Tiram Tambun

Long before the era of colonialism, Kampong Mentawir was known as an area called “Tiram Tambun” inhabited by Paser Balik Tribe. The initial area of Mentawir historically included Panjang Gulen, Sekambing, Daup, Tembuni, Lop, Kemantes, Baruangin, Air Putar, and Tempadung. The Paser Balik Tribe is the original tribe that first inhabited the Mentawir area, known for being shy and reluctant to live alongside other tribes or groups. Therefore, when newcomers from other tribes or groups arrived, they often decided to leave their environment and seek new places to live.

Based on the information obtained, Tiram Tambun is the former name of Kampong Mentawir, where during the reign of Tam Lempai, this area was used as a place to sink the pinisi ships owned by newcomers, who were generally traders. These newcomers were known to come from Sulawesi, other regions in Kalimantan, and beyond. The method employed by the people of Tiram Tambun was to kill the crew of the ships and sink the ships belonging to the newcomers to reject their arrival, defend their territory, and their reluctance to live together with other communities or tribes. The sunken pinisi ships belonging to the newcomers turned into shipwrecks and were then covered by oysters that grew around them. The abundant number of these oysters made the area of Kampong Mentawir at that time known as Kampong Tiram Tambun. The meaning of Tiram Tambun refers to the word Oysters that are piled up in that area and is formulated with the local naming or designation, Tiram Tambun.

Tam Lempai himself is a Sentuon in the customary area of Kampong Mentawir. He possesses high supernatural powers, and anyone who dares to disturb the customary territory of Kampong Mentawir will not hesitate to behead them. There is a place that bears silent witness to the existence of Tam Lempai in the past, namely Tanjung Utok. Tanjung Utok is the location used as a dumping ground for the victims of beheadings by Tam Lempai. The victims of Tam Lempai gathered at one cape, which over time only left behind bones and skulls. This place was then named Tanjung Utok, where Utok itself in the Paser language means skull.

The power of the Balik Tribe in Tiram Tambun at that time was led by someone known as Tuo Kampong. The first Tuo Kampong Tiram Tambun was Punai. During Punai's leadership as Tuo Kampong, the people of Tiram Tambun were not yet religious and still adhered to the belief of Iden—worship of ancestral spirits. There is an important event regarding how the people of Tiram Tambun experienced change. It was not easy for outsiders to enter this area, one of them being Andi Jamaludinni—a Demang sent with permission from the Prakesit Kingdom. After two attempts to enter the Tiram Tambun area, Andi Jamaludinni was finally accepted on the third attempt in 1930. After being accepted in Tiram Tambun, Andi Jamaludinni then married a local woman from Tiram Tambun named Sanso. His marriage to Bu Sanso made Andi Jamaludinni more accepted by the people of Tiram Tambun. This marriage became one of the conditions for Andi Jamaludinni to be accepted in Tiram Tambun. After several years without children, he married a woman from Bombai Samarinda.

The acceptance of Andi Jamaludinni in Tiram Tambun was not a simple matter, as at that time Tuo Kampong Punai shared similar views and ideologies with him. Therefore, without any conflict or dispute whatsoever between Punai and Andi Jamaludinni, Punai handed over his leadership to Andi Jamaludinni in 1930 (upon entering Kampong Mentawir). The transfer of power to Demang Andi Jamaludinni was also a step for Punai to leave Tiram Tambun under the pretext of going to a new village, namely Pemaluan. During Andi Jamaludinni's leadership, around 40 people were converted to Islam. Meanwhile, regarding Punai's journey to Pemaluan, Punai suffered from a skin disease, namely leprosy. While he was sleeping during his journey, he dreamed—of a healing method that could be performed by Punai by returning to Tiram Tambun. Based on the suggestion in the dream, Punai decided to return. Upon arriving in Tiram Tambun, he cleansed himself with the river water near Tiram Tambun. After that, the disease he suffered from was immediately cured. Therefore, this river water is known as the antidote or healing water. Consequently, this river was named Sungai Mentawar and the naming of Kampong Tiram Tambun changed to Kampong Mentawar.

The period of Andi Jamaludinni's leadership lasted from 1930 to 1945. During this time, Demang Andi Jamaludinni appointed a Pembakal in Kampong Mentawar. This was done to better organize the community. The Pembakal appointed by Andi Jamaludinni was Pembakal Setrat. After several years in office, the term of Pembakal Setrat ended in 1945 and was succeeded by Dengkang. The term of Pembakal Dengkang lasted for 25 years (1945-1970). During Pembakal Dengkang's time, an important event occurred in the Mentawar community, namely the entry of a group in 1957. This event is better known as the aggression carried out by the group Ibnu Hajar. When this group entered the area of Kampong Mentawar, the community was called together and informed that they would go to the forest to protect themselves for 7 days, and because the notification received at that time was considered brief and did not take long, the community did not bring any preparations or equipment, only the clothes they were wearing to hide in the forest. After a long time hiding in the forest, the community was not allowed to leave even after 7 days had passed. Eventually, the community hid in the forest and returned to their settlement after a year. Some community members returned to their homes and fields, but unfortunately, nothing remained of what they had left behind while hiding in the forest. Many of the community's houses had been destroyed and leveled to the ground due to being demolished or damaged. Additionally, the condition of the community's fields, which should have yielded some natural products that they could take, had nothing left. With the conditions and situations experienced, the loss and lack of livelihoods in Mentawar at that time led some of the Mentawar community, especially those from the Paser Balik Tribe, to decide to leave the village and go to other surrounding areas, such as Nenang, Pemaluan, and Sepaku Logdam. Meanwhile, some other Mentawar community members who remained in the village, during the recovery and sterilization from further group aggression, were provided with supervision, security, and protection by a security unit, namely Brimob. The supervision conducted by Brimob on the community that stayed in Kampong Mentawar lasted for two years (1958-1960).

At the end of Dengkang's term as Pembakal in Kampong Mentawar in 1970, he was succeeded by another Pembakal, namely Pembakal Rahim. During Pembakal Rahim's time, Kampong Mentawar changed and was officially named Kampong Mentawir. The name change to Kampong Mentawir was officiated by the District Head at that time, Usman Chandra. A few years later, precisely when Pembakal Rahim's term ended, he was replaced by Pembakal K.H. Muhammad Hasan Ranggong. Officially appointed as Pembakal in 1980, K.H. Muhammad Hasan Ranggong is the son of Demang Andi Jamaludinni. A year later, the position of Pembakal in Kampong Mentawir was abolished and replaced with Lurah. Therefore, K.H. Muhammad Hasan Ranggong became the first lurah and the official designation of Kampong Mentawir as Kelurahan Mentawir. The inauguration of K.H. Muhammad Hasan Ranggong took place in 1981. His term lasted from 1981 to 1997. After K.H. Muhammad Hasan Ranggong's term as lurah ended, the following names of lurah who served until now are; Bustani (1997-2004), Risman (2004-2008), Waluyo (2008-2012), Ari Rahayu (2012-2013), Supriadi (2013-2018), Yamani (2018-2022), Nelva Susanti (2022-present).

The Paser people came to Mentawir because the customary area of Kampong Mentawir has vast land. They sought a livelihood by clearing land and integrating with the Balik people. Their migration was based on the activity of shifting cultivation, so this is not related to the arrival of Demang in the customary area of Kampong Mentawir. This is supported by the statement that the Paser Tribe had arrived in the customary area of Kampong Mentawir before Demang. The arrival of the Paser Tribe in the customary area of Kampong Mentawir also serves as evidence of disappointment with the decision of Sultan Bungut with the Dutch regarding land division.

The Indigenous People of Kampong Mentawir have a protected site or area called Tiram Tambun. The story of Tiram Tambun is also reflected in the history of the establishment of the village/migration of Kampung Mentawir. Tiram Tambun is the former name of Kampong Mentawir, where during the reign of Tam Lempai, this area was used as a place to sink the pinisi ships owned by newcomers, who were generally traders. These newcomers were known to come from Sulawesi, other regions in Kalimantan, and beyond. The method employed by the people of Tiram Tambun was to kill the crew of the ships and sink the ships belonging to the newcomers to reject their arrival, defend their territory, and their reluctance to live together with other communities or tribes. The sunken pinisi ships belonging to the newcomers turned into shipwrecks and were then covered by oysters that grew around them. The abundant number of these oysters made the area of Kampong Mentawir at that time known as Kampong Tiram Tambun. The meaning of Tiram Tambun refers to the word Oysters that are piled up in that area and is established with the local naming or designation Tiram Tambun.

The initiative to protect this area has existed and been ingrained for generations in the minds of the Indigenous People of Kampong Mentawir. However, many of the customary leaders do not yet understand the regulations regarding the protection of protected areas or their customary territory. Therefore, there are external parties that assist in the recognition and protection of the Indigenous People of Kampong Mentawir, such as AMAN (Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago), PEREMPUAN AMAN, and BRWA (Customary Territory Registration Agency) in 2020 to conduct mapping of the customary territory and gather social data of the indigenous community.

The area of Tiram Tambun can be utilized by all communities in Kampung Mentawir—both the Paser Mentawar Tribe and other tribes residing in Kampung Mentawir are welcome to utilize it. The main rule applied is not to take excessively and only with the permission of the customary leader. Furthermore, when fishing/shrimping, the use of trawl nets (large nets) is prohibited. This rule is managed and supervised by the customary institution called Pemurus Adat Kampong Mentawar, which consists of:

• Tuo Kampong, who plays a role in running the customary government, leading discussions (bapekat), and regulating the system of life of the indigenous community regarding order, harmony, and security.
• Pengirak, who assists Tuo Kampong in managing the village.
• Mulung, who acts as a mediator/intermediary in customary rituals.
• Penggading, who assists Mulung in performing rituals by calling ancestral spirits.

However, currently, the customary institution is only run by the customary leader and deputy leader, as well as members of the indigenous community in carrying out the functions of the customary institution.

In addition, the Indigenous People of Kampong Mentawir have a division of space according to their customs, namely:

• Alas, is a protected land area for its reserve garden benefits. There are various land covers in this area, namely brackish, teak, and pine. Alas is divided into several categories, namely:

• Alas Tuo: Alas that has never been cultivated for fields. Alas Tuo is a place to search for rattan, a hunting ground, to gather traditional medicinal materials, and needs for building houses. Alas Tuo is interpreted as a forest that is still dense. (now has become a thicket)
• Alas Bakau: Mangrove Forest.

• Lati Burok, is a thicket of former rice fields left for 3-4 years.
• Umo, is an area of garden/field for planting rice and vegetables.
• Kampung, is a residential area in the Kampong Maridan region.
• Sipung Buah, an area that is densely populated with fruit plants from the past to the present.
• Payok, is an agricultural area specifically used for planting rice.
• Lowak, is the local term for river.
• Tasik, is the local term for sea.

The Indigenous People of Kampong Mentawar protect the area of Tiram Tambun because this area has a history closely related to the historical events of the Mentawar village. The management and protection of Tiram Tambun contribute to the welfare of the community because its utilization is very beneficial for the livelihoods of the people. Furthermore, Tiram Tambun also contributes to the preservation of coastal ecosystems. In addition, it also contributes to the protection of the biodiversity within it, such as:

• • Flora:
  • • Bako Song (Male Mangrove)
    • Bako Bawe (Female Mangrove)
    • Bako Boli (Mangrove)
    • Bako Tengere (Mangrove)
    • Bako Landing (Mangrove)
    • Bako Setigi (Mangrove)
    • Bako Api-Api (Mangrove)
    • Bako Landro Song (Mangrove)
    • Bako Landro Bawe (Mangrove)
    • Bako Lapio (Mangrove)
    • Nipah
    • Jeruju
    • Perepah
    • Perangat
    • Perepah Batu
  • Fauna:
  • Bangau Tontong (protected and Rare/Endangered)
  • Penyu Sisik (Protected and Rare/Endangered)
  • Pesut Air Asin (Protected and Rare/Endangered)
  • Kepiting Bakau
  • Udang Putih
  • Ikan Kipar
  • Ikan Baronang
  • Ikan Belanak
  • Ikan Kakap Merah
  • Ikan Kakap Putih
  • Ikan Sumpit
  • Ikan Barakuda
  • Ikan Tompel
  • Ikan Ketamba
  • Ikan Trekulu
  • Ikan Pari
  • Ikan Mayung

The Indigenous People in Penajam Paser Utara Regency only have a legal basis for recognition and protection at the provincial level. Until now, there are no specific regulations governing the recognition and protection of rights/protected management areas by the Indigenous People of Paser Mentawir. The Indigenous People of Paser Mentawir are one of the indigenous communities affected by the eviction due to the development of Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) in Sepaku District.