places

A similar case also happened in Campos Amazonicos National Park[17] as land dispute continue to reduce the amount of area of the national park and endanger native life in that area. The land dispute led to deforestation. The different was that, the deforestation in the Campos Amazonicos is driven by cattle farming instead of plantations.

The conclusion

It is clear that initially the Orang Rimbo has experienced a land-grab, as they were relocated from their own lands because their land would be shifted into an agricultural site such as palm oil plantation. However, the government then started to be more focus and concerned about how to integrate Orang Rimbo on the management of the Bukit Duabelas National Park. The practice is shifting, from land-grab into power-sharing. In 2019, the BTNBD release a paper on "Building a management system of Bukit duabelas National Park based on respect for the Orang Rimbo and their authentic knowledge". Based on that paper, it is stated that the BTNBD started to realize the importance of Orang Rimbo's participation to manage the national park. Therefore, they suggest four strategies to be implemented[19], which are:

  1. Arranging the Zoning System: As the zoning system is mandated in the law, the BTNBD will divide the national park to several zones. However, to decide the area of each zone, the BTNBD will talk and negotiate with the Orang Rimbo first to find the "win-win solution"
  2. Preparation of Long-term Management Plan (RPJP) for the Bukit Duabelas National Park: this plan will aim to protect the remaining lowland forest areas in Jambi Province, the diversity of flora, fauna and ecosystems, and the types of medicinal plants which are the source of livelihood for the Orang Rimbo
  3. Strengthening Food Security for Orang Rimbo
  4. Sekolah Rimbo: To make sure the Orang Rimbo is not left behind in terms of education, the BTNBD has facilitated them with several non formal schools.
  5. Orang Rimbo Cultural Tourism: Through tourism it will empower the Orang Rimbo to realize their independence and well-being as it will helps them to generate livelihood and also practice their culture.

Recommendations

After looking upon the conditions and issues that are being experienced by Orang Rimbo, there are three major recommendations that can be implemented, which are:

  1. Create a baseline data for carbon stock and sequestration from land cover, well-being level based on Orang Rimbo's perspective, biodiversity resources.
  2. Assist the Orang Rimbo to conduct by themselves the project design that able to fulfil the international standard for sustainable landscape management (e.g PlanVivo or CCB Standard)
  3. Assist the Orang Rimbo to access local and national governments and international institutions that have relevant interest with their aims and intentions.

This conservation resource was created by Course:FRST522.


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas (n.d.). "Sejarah Kawasan". www.tnbukitduabelas.id. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  2. Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas. (n.d.). Leaflet Budaya Orang Rimba P2 [Leaflet]. Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas. https://www.tnbukitduabelas.id/sites/default/files/unduhan/Leaflet%20OR_2.pdf
  3. Ulfa, M., Albayudi, A., & Sirait, M. (2019). Type and economic value of non-timber forest products for Suku Anak Dalam in Bukit Duabelas National Park. Jurnal Silva Tropika, 3(1), 132-142. https://online-journal.unja.ac.id/STP/article/view/7588
  4. Wardani, E. M. (2022). The Sacred Forest of the Orang Rimba Hunter-Gatherers of Sumatra. In Sacred Forests of Asia. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003143680-26/sacred-forest-orang-rimba-hunter-gatherers-sumatra-ekoningtyas-margu-wardani
  5. Tambunan, Irma (August 17, 2022). "Orang Rimba, Guardians of Bukit Duabelas". Rainforest Journalism Fund. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  6. Harnov, H., Amzu, E., & Soekmadi, R. (2017). Konservasi Hutan Belajar Dari Nilai-Nilai Etik dan Tradisi Bejernang Suku Anak Dalam di Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas, Provinsi Jambi. Risalah Kebijakan Pertanian dan Lingkungan Rumusan Kajian Strategis Bidang Pertanian dan Lingkungan, 3(1), 24-38. https://journal.ipb.ac.id/index.php/jkebijakan/article/view/15233
  7. 7.0 7.1 Indonesian Government. Undang-undang (UU) Nomor 5 tahun 1990 Tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya.
  8. Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas (n.d.). "Zonasi Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas". www.tnbukitduabelas.id. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  9. Balai Taman Nasional Taka Bonerate (February 27, 2020). "Apa itu Taman Nasional". TN Taka Bonerate.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas (n.d.). "Tujuan dan Fungsi". www.tnbukitduabelas.id. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  11. Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas (n.d.). "Pengelolaan". www.tnbukitduabelas.id. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  12. Bulkan, J. (2022, October, 24). Affected and interested stakeholders [PowerPoint slides]. Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/102944/files/folder/Lecture%20slides?preview=23339348
  13. Bulkan, J. (2022, October, 24). Affected and interested stakeholders [PowerPoint slides]. Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia. https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/102944/files/folder/Lecture%20slides?preview=23339348
  14. Komunitas Konservasi Indonesia Warsi (n.d.). "Profile". KKI WARSI. Retrieved December 2019, 2022. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  15. The GEF Small Grants Programme (n.d.). "Planning for Living Schools and Sustainable Livelihoods of Orang Rimba Indigeneous Peoples, Bukut DuaBelas, National Park, Jambi Sumatra". the GEF Small Grants Programme. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Tarib, T. (2019). Hutan adalah rumah dan sumber penghidupan kami. https://www.aman.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Kesaksian-Tumenggung-Tarib_Orang-Rimba_pada-Sidang-Gugatan-UU-Kehutanan-ke-MK-1.pdf
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Cusanelli, C. (2022). “Forest People” without a forest. Locus: The Seton Hall Journal of Undergraduate Research, 5(1). https://scholarship.shu.edu/locus/vol5/iss1/5
  18. Erik, M.,et.al.(2020).The environmental impacts of palm oil in con- text. NaturePlants, 6(12),1418-1426. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-00813-w
  19. Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas. 2020. Membangun Sistem Kelola TN Bukit Duabelas. Balai Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas.https://www.tnbukitduabelas.id/sites/default/files/unduhan/membangun_sistem_kelola_tnbd.pdf