Danau Teluk Bederas

The Indigenous Community of Rantau Baru Village is part of the Petalangan Indigenous Community in Pelalawan. Rantau Baru itself was formed hundreds of years ago, and the name Rantau Baru was chosen because the current settlement location is the second location after the old village was abandoned. However, the Rantau Baru community itself no longer knows when they moved to the new village from the old village, as their grandmothers were already born in the new village, so it can be confirmed that the move happened more than 4 generations ago.

Based on legends and stories passed down from their ancestors, Rantau Baru Village was originally named Malako Kocik (Small), which was located across from the current settlement. According to the legend in Rantau Baru, the residents lived in Kampung Malako Kecil before there was Rantau Baru Village. At that time, there was a resident of Malako Kecil named Datuk Uban who was fishing in the river. While fishing, Datuk Uban encountered Bialo Bagomba Ome (a spirit-like creature resembling a small human but with a golden head). He took the Bialo home with him. This sparked the curiosity of the surrounding residents to see what the Bialo that Datuk Uban found in the river looked like. As a result, many residents visited Datuk Uban's house to see the Bialo. However, strange events began to occur in Kampung Malako Kecil after Datuk Uban brought the Bialo home. Every resident who had seen the Bialo at Datuk Uban's house soon died. The number of deaths caused the area of Kampung Malako Kecil to be filled with many graves. This event made the residents fearful of the presence of the Bialo around them. Consequently, the residents of Kampung Malako Kecil gradually but surely migrated to the opposite land to establish a new village. This new village area was then named Rantau Baru by the residents. Meanwhile, Datuk Uban eventually had a dream to prevent more deaths from occurring. In his dream, he was instructed to return the Bialo he found to the place where he discovered it; if this was done, the situation in the village would return to normal.

The Indigenous Community of Rantau Baru Village has several areas that are managed and protected through generations, including the Pesukuan Forest, Suak River, and Lake. The Pesukuan Forest itself is owned by each clan, such as the Meliling Clan, the Malay Tuk Tuo Clan, and the Malay Tuk Mudo Clan. The general characteristic of the Pesukuan Forest is the “Sialang Enclosure,” which is the Sialang Tree that serves as a nesting place for honeybees (Apis dorsata), referred to as sialang honey bees. This tree is highly protected by the Petalangan Tribe because it provides economic benefits to the village residents from its honey. Others cannot cut down the Sialang tree because if caught cutting it down, they will be fined as determined by the clan leader. It is called an enclosure because the bee nesting trees cannot stand alone; they must have other supporting trees surrounding the Sialang tree as a food source for the bees, allowing them to continue nesting in the main trees. In the past, if they wanted to collect honey from the Sialang tree, the Petalangan Tribe had to perform a tradition called menumbai. The menumbai process is a ritual conducted by the Petalangan Tribe when they intend to collect honey from the Sialang tree. This activity must be done at night and should be conducted collectively by the residents of the village, as after collecting the honey, the results will be shared among the other tribe members.

The Pesukuan Forest is utilized by the community to obtain wood as building material for houses because the settlement characteristics in Rantau Baru Village are stilt houses located on the banks of the Kampar River, making wood the primary material for the community to build houses. Additionally, the community also utilizes non-timber forest products such as rattan, pandan, and sialang honey. Generally, rattan is sold as raw material, processed into semi-finished products, and crafts. Meanwhile, pandan is used to make ketupat during religious holidays and customary gatherings.

The Pesukuan Forest is owned and utilized by the community communally and is not for sale. Several rules related to the management of the Pesukuan Forest are passed down orally, such as:

1. It is prohibited to cut down Sialang trees within the Sialang Enclosure area, even if they are not Sialang Trees.
2. It is permissible to cut down trees outside the Sialang Enclosure area only for specific purposes, such as building houses (specifically for the Indigenous Community of Rantau Baru Village).
3. People from outside the clan must report if they want to take timber or non-timber products from the Pesukuan Forest; otherwise, they must pay a fine equivalent to the value of the cut tree.

The management and protection of the Pesukuan Forest are the responsibility of the customary authorities. The people of Rantau Baru adhere to a matrilineal system, where clan and status are passed down through the female line. There are two major clans in the village, namely the Maliling Clan and the Malay Clan. The Malay Clan is further divided into two, namely: the Malay Tuk Tuo Clan and the Malay Tuk Mudo Clan. The clans in this village are the original Petalangan Malay clans.

The highest customary position in Rantau Baru village is held by the Pucuk Adat, who is titled Datuk Sari Koto from the Maliling Clan. Furthermore, there are Ninik Mamak from each clan who will carry out their duties under the mandate of Datuk Sari Koto. The position of Datuk Sari Koto is actually below Datuk Sakti from the Malay Clan. Like a boat, Datuk Sakti is the paddler in front, and Datuk Sari Koto is the paddler in the back. Both must move in unison to propel the boat.

The management and protection of the Pesukuan Forest contribute to the preservation of forest ecosystems and the biodiversity within them. The management of this area is closely related to the honeybee commodity (apis dorsata)—known as the Sialang Enclosure. This commodity certainly provides economic benefits to the community and can influence the welfare of the community if managed sustainably. The community also typically utilizes the Pesukuan Forest as a source of wood for building houses. This is also related to the cultural identity of the Rantau Baru Indigenous Community, which is characterized by stilt houses. Furthermore, through the protection of the Pesukuan Forest, cultural identity and other spiritual meanings, such as the Menumbai Ritual, are carried out in the Pesukuan Forest. This ritual aims to seek guidance, show respect, inform, ask for permission, and request protection when they engage in activities to collect sialang honey. Thus, the Indigenous Community of Rantau Baru maintains their relationship and connection with nature, fellow humans, themselves, ancestral spirits, and God.

The Indigenous Community of Rantau Baru Village does not yet have a legal basis or specific regulations governing the recognition and protection of rights or the protection of community-managed areas. However, the Indigenous Community of Rantau Baru Village has made efforts to propose customary forests and push for recognition and protection as a legitimate customary law community. In addition, the Indigenous Community of Rantau Baru Village plans to create written village/customary regulations related to the protection of rivers and the preservation of cultural traditions that have environmental conservation values, such as River Auctions and Sialang Enclosures.