* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Star Entertainment reaches deal to sell 50% stake in Brisbane resort to HK investors – Reuters

    Star Entertainment Seals Landmark Deal, Sells Half of Brisbane Resort to Hong Kong Investors

    Country music star ripped by ex-wife amid court battle: ‘Karma is a … well you know’ – PennLive.com

    This LA singer performed at Trump casinos. Now he’s a retired bus driver in Acadiana. – The Advocate

    This LA singer performed at Trump casinos. Now he’s a retired bus driver in Acadiana. – The Advocate

    Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Reports 2025 Second Quarter Results, Provides July Performance Update, and Updates Full-Year Guidance – Business Wire

    Six Flags Reveals Thrilling Q2 2025 Results, Shares July Highlights, and Updates Full-Year Outlook

    ‘Paying homage to Kansas’: Singer-songwriter Dallas Pryor shares music journey – The Topeka Capital-Journal

    Honoring Kansas: Singer-Songwriter Dallas Pryor Shares His Inspiring Musical Journey

    Alabama expands entertainment incentives to boost state’s music and creative industries – Made in Alabama

    Alabama Supercharges Entertainment Incentives to Spark Explosive Growth in Music and Creative Industries

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    LSU grad uses 3D printing to create adaptive technology for children – CBS News

    LSU Graduate Revolutionizes Adaptive Technology for Kids with 3D Printing

    Gas-to-liquids technology can support national resilience – The Strategist | ASPI’s analysis and commentary site

    Unlocking National Strength: How Gas-to-Liquids Technology Drives Resilience

    Micron Technology (MU) Launched a New Memory Chip for Space Application – Yahoo Finance

    Micron Technology Launches Revolutionary Memory Chip Built for Space Exploration

    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    Preparing Students for the Technology of Tomorrow – Drug Topics

    Preparing Students Today to Thrive in Tomorrow’s Tech-Driven World

    Technology, History, and Summer Camp at the Rhode Island Computer Museum – abc6.com

    Discover Technology, History, and Summer Camp Adventures at the Rhode Island Computer Museum

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Star Entertainment reaches deal to sell 50% stake in Brisbane resort to HK investors – Reuters

    Star Entertainment Seals Landmark Deal, Sells Half of Brisbane Resort to Hong Kong Investors

    Country music star ripped by ex-wife amid court battle: ‘Karma is a … well you know’ – PennLive.com

    This LA singer performed at Trump casinos. Now he’s a retired bus driver in Acadiana. – The Advocate

    This LA singer performed at Trump casinos. Now he’s a retired bus driver in Acadiana. – The Advocate

    Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Reports 2025 Second Quarter Results, Provides July Performance Update, and Updates Full-Year Guidance – Business Wire

    Six Flags Reveals Thrilling Q2 2025 Results, Shares July Highlights, and Updates Full-Year Outlook

    ‘Paying homage to Kansas’: Singer-songwriter Dallas Pryor shares music journey – The Topeka Capital-Journal

    Honoring Kansas: Singer-Songwriter Dallas Pryor Shares His Inspiring Musical Journey

    Alabama expands entertainment incentives to boost state’s music and creative industries – Made in Alabama

    Alabama Supercharges Entertainment Incentives to Spark Explosive Growth in Music and Creative Industries

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    LSU grad uses 3D printing to create adaptive technology for children – CBS News

    LSU Graduate Revolutionizes Adaptive Technology for Kids with 3D Printing

    Gas-to-liquids technology can support national resilience – The Strategist | ASPI’s analysis and commentary site

    Unlocking National Strength: How Gas-to-Liquids Technology Drives Resilience

    Micron Technology (MU) Launched a New Memory Chip for Space Application – Yahoo Finance

    Micron Technology Launches Revolutionary Memory Chip Built for Space Exploration

    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    Preparing Students for the Technology of Tomorrow – Drug Topics

    Preparing Students Today to Thrive in Tomorrow’s Tech-Driven World

    Technology, History, and Summer Camp at the Rhode Island Computer Museum – abc6.com

    Discover Technology, History, and Summer Camp Adventures at the Rhode Island Computer Museum

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home General

Elders call for Indigenous cultural preservation in new Indonesia capital

July 28, 2023
in General
Elders call for Indigenous cultural preservation in new Indonesia capital
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Balik and Paser Indigenous communities worry that traditions risk becoming supplanted by Indonesia’s new capital city on the east coast of Borneo.More than half of the new capital estate could be considered customary territory, according to the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago.Indigenous elders said that if rituals are to be conserved, then the customary territories must be maintained, while the local government says it is working on programs to uphold local culture.

NORTH PENAJAM PASER, Indonesia — When an expectant mother is around three days from entering labor, the Suku Balik prepare a container out of coconut palm containing fruit, tobacco and cash, then send the vessel downriver for good fortune.

“You could call this a habit or custom because the ritual is mandatory,” Jubain, the customary head of the Balik tribe in Pemaluan village, told Mongabay Indonesia. “When it isn’t implemented, the mother gets sick and the child is trouble.”

Like many Indigenous elders living alongside Indonesia’s giant new capital city, Jubain worries construction of the multibillion-dollar project risks upending his people’s spiritual traditions, known as bersoyong, that have endured over generations.

In 2019, President Joko Widodo announced plans to move Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to a new site in East Kalimantan province, where Jubain’s Balik community calls home. The government says the project will catalyze development away from the main island of Java.

When pemangku adat, Indigenous elders, come together to carry out bersoyong rites for a pregnant mother, the materials are gathered from the nearby forest.

“If bersoyong is to be conserved, and the necessary material has to come from customary forests, it follows that the customary territories have to be maintained,” Jubain said.

When they start losing their forests, the Balik people rely on their rice fields and plants in their gardens.When they start losing their forests, the Balik people rely on their rice fields and plants in their gardens. Image by Yovanda/Mongabay Indonesia.

Typically the preparation for bersoyong involves allocation of an auspicious day and a visit to the land to see if conditions meet requirements for the rite. Wood taken from the forest known as krembulu is charred, producing an aroma like incense.

Bersoyong rituals are also carried out whenever land is ready for planting. The landowner must be present as prayers and mantras to ancestors are conveyed in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia (the national language spoken by almost all Indonesians) and the local Balik language.

The goal of the bersoyong rites is simple: to appeal for providence for the child and the land.

“Our ancestors conducted this ritual to prevent a disaster happening on our environment,” said Syarak, the customary elder in Bumi Harapan, a village whose name means Land of Hope.

For Syarak, construction of the new capital has already come at some personal cost. The house that Syarak built and lives in falls within the city’s development zone.

“Maybe I will be moving from here soon because I’m within those coordinates,” he said.

Syarak has asked officials for clarity on how he will relocate and whether he will be allocated any land as a replacement. However, he has received no response so far, only an offer of cash for the 2 hectares (5 acres) of land he called home.

Both the Paser and Balik Indigenous peoples have lived here for generations without binding recognition of their claims. A map compiled by Forest Watch Indonesia, a advocacy group, indicates almost half of the capital site could be considered customary territory. The Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago, a national advocacy group representing more than 2,000 communities, notes there are 21 communities with claims inside the capital estate.

Syarak, the customary elder in Bumi Harapan, with his wife. Syarak, the customary elder in Bumi Harapan, with his wife. The house that Syarak built and lives in falls within the city’s development zone. Image by Muhammad Razil Fauzan.

“What we want from the government is that our traditional settlements must be organized, so that our people are looked after,” Jubain said. “In our view, the important things are education and health.”

Asmin, a customary elder from the Balik tribe in Pemaluan hamlet, worries the unveiling of the new capital will erode traditions and restrict the land available for the Balik people.

“All of a sudden we saw this was a reservation for the presidential palace,” Asmin said.

Sri Murlianti, a sociologist at the University of Mulawarman, said bersoyong was performed less frequently as a contemporary ritual, perhaps owing to Islamic influences, internal migration and increasing scarcity of materials in the forest.

“It’s not like in the past, when the companies had not cleared their gardens and fields and turned them into monoculture forests,” Sri said. “In the past, plants used for ritual equipment were easily available and not far from the residential areas.”

Sri said the local government had yet to enact adequate policy to protect and empower Balik culture.

“There must be revival of old ritual knowledge, which is actually local wisdom, of the way of life that coexists with nature,” she said. “This is a worthy ritual to have pride in.”

Construction project of a presidential palace in the new capital.Construction project of a presidential palace in the new capital. Image by Muhammad Razil Fauzan.

Christian NS, who runs the culture desk at the North Penajam Paser government, said the district had initiated cultural programs, but the plans were in early stages on the ground.

“We are revitalizing, to preserve the Paser culture,” Christian said.

President Joko Widodo has emphasized the importance of inclusion of local Indigenous peoples in the capital blueprint, Christian said, and that in the future the issue may be discussed with the national agency overseeing the capital project.

“We can clearly feel feelings of frustration and anger, but also fear and helplessness,” said Mulawarman University’s Sri. “Because as a minority, their agency is weak — they are outsiders on their own ancestral land.”

Despite the adversities they face, Balik and Paser Indigenous elders remain determined to foster and strengthen their traditions as their community and the country change around them.

“If the government preserves our bersoyong culture,” Syarak said, “how happy the community here will be.”

Banner image: When they start losing their forests, the Balik people rely on their rice fields and plants in their gardens. Image by Yovanda/Mongabay Indonesia.

This story was first reported by Mongabay’s Indonesia team and published here on our Indonesian site on July 1, 2023.

On burning-prone Borneo, planners work to fireproof Indonesia’s new capital

FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.

Cities, Environment, environmental justice, Environmental Law, Forests, Governance, Indigenous Communities, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industrial Agriculture, Industry, Land Rights, Traditional People, Tropical Forests, Urban Planning, Urbanization

Print

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : MongaBay – https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/elders-call-for-indigenous-cultural-preservation-in-new-indonesia-capital/

Previous Post

Prince Hotel, Hong Kong Reopens

Next Post

The circular economy: Sustainable solutions to solve planetary overshoot?

Meet the winner of 2025’s World’s Ugliest Dog Contest – CNN

Discover the Unforgettable Champion of the 2025 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest!

August 12, 2025
Creator Economy Explainer 2025 – eMarketer

The Ultimate Guide to Thriving in the Creator Economy of 2025

August 12, 2025
Star Entertainment reaches deal to sell 50% stake in Brisbane resort to HK investors – Reuters

Star Entertainment Seals Landmark Deal, Sells Half of Brisbane Resort to Hong Kong Investors

August 12, 2025
Minimally-processed vs. ultra-processed foods: What’s the difference? – USA Today

Minimally-Processed vs. Ultra-Processed Foods: What You Need to Know

August 12, 2025
Gerrymandering is the ‘rot at the core’ of politics, Texas Democrat says – NBC News

Gerrymandering is the ‘rot at the core’ of politics, Texas Democrat says – NBC News

August 12, 2025
Unpacking chaos to protect coffee: Study untangles the ecological dynamics of ants in Puerto Rico – Phys.org

How Ants Transform Puerto Rico’s Coffee Ecosystem: Unveiling Nature’s Secret Balance

August 12, 2025
Four weeks at ERDC reignite teachers’ passion for science and technology – Vicksburg Daily News

Four Weeks at ERDC Ignite Teachers’ Renewed Passion for Science and Technology

August 12, 2025
Scientists launch coordinated response to Trump’s attempt to wipe credible climate research off the record – CNN

Scientists launch coordinated response to Trump’s attempt to wipe credible climate research off the record – CNN

August 12, 2025
How Ed Venerable Builds for Lifestyle-Driven Luxury Buyers – USA Today

Inside Ed Venerable’s Art of Crafting Luxury Homes Perfectly Designed for Lifestyle-Driven Buyers

August 12, 2025
LSU grad uses 3D printing to create adaptive technology for children – CBS News

LSU Graduate Revolutionizes Adaptive Technology for Kids with 3D Printing

August 12, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (766)
  • Economy (789)
  • Entertainment (21,666)
  • General (16,418)
  • Health (9,828)
  • Lifestyle (799)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (790)
  • Politics (798)
  • Science (16,002)
  • Sports (21,286)
  • Technology (15,769)
  • World (772)

Recent News

Meet the winner of 2025’s World’s Ugliest Dog Contest – CNN

Discover the Unforgettable Champion of the 2025 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest!

August 12, 2025
Creator Economy Explainer 2025 – eMarketer

The Ultimate Guide to Thriving in the Creator Economy of 2025

August 12, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version