Ponulu
Province Sulawesi Tengah, Kab. Sigi, Kulawi Selatan, Desa Moa
History of Initiative
The community residing in Moa Village is an indigenous community ethnologically belonging to the Kulawi group. Ethnolinguistically, they identify themselves as Topo Uma, part of the Kulawi ethnic group that uses the Uma dialect. The Indigenous Community of To Kulawi Uma in Moa (To I Moa) is one of the original tribes speaking Uma that inhabits the valley flanked by the Bulu Moa mountains to the west, the Bulu Pepa to the east, the Bulu Kalari to the south, and the Bulu Lampo to the north. Initially, the To I Moa settlement was around the forests of the Boku and Haluboko mountains along the banks of the Koro (Lariang) river, which has now become a state forest area with Conservation and Protection functions. Moa, which is now a village, used to be a “huaka” and “dodoha” for the indigenous community of To Kulawi Uma I Moa, utilized as a place for farming and hunting for the Moa indigenous community living in Boku and Haluboko.
In 1911, Walter Kauderen (an anthropologist) visited the southern Kulawi region and discovered a community speaking Uma (a sub-group of the Kulawi tribe) that had settled in the villages of Boku, Haluboko, and some in Moa for farming, led by a Totua ngata (tribal chief) named Sangkila. Subsequently, during the Dutch colonial government, the area merged the two major settlements of Boku and Haluboko into a permanent ngata/village as a way to localize the population at that time, facilitating governance by building residential houses for the population and opening agricultural land around the Moa area. The Indigenous Community of To Kulawi Uma in Moa has areas that are protected and managed specifically, namely Wana, Wana Ngkiki, and Ponulu.
Area Management
Wana is the core zone area where indigenous community activities are rarely found. Wana is only used as a place for hunting, collecting resin or agarwood. The collection of rattan and medicinal plants can also be done here, although on a limited scale.
Wanangkiki is the upper mountain forest area located at the peak of high mountains far from human settlements, covered with hard-stemmed, dwarf trees. The trunks, branches, leaves of the trees, and the forest floor are covered with moss.
Ponulu is a primary forest located near settlements or agricultural lands and can be utilized for hunting as well as collecting rattan, house-building wood, resin, medicinal plants, and other forest products. Occasionally, Ponulu may be repurposed for agricultural lands.
Management Practices
The indigenous community of To Kulawi Uma in Moa recognizes ownership rights over natural resources in two forms, namely:
Collective or communal ownership rights which in Kulawi language is called “Huaka”. Huaka is the ownership right of the entire indigenous community that includes land and all resources within the customary territory of To Kulawi Uma in Moa. Huaka also includes the forest areas of wanangkiki, wana, ponulu with everything within them. For example: rattan, resin, agarwood, and wood that can be utilized as building materials for houses and others. Because the position of Huaka is a communal ownership of the Ngata/village, it is not permitted to be sold to anyone who is not a member of the local indigenous community.
Individual/family/private ownership rights referred to as “Dodoha”. Ownership rights that fall under the category of Dodoha are forms of land and natural resource ownership that belong to individuals/families, for example: Popanolua—a forest opened by a certain person or family will become the private property of the individual or family who first opened the forest or “Moponulu” and this is usually obtained through customary division or inheritance from parents and some are owned through buying and selling transactions.
As for the form of traditional governance of To Kulawi Uma in Moa, it was initially a single leadership that managed (ngata/village) and was assisted by maradika-maradika from each family group consolidated into small groups called “Boya” with traditional governance—where everyone adheres to the collective agreement resulting from “Molibu” or deliberation. In the molibu or deliberation process in the indigenous community of To Kulawi Uma in Moa, it is known as “molibu kokotio” which is carried out by certain individuals such as maradika and totua ngata and Libu Bohe which is conducted by Maradika, Totua ngata, and Todea. The decision-making mechanism is carried out in the form of consensus deliberation (molibu) with the governance system being Traditional Governance.
Biodiversity
Protection of the Wana, Wana Ngkiki, and Ponulu areas contributes to the preservation of forest ecosystems. These three areas have a communal/shared utilization function for the interests and welfare of the community. The community is allowed to take resources within them on a limited basis—this demonstrates that the indigenous community sustainably manages and protects the forest areas. Additionally, protection of these three areas also contributes to the flora and fauna within them, such as:
Wana: Resin, kaha wood, wild areca nut (hara), pakanangi wood, Palio (protecting from disturbances by supernatural beings), yellow roots, wild areca nut (ritual plants).
Wana Ngkiki: Resin, kaha wood, wild areca nut (hara), eel (sidat), river frogs, shrimp, anoa, deer, hornbills, Tolutu (the most feared animal).
Legal Holders
The Indigenous Law Community of To Kulawi Uma in Moa has specific regulations governing the Recognition and Protection of the Rights of the Indigenous Community of To Kulawi Uma in Moa through the Sigi Regent's Decree No. 189-323 of 2018 regarding the Recognition and Protection of the Indigenous Law Community of To Kulawi Uma in Moa as a legitimate legal subject along with its customary territory.