Wana
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 speaks the Uma dialect. The Indigenous Community To Kulawi Uma in Moa (To I Moa), one of the original Uma-speaking tribes inhabiting the valley bordered by the Bulu Moa mountains to the west, Bulu Pepa to the east, Bulu Kalari to the south, and Bulu Lampo to the north. Initially, the To I Moa settlement was around the Boku and Haluboko mountain forests along the banks of the Koro River (Lariang), 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 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 area and discovered a community speaking Uma (a sub-group of the Kulawi tribe) that had settled in the villages of Boku, Haluboko, and part of Moa for farming, led by a Totua ngata (tribal chief) named Sangkila. Subsequently, during the Dutch colonial government, the area merged two major settlements, Boku and Haluboko, into a permanent ngata/village as a way to localize the population at that time, making governance easier by building residential houses and opening farmland around the Moa area. The Indigenous Community To Kulawi Uma in Moa has areas that are specifically protected and managed, namely Wana, Wana Ngkiki, and Ponulu.
Area Management
Wana is the core zone area where there is rarely any indigenous community activity. 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 a high mountain far from residential 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 as a place for hunting as well as collecting rattan, house-building wood, resin, medicines, and other forest products. Occasionally, Ponulu may be repurposed for agricultural lands.
Management Practices
The indigenous community 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 that exists 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 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 personal or family property of the first person or family that opened the forest or “Moponulu” and this is usually obtained according to the distribution of customary institutions or inheritance from parents, and some are also owned through buying and selling transactions.
The form of indigenous governance To Kulawi Uma in Moa was initially a single leadership that managed (ngata/village) and was assisted by maradika from each family group consolidated in small groups called “Boya” with indigenous governance—where everyone would adhere to the agreements resulting from “Molibu” or deliberation. In the process of molibu or deliberation in the indigenous community To Kulawi Uma in Moa is known as “molibu kokotio” which is conducted by certain individuals such as maradika and totua ngata and Libu Bohe 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 Indigenous Governance.
Biodiversity
Protection of the Wana, Wana Ngkiki, and Ponulu areas contributes to the preservation of forest ecosystems. These three areas have communal/shared utilization functions 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, the protection of these three areas also contributes to the flora and fauna within them, such as:
Wana: Resin, kaha wood, wild betel nut (hara), pakanangi wood, Palio (protects from disturbances by supernatural beings), yellow root, wild betel nut (ritual plant).
Wana Ngkiki: Resin, kaha wood, wild betel nut (hara), eel (sidat), river frogs, shrimp, anoa, babirusas, hornbills, Tolutu (the most feared animal).
Legal Holders
The Indigenous Law Community to Kulawi Uma in Moa has specific regulations governing the Recognition and Protection of the Rights of the Indigenous Community To Kulawi Uma in Moa through the Sigi Regent Decree No. 189-323 of 2018 regarding the Recognition and Protection of the Indigenous Law Community to Kulawi Uma in Moa as a legitimate legal subject along with its customary territory.