Pong Sengit - Teno Mese

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 moved again, some to Mimor, Nancur, Rii Mese, Mari Ke Weru, and Payt. Nevertheless, 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. Meanwhile, those in Teno Mese stayed in Teno Mese.

Each area is led by individuals from the Nancur Tribe. From Nancur, Riton and Rii Mese are still part of the same unity. Because the distance from Nancur to Riton is far, the landowner of Nancur delegated authority to the people of Riton as Tua Teno to oversee 12 customary areas or Lingko in the Manggarai language here (Lingko Panwatu and Egolandang are claimed by TWA). All existing Teno-Teno now originate from Nancur. In Nancur, there are two leadership roles, namely Gelarang and Tuan Tanah. Tuan Tanah owns land from Golowuk to the Wae River. All lingko-lingko were obtained from Nancur, which was entrusted to Mimor and Rii Mese to safeguard that land. The vast land was 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, which contains a water source area and is utilized as a reserve land area. The area around Mpong Sengit also has natural resources that can be used as building materials and traditional medicine.

Pong Sengit has been agreed upon by the indigenous community as a special protected area. The main rules established in Pong Sengit are that cutting down trees is prohibited, entering without a clear purpose is not allowed, using harsh language is forbidden, 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 guarding the place. The entire Indigenous Community of Teno Mese has the responsibility to protect Pong Sengit. Decisions related to Pong Sengit are made through customary deliberation (Lonto Leok). The management of Pong Sengit is regulated in unwritten customary law passed down through generations along with the Customary Institution with the following structure:

• Tua Teno, plays a role in resolving land issues, dividing land, and carrying out customary events.
• Tua Golo, serves to protect and guide the indigenous community.
• Tua Panga, is responsible for leading/resolving issues at the panga level.
• Tua Kilo, is responsible for 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 passed down through generations to continue to preserve and maintain 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 preserving and safeguarding natural resources, the entire Teno Mese Community can utilize these resources whenever they need them.

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: Kayu loloangin, wugar, rukus, ngasar, rewu, ratun, damuh, ngelong, mahoni, pazang, lumung, niton, lebak, ngelong, sengon.
• Fauna: Birds, Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar.
• Traditional Medicines: Wunis/turmeric, Halia/ginger, Serei, Leaf buds, 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 concerning the Recognition, Protection, and Empowerment of Indigenous Law Communities.