Sumok

The community initiative to manage forests sustainably and legally began with a meeting between WWF Indonesia and community leader, Mr. Agustinus Kanki Balagaize in 2005. From this meeting, the community expressed a desire to manage the forest with the assistance of WWF Indonesia, hoping to achieve higher economic benefits while considering sustainability and protection aspects both culturally and under positive law. This forest management initiative is carried out by taking into account the local wisdom of the community and maintaining important places for the community—both as sources of livelihood and social culture.

Sumok, located in the Mo Make Unaf area, has had its protection initiated with the assistance of WWF Indonesia before investments were made. When investments entered (PT Selaras Inti Semesta/Medco Group), this community area fell within the concession area of the company. This was done in 2009 with PT SIS. However, until now, the area has not been released from the PT. SIS area, which has a permit from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. Meanwhile, Mo Make Unaf has obtained management permission from the Governor of Papua Province. This overlap has resulted in KSU Mo Make Unaf not yet starting forest management activities in the area.

Traditionally, the Balagaize clan has maintained the balance of the customary forest, which is now used as a model for sustainable forest management by the community—subsequently forming a working group for forest product management named “Mo Make Unaf,” which means “Let’s Walk/Let’s Move Forward.” The ownership of the customary land of the Balagaize clan Kaliki began with the arrival of their first ancestor, Widui—who settled in a hamlet called Dusun Samta. This hamlet has ancestral relics in the form of graves believed to be the living place of Widui's ancestors until now. The practice of honoring or respecting the clan towards their ancestors is by not disturbing/destroying the forest around the graves. The protected forest area is called Sumok. The Sumok area is protected because it is considered a place for foraging (source of livelihood), a place to store traditional medicines, and a sacred place for the community.

This management takes the form of the KSU Mo Make Unaf. The establishment of the cooperative is recorded in the Deed of Establishment No. 36 dated September 23, 2009, and the Letter of Approval of the Cooperative Establishment Deed is stated in 236/ BH/ XXXII.2/XII/2009 dated December 19, 2009. The structure of the KSU Mo Make Unaf management is as follows:

• Supervisors
  • Chair: Head of the Merauke Forestry Office
  • Members: Manager of WWF Indonesia Merauke Office, CO WWF Indonesia Merauke Office, Agustinus Balagaize (Manager of the Mo Make Unaf community group).
• Management
  • Chair: Sefnat Balagaize
  • Secretary: Ayub Balagaize
  • Treasurer: Fransina Gebze
• Planning
  • Agustinus Basikbasik
  • Gregorius Mahuze
  • Gebze
  • Dominikus Gebze
• Logging
  • Theodorus Gebze
  • Alberthus Noriwari
  • Linus Mahuze
  • Servasius Mahuze
• General
  • Frans Balagaize (Marketing)
  • Paustinus Mahuze (Administration)
  • Hilarius Mahuze (Timber Administration)

Decision-making in the management of the Sumok area is based on consensus discussions among all members of KSU Mo Make Unaf. Access to utilization in the Sumok area is limited to members of KSU Mo Make Unaf—this is based on agreements reached through member discussions.

The management and protection of the Sumok area through the establishment of the KSU Mo Make Unaf is expected to contribute to the preservation of forest ecosystems and the biodiversity within them. The Sumok area has been threatened in its existence and is being sought after by companies investing in the Sumok area owned by the Indigenous Community of the Marind Tribe, the Balagaize Clan, and the Gebze Clan. As is known, the Sumok area is protected because it is considered a place for foraging (source of livelihood), a place to store traditional medicines, and a sacred place for the community. It is hoped that through KSU Mo Make Unaf, the community can manage the forest sustainably and become a source of livelihood while upholding the cultural and spiritual values of the community. In addition, the flora and fauna in the Sumok area are also preserved, some of which include: Greater Bird of Paradise (Paradiseae apoda), Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Cicinurus regius), Southern Cassowary (Goura scheepmakeri), Deer (Cervus timorensis), Wallaby (Macropus agilis), Deer, Wild Boar, Cassowary, Fish, Turmeric, and Sago.

The Indigenous Community of the Marind Tribe, the Balagaize Clan, and the Gebze Clan do not yet have a legal basis or specific regulations governing the recognition and protection of rights or the protection of community-managed areas. However, as a cooperative group (KSU) Mo Make Unaf, they have obtained a business permit for the utilization of timber forest products through the Papua Governor's Decree Number 91 of 2011 concerning the Granting of Business Permits for the Utilization of Timber Forest Products of Customary Law Communities (IUPHHK-MHA) to the Cooperative (KSU) Mo Make Unaf in Merauke Regency, Papua Province.