Pangale Kapali

The origin of Tau Taa Wana comes from a place called Tundantane, which is now part of the Morowali Nature Reserve. According to the stories of the ancestors, it is from this place that the first humans descended from the sky to the land of Pue (God). The first human was named Pololosong, who had a brother named Banggai, who was believed to later become the King of Banggai. From that lineage, they spread following the movement of farming and migrated towards Banggai, which is called Burangas, then towards Kayu Marangka and Kayupoli, all the way along the Salato River. The river plays an important role in their transit. The sub-ethnic group living along the Salato River is often referred to as Posangke (source: brwa.or.id).

The Wana Posangke Indigenous Community has a protected area that is managed through local wisdom passed down through generations. The protected area consists of two parts, namely:

1) Pangale, located in steep (mountainous) areas, thus requiring protection and supervision for springs and soil fertility from the community as a strategically valuable area in the upstream region.

2) Kapali, is a forbidden forest area that must not be visited or utilized. This area is considered a sacred place because it holds various aspects related to the culture and religion of the community.

The Wana Posangke Indigenous Community has local knowledge related to forest protection passed down through generations. This protection concept comes from local knowledge that understands that Buyu (Mountain) is the body and Koro (River) is the soul. They also believe that the forest around them provides benefits and added value for their lives. The universe has its own meaning for the Wana Posangke Indigenous Community—there is a close relationship between culture and the environment for the Wana Posangke Indigenous Community. In managing and protecting their customary forest, the Wana Posangke Indigenous Community has been assisted by external parties, namely the Morowali Friends Foundation (YSM) since 1996 and the Red and White Foundation (YMP) in 2011. The Indigenous Community, together with external parties, conducts advocacy work to strengthen rights and create policies at the district level. Then, in 2012, YMP, with support from the Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN), also carried out alternative education activities (Skola Lipu). In 2014, YMP strengthened the capacity of the Indigenous community to propose customary forest schemes in collaboration with the national partner HuMa Association.

The Customary Forest is owned and utilized communally and must not be sold. The management and protection of the customary forest are passed down orally through customary regulations or Givu through Tatua Adat (Customary Leaders) and Tua Tua Lipu. The Wana Posangke Indigenous Community has a customary institution called Wana Posangke Customary Institution, which consists of:

1) Tau Tua Ada, responsible for managing customary personnel, including violations committed by community members, referred to in Taa as Mangurus Ngana-ngana.

2) Tau Tua Lipu, serving as the village head or Tau Mangkongko Lipu.

3) Worotana, serving as someone who leads agricultural ritual practices or Mantuja Pae aimed at providing abundant harvests.

4) Tovalia, serving as someone who leads rituals for healing diseases known as ‘Ane Ree Tau Matida-Tida’.

Rules in the forbidden forest or Kapali strictly prohibit the community from entering and utilizing Kapali. If someone cuts down a tree located in one of the kapali peaks or sacred mountains and takes its wood, they will be afflicted by a disease that ends in death—this applies not only to the violator but also to seven generations of their family members. Additionally, if someone violates customary rules, they will be subject to the sanction of ‘Bilabila Persaya’—Bilabila means disbelief; Persaya means belief and is interpreted as an act of not believing in beliefs or customs. This can also be interpreted as an act of not respecting customs and others.

The management and protection of the Customary Forest: Pangale and Kapali, contribute to the preservation of forest ecosystems and the biodiversity within them. The Pangale area is utilized by the community as a place to search for resin and rattan. The products they obtain will be sold to the District City or County City (Kolonodale). The extraction process is also only according to needs. The community also takes Bark (Kuliandolia) for house walls, Sago Leaves (Ira Tambaro) for house roofs, and Dasar Balo to be used as walls and pillars of their houses. Then, the Kapali area is protected because it is considered a sacred place. This shows that the Kapali forest area still has a relationship with the Wana Posangke Indigenous Community that includes cultural and spiritual aspects. According to their local understanding of their relationship with nature—they consider Mountains, Rivers, and Forests as an inseparable unity from their lives. In addition, in the customary forest area, there are also flora that hold important value such as: Bayur/Lero (Pterospermum Celebicum), Ebony/Black Wood (Diospyros Celebica), as well as Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes sp) and fauna such as: Anoa/Menso (Bubalus Depresicornis), Babirusas/Tambrari (Babyrousa Babirussa), Black Macaques of Sulawesi/Vonti (Macaca sp), Wild Chickens/Manu Kaju (Gallus sp), Sulawesi Wild Boars/Wavu (Sus celebensis), and Sulawesi Brown Civets (Macrogalidia muschenbroeki).

The Wana Posangke Indigenous Community has specific regulations governing the Recognition and Protection of the Wana Indigenous Law Community through Regional Regulation of Morowali Regency Number 13 of 2012 and the Establishment of the Inclusion of the Wana Posangke Customary Forest covering approximately 6212 hectares in Bungku Utara District, North Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi Province.