Wana Ngkiki
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 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, 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 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 indigenous community of Moa living in Boku and Haluboko.
In 1911, Walter Kauderen (an anthropologist) visited the southern Kulawi region and found a community that speaks 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 two major settlements of Boku and Haluboko were merged into a permanent ngata/village as a way to localize the population at that time, making it easier for the government to operate, by building residential houses for the population and opening farmland around the Moa area. The Indigenous Community To Kulawi Uma in Moa has protected areas that are specifically managed, namely Wana, Wana Ngkiki, and Ponulu.
Area Management
Wana is the core zone area where there is rarely any activity by the indigenous community within it. 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 human settlements, covered with hard-stemmed, dwarf trees. The trunks, branches, leaves of the trees, and 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 known in Kulawi as “Huaka.” Huaka is the ownership right of the entire indigenous community covering land and all resources within the customary territory of To Kulawi Uma in Moa. Huaka also includes the areas of wanangkiki, wana, and ponulu with everything within them. For example: rattan, resin, agarwood, and wood that can be used as building materials and others. Because the status of Huaka is 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 that 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.
The form of customary governance of To Kulawi Uma in Moa was initially a single leadership managing (ngata/village) and assisted by maradika-maradika from each family group consolidated in small groups called “Boya” with customary governance—where everyone will adhere to the joint agreement resulting from “Molibu” or deliberation. In the process of molibu or deliberation in the indigenous community 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 carried out by Maradika, Totua ngata, and Todea. The decision-making mechanism is done in the form of consensus deliberation (molibu) with the governance system being Customary 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 in a limited manner—this shows that the indigenous community maintains and protects the forest areas sustainably. In addition, the protection of these three areas also contributes to the flora and fauna within them, such as:
Wana: Resin, kaha wood, wild betel (hara), pakanangi wood, Palio (protecting from disturbances by supernatural beings), yellow roots, wild betel (ritual plants).
Wana Ngkiki: Resin, kaha wood, wild betel (hara), eel (sidat), river frogs, shrimp, anoa, deer, 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.