Jakarta – Deep in the rainforests of central and southern Sumatra are its indigenous inhabitants, the nomadic Kubu. Amongst their own, they call themselves Suku Anak Dalam or Orang Rimba – “people of the forest” or “land dweller” / “river dweller”, as some can be found residing in swamps and banks on the rivers. Unlike their Bali neighbors, theirs is archaic, clinging on to their traditional hunter-gathering ways, content on reaping what the jungles and forests naturally provides. They hunt small game, such as, boars, tapirs, lizards, monkeys, birds, and deer. Their principal weapon, a long spear for which they kill their prey; bows and arrows, blowpipes and other weapons are unknown to them. To complement their primary hunting weapon, they make and use various kinds of traps and snares to capture small animals. They also eat wild tubers, fruits, leaves, fish and shellfish. Their domiciles are impermanent and best reflect their nomadic lifestyle. Built atop platforms using bamboo and leaves, their homes are without any walls. Typically, three to five ‘houses’ form a village, known as sirup(s). Strangely, the eldest person serves as chief but has no real authority. They are Austronesian and continue to practice animism – the belief that inanimate objects haves spirits. Village shamans continue to practice curing ceremonies and make offerings to the spirits on behalf of the villagers. Interestingly, villagers from one community rarely come into contact with those of another since there are no celebratory feasts to commemorate “coming of age” ceremonies, and/or other community gatherings. They are time-honored Austronesian and the unpretentiousness of their material culture is representative of their traditions and basic lifestyle.
As Indonesia continues to grow and expand, so too does the demand for natural resources and space, particularly in the lowland rainforests and swamps of central Sumatra. Thus, it’s inevitable that contact will only increase and most importantly, the loss of habitat will most certainly impact the nomadic Kubu. For instance, cotton loin cloths have replaced traditional barkcloths as the primary attire. This and other material items, normally beyond the scope of the Kubu, have been procured through silent trades/exchanges. The little contact they do have with neighboring Malay, they would engage in bartering their goods. The Kubu would take their goods, usually handicrafts such as baskets and fish traps, to a nearby clearing, where the Malay traders could inspect them. In turn, the traders would then place their goods they were willing to exchange nearby, then withdraw to a short distance away. If the offer was reasonable, the Kubu would take what was afforded and retreat back into the forest. The refuse scattered around their huts attest to an increasing contact with outsiders. In addition to shells and bone remains (of game), are discarded batteries, empty tins, bottles and plastic trash.
For their part, the Indonesian government has tried, with mixed results, to assist, educate, and resettle the Kubu in designated, ‘transmigration’ settlement areas. The confined freedom of movement, coupled with a multitude of duties and obligations imposed on villagers run counter to what and who the Kubu are. For example, mandatory education, development and political activism, and gotong royong – a contemporary ethos of most Indonesians, to mean “working together for helping each other”, remain foreign to the Kubu…The Kubu deliberately reject village life. Adhering to their transient lifestyle, they repeatedly resist the pressures of the outside world that would force them to become settled villagers. Many live in proximity with village farmers yet opt to continue their way of life where they hunt freely, without becoming or wanting to become village dwellers.
That said, logging, mining, and plantation agriculture continue to expose much of the lowland areas, once havens of the Kubu, are no more. Some have been forced to adapt, like adopting agriculture on a limited scale for the cultivation of upland rice, corn and/or other root crops, yet all the while resisting integration into mainstream Indonesian life. Whereas, others, still, have moved farther and deeper into the jungles, becoming more isolated. Time, unfortunately, is not on their side and it remains to be seen how the Kubu and their culture and traditions might be forced to adapt when their natural habitat is further eroded.
Image from Danny Maulana of Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia https://www.travelblog.org/Photos/5777830
