Rimba Igom

According to mythology, the origins of the Bulusu people come from the sky. In the belief of the Dayak Bulusu, there are figures Jadu (Grandmother) Lawang and Yaki (Grandfather) Bugang, protective deities who reside in Muruk Lingu (heaven). They gave birth to a child named Yaki Ibo, who was sent down to earth at Dagas Sebengawang (a stretch of stone in Gong Solok, upstream of the Malinau River) using a kelangkang (basket). He was equipped with kencur, a machete, and a white chicken as symbols of strength and life. From Yaki Ibo, the Dayak Bulusu community was born.

Kencur serves as a medium of communication with ancestors, while the white chicken is used as a disease repellent. It is also said that Yaki Ibo was accompanied by a dog he called “kaka,” which is why to this day the Bulusu people do not eat dog meat as they consider it a sibling. In the early days, the Bulusu people were believed to have long lifespans because Jadu Lawang often brought back the spirits of their deceased. However, when the ancestors tried to play with power by deceiving Jadu Lawang through a ritual to bring fish to life, Jadu Lawang became furious and uttered a curse: from that moment on, Bulusu humans would experience death like ordinary humans.

Historically, the Bulusu community faced the threat of headhunting, which forced them to leave Gong Solok and migrate downstream. They inhabited Malinau, Tana Tidung, and the Sekatak River in Bulungan. This nomadic lifestyle led them to always build baloy adat (longhouses) by the riverbank. This is where the name Bulusu originates, which is believed to come from the word Brus, the name of the river where they first settled.

Around 1925, the Kelemangkis area was led by Bapak Ibo, a respected leader known for his bravery and skill in headhunting. After his death, leadership passed to other figures such as Bapak Idong, Bapak Golong, Bapak Inai, and Bapak Yungkar, during the time when Catholicism began to enter through Pastor De Corm OMI (1952). The next generation was led by Bapak Ingi and Bapak Yagal, who moved the settlement to the Pungit area. The government later designated this area as Desa Pungit during the New Order period.

Entering the 1980s, the Bulusu Pungit area began to be pressured by company expansion, starting with Kaltim Raya, followed by Sanjung Makmur, and then PT Intracawood (2017), as well as PT Adindo and Inhutani. The presence of these companies changed environmental conditions; floods receded more slowly and river water became murkier compared to previous times. In 2018, electricity reached Desa Pungit through assistance from Intracawood, which provided a loan of Rp450 million for installation. As of 2024, the community still bears a remaining debt of Rp200 million. This assistance made the community feel a sense of dependency on the company.

The Rimba Igom is a forest that must not be opened or cultivated and is protected by the community. This area is utilized as a hunting ground for the community and forest products are taken for community infrastructure needs, as well as medicinal plants such as Owoy (rattan), agarwood (garu), paligh (poison for blow darts), Umbut (punu), rapiu (grapes), petai, and lasun (a type of salacca).

The Rimba Igom area is classified as a Limited Production Forest (HPT) and Production Forest (HP). In the HPT area, utilization is limited due to its protective function, usually located in hilly or mountainous areas, while HP is a production forest area that can be utilized more broadly for economic activities, especially timber production and other forest products. However, even though it falls under HPT and HP, the community still has the right to protect areas believed to belong to them. Some rules and rights of the community that apply in Rimba Igom include;

• Utilization is communal
• The community is permitted to process natural food sources found in the forest
• Cutting trees is prohibited up to about 100 meters in the forest area
• Opening fields within the Rimba Igom is prohibited
• Excessive tree cutting is prohibited

For the Bulusu Pungit community, nature, forests, rivers, and fields are an inseparable unity. Before the community engages in activities related to the environment, they must perform customary rituals or seek permission from the “inhabitants” or ancestors.

When they are about to harvest wood to make boards, they must ask for permission from the forest inhabitants (babang tana) so that they can work well and safely.

Several types of wood that must not be cut for any reason, such as penyupuan wood (honeycomb tree), nunuk (fig tree), etc.

When wanting to open fields in the forest (muka rimba), they must have informed and sought permission from ulun tuo kampung (village elders).

If there are penyupuan trees (honeycomb trees), then the area around about 100 meters from the tree is prohibited from being cut. This is done as a food source for bees and a way to harvest honey. The Bulusu Pungit community harvests honey from the benggaris tree (menggeris/sialang) by making a natural ladder from various surrounding trees, then the honey will be smoked and harvested using owoy (rattan).

These rules must be adhered to by both indigenous communities and newcomers entering the Rimba Igom area; violations will result in warnings, but if the violations are severe, such as those that could damage the forest ecosystem, a customary court will be held, with the outcome determining a fine in the form of a Tempayan/money. The customary court is conducted by gathering at Baloy Adat, a discussion place for the community to determine conflict resolution agreements with customary leaders.

The Rimba Igom contributes to the biodiversity of mountain forests, particularly in the Pungit village. Some important flora found in this area include;

• Kiliw
• Palig (poison for blow darts)
• Owoy (Rattan)
• Garu (agarwood)
• Umbud (punu’)
• Petai (stink bean),
• Rapiu
• Lasun (a type of wild salacca)
• Lempasu (wild tamarind)
• Kuku (cocoa).

Meanwhile, the fauna living around the area includes;

• Bakas (wild boar)
• Pelanuk (mouse deer)
• Bulun (wild chicken)
• Tuwou (peacock).

In the Rimba Igom in Pungit village, there are several important points guarded by the community, including small rapids such as Paru Nyait and Paru Mambong, rivers including Sungoi Bengara, Sungoi Ungan, Sungoi Petelek, Sungoi Busou, and Sungai Panas, as well as a waterfall named Bosoi Sungoi Ungan, and an old settlement called Baloy Patoy Loncon Talu.

There are currently no specific regulations governing the recognition of the Rimba Igom Bulusu Pungit area. However, the community has a collective commitment regarding the management of the AKKM area by the wider community. This awareness began from the community's initiative to protect their forest area from companies, promote customary forest areas, and preserve the biodiversity within the forest.