Danau, Tano Messe

In the years 1700-1800, the Indigenous Community of Teno Mese lived in the old village of Golo Wuk. From Golo Wuk, they then moved to the villages of Pau and Geok. However, because Pau and Geok were not very spacious and could not accommodate many people, they migrated, some to Mimor, to Nancur, Rii Mese, Mari Ke Weru, and Payt. However, the customary law area still remained under the authority of Nancur—with the same rituals and customs. Eventually, they chose to settle. Those in Panwaru remained in Panwaru, while those in Teno Mese stayed in Teno Mese.

Each region is led by a person from the Nancur Tribe. From Nancur, Riton and Rii Mese are still part of one unity. Because the distance from Nancur to Riton is far, the landowner of Nancur delegated authority to the Riton people as Tua Teno to oversee 12 customary areas or Lingko in the Manggarai language here (lingko panwatu and egolandang claimed by TWA). All existing teno-teno now come from Nancur. In Nancur, there are 2 leadership positions, namely Gelarang and Tuan Tanah. The landowner has land from Golowuk to the Wae River. All lingko-lingko are obtained from Nancur, which has been entrusted to Mimor and Rii Mese to manage that land. The vast land is then redistributed by Teno.

The Indigenous Community of Teno Mese has a protected area passed down through generations called Pong Sengit. Pong (forest) Sengit is a prohibited forest area or a sacred site, within which there are water spring sources, and it is utilized as a reserve land area. The area around Mpong Sengit also contains natural resources that can be utilized as building materials and traditional medicines.

Pong Sengit has been agreed upon by the indigenous community as a special protected area. The main rules established in Pong Sengit are no tree cutting, no entry without a clear purpose, no harsh words, hunting is prohibited, and walking alone is not allowed. If someone intentionally cuts down trees, they will face customary sanctions, and the community believes that those who violate will receive immediate retribution from the spirits that guard the place. The entire Indigenous Community of Teno Mese has the responsibility to protect Pong Sengit. Decision-making related to Pong Sengit is done through customary deliberation (Lonto Leok).

The management of Pong Sengit is governed by unwritten customary law passed down through generations along with the Customary Institution with the following structure:

1. Tua Teno, plays a role in resolving land issues, dividing land, and carrying out customary ceremonies.

2. Tua Golo, plays a role in protecting and guiding the indigenous community.

3. Tua Panga, plays a role in leading/resolving issues at the panga level.

4. Tua Kilo, plays a role in leading the extended family and assisting with family-related matters (birth, marriage, death).

Pong Sengit is protected because the Indigenous Community of Teno Mese has rules inherited through generations to continue to maintain and preserve the cultural heritage of their ancestors. Additionally, Pong Sengit is important to protect because it contains natural resources in the form of springs. Certainly, by maintaining and protecting natural resources, the entire Teno Mese Community can utilize these resources whenever needed.

Moreover, the protection of Pong Sengit contributes to the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity, such as high-value flora and fauna. The following are the flora and fauna found in the Pong Sengit area: Flora (Loloangin wood, wugar, rukus, ngasar, rewu, ratun, damuh, ngelong, mahogany, pazang, lumung, niton, lebak, ngelong, sengon) and Fauna (Birds, Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar) as well as traditional medicines such as: -Medicines/ ceremonial needs: Wunis/turmeric, Halia/ginger, Serei, Leaf shoots, guava, Binahong, Ndingar/cinnamon, Welu/candlenut, Sambi poso, Jarak/pandu, Toroburah, Bunge Lengkeh, Legi.

The Indigenous Community of Teno Mese does not yet have legislation regulating the recognition and protection of indigenous rights or the recognition of protected areas. However, the Indigenous Community in East Manggarai Regency has a legal basis related to the Recognition, Protection, and Empowerment of Indigenous Law Communities in East Manggarai Regency through Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2018.