Text: Rifqy Faiza Rahman
Photos: Deta Widyananda, Rifqy Faiza Rahman, and Mauren Fitri

Sago is often referred to as an alternative food source to replace rice. Some people may also recognize sago in its flour form, which is used as a raw ingredient for various snacks, such as cakes and bread. In fact, several regions in Indonesia, including Papua, have used sago as a staple food for generations.  

For Papuans, sago flows as closely as the veins. The philosophy of the sago tree holds profound meaning: its exterior is thorny, but its core is radiant. This symbolizes that, although one’s outward appearance may seem tough and intimidating, the heart remains kind, sincere, and pure— as white as sago starch. The same applies to the Afsya community in Bariat Village, the capital of Konda District. Afsya is a sub-tribe of the Tehit people, the largest indigenous community in South Sorong Regency.

The Afsya community settlement is located within a 3,307.717 hectare customary forest area. The Bariat forest is dominated by peat ecosystems, making it highly susceptible to fires. As a result, fire hazard warning signs from the environmental service are installed in many locations.  

Since Bariat is a landlocked village with no direct access to the sea, the community’s livelihood depends on forest resources. Among the many commodities available, sago (Metroxylon sp.) remains their staple food.

During the 2024 Arah Singgah Expedition in Papua, the TelusuRI team stopped by Bariat Village to observe the sago processing process. Adrianus Kemeray (51), the Head of Bariat Village, invited us to enter the sago forest owned by the Nikson Kemeray family. Inside, there was a mature sago tree, about 10 years old, ready for harvest.  

The location was not far from the asphalt road connecting Teminabuan (the capital of South Sorong) with the villages in Konda District. We could reach the site on foot from Adrianus’ house, where we were staying. However, due to heavy rain the previous night, the land around the sago tree was flooded up to our calves. Some residents lent us boots, while they themselves usually walked barefoot—despite the scattered sago tree thorns and sharp wood chips. We had to tread carefully on hollow and slippery sago trunks to make our way through.

Mutual cooperation in processing sago

According to Adrianus, sago is the greatest local food gift from God to the land of Papua. Their ancestors passed down extensive knowledge about sago and its uses—all without spending a single penny.  

“Sago is a staple food inherited from our ancestors. We protect the sago tree as our biological mother,” said Adrianus. Just as Papuans consider the forest their mother—or mama—because it provides life, the same applies to sago. Protecting the sago hamlet—the community’s term for the sago forest—means ensuring the sustainability of their livelihoods for future generations.  

Every part of a sago tree can be utilized. The bark or trunk serves as firewood. Sago fronds can be used as a surface for squeezing sago and as material for house walls. Meanwhile, the leaves, or thatch, can be woven into durable roofing.

From a climate perspective, sago plays a crucial role in maintaining environmental quality. According to research by Bambang Hariyanto, a principal researcher at the BPPT Agro-Industry Technology Center, sago plants can absorb more carbon emissions than other forest plants. Therefore, sago is valued not only as an economic resource but also for its ability to restore the surrounding forest’s environmental conditions.  

Furthermore, sago is a carbohydrate-rich food that is just as satisfying as rice. Unlike rice, which takes three to four months to harvest, sago can be processed and consumed on the same day. This is why cooperation, or gotong royong, among families is essential during sago harvesting.  

The early stages of sago processing require significant physical effort, which is where the men take the lead. Armed with machetes and axes, adult men work together to cut the base of the sago trunk and ensure it falls in the right direction.

I don’t know exactly what a sago tree ready for harvest looks like. What is clear, according to Adrianus, is that the average age of a mature sago tree ready for harvest is around 10 years, with a minimum height of approximately 15 meters.  

Arah Singgah expedition team was asked to step back from the felling site. The men shouted loudly to give a warning.  

Bang! A large tree crashed down, falling in the opposite direction from where we had come. Daniel Meres, a neighbor who lives across from Adrianus’ house, swiftly swung his axe repeatedly at the surface of the sago trunk. Meanwhile, those using machetes, such as Nikson, Wilhelmus, and Maurit, were tasked with peeling the sago trunk and cutting off the remaining fronds. Teenagers like Nobili and Yunus were ready to carry and guard our somewhat troublesome belongings—cameras, tripods, backpacks, and mattresses.

A single sago tree cannot be fully processed in just one day. Residents typically open only about a quarter of the trunk at a time for processing. Fredik Ariks is the first to pierce the core of the trunk, or pith—the soft, white inner part of the sago tree.  

The special tool used for this process functions like a hammer and is usually made from strong wood, such as merbau, which locals call ironwood. A sharp metal blade is often attached to the tip to make it more durable and efficient in crushing the pith.  

Amos Meres, Daniel Meres’ son, takes his turn, working hard to break the pith apart until it becomes loose, like flour. “If you get tired, you can switch with the younger ones,” Fredik said with a laugh.

A wise and sustainable ancestral food heritage

Although the land belongs to the Kemeray clan, the sago harvesting and processing process involves families from various clans. This is because a single sago tree can sustain the needs of all 340 Bariat residents for several weeks. In fact, in one day, they only process a few sacks of pith, which is then squeezed into dry sago flour.  

Regarding the sago processing process, Adrianus explained, “If many people work together, one large sago tree can be processed in a week. But if only one or two people do it, it can take up to a month.”

Meanwhile, on the side of the split tree trunk, a group of women prepares for the next stage of the work. Maria Kemeray and Kormince Kemeray stand ready, opening two medium-sized sacks to collect the sago flakes. With swift, practiced movements, the two mothers carry the sacks and head toward the Kareth clan’s sago hut, located on the edge of a clear-water river in the peat swamp forest—just about 200 meters from the harvest site.

Instead of using mechanical sago processing machines, the Bariat community still adheres to traditional methods. They use nipah fronds—supported by small tree trunks placed crosswise—as a surface for grinding wet sago.  

Although traditional, the working mechanism is remarkable. There is no formal curriculum in schools on how to make it; the knowledge is passed down solely through ancestral stories from generation to generation. The only modern addition is the use of a t-shirt or a wide cloth as a sago filter.  

Maria and Kormince gradually transfer the sago flakes into a basin. They mix the sago with an adequate amount of water from the tributary before pouring it over the fronds. Mauren, the head of the expedition team, attempts to assist the women with their work.  

“Squeeze it slowly until the water content is gone, then wet it again and squeeze it once more,” Maria instructs, demonstrating the technique. The motion resembles washing and rinsing clothes.  

Each sago basin undergoes two or three similar treatments. The sago juice then flows through the filter and collects in the reservoir below. The filtered liquid is later washed, and the starch is extracted. This starch is then processed into dry sago flour.

Each family typically keeps some for their own household needs. The mothers continue their role by preparing sago-based dishes, most commonly papeda. They simply need to catch fish from the river, gather vegetables from the forest, and buy spices from the market to complete the meal.

We had the chance to try other sago-based foods as well. Dorcila Gemnasi, Adrianus’ wife, made us sago pukis cakes topped with grated coconut, which were absolutely delicious. Just two pieces were enough to fill us up, and they tasted even better when paired with a cup of hot coffee.

Beyond personal consumption, dry sago flour is the first derivative product that Bariat residents can sell. Their target market includes local markets and direct customer orders. A single sago tree can produce at least 20 sacks of dry flour, each weighing between 20 and 25 kilograms. The selling price is around Rp200,000 per sack.

This is what Adrianus meant when he spoke about utilizing sago without spending a single penny on capital while still generating income. He emphasized that sago plays a crucial role in achieving food independence in his village.

“We as a community are not all civil servants. Some of us work as manual laborers, while others struggle to find employment altogether. For them, life depends on the sago groves, which they can process to make a living.”

The economic benefits of well-managed and sustainable sago are countless. Parents in Bariat can afford to send their children to school, purchase various food and beverages for their households, and even contribute to building churches and houses.

Left: Amos Meres (black shirt) showed sago ball snacks that ready to eat. Usually, while waiting for the mothers to squeeze the sago, other residents made sago starch dough into balls and grilled them over a fire until the outside was burnt black. Even without any additional spices, sago balls were quite delicious and could fill your hunger. Right: Sago pukis cake by Dorcila Gemnasi, Adrianus Kemeray’s wife. With only sago flour and grated coconut, then grilled over a fire, it was more than enough as a delicious and filling snack. One form of local food creations of Bariat residents/Rifqy Faiza Rahman

Protecting the sago village with traditions and sacred places

So far, there is no synced and valid data on the total area of sago land in Indonesia. However, in a 2018 statement to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Prof. Mochamad Hasjim Bintoro, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, estimated that Indonesia’s sago land covered 5.5 million hectares. Of this, nearly 95 percent—or 5.2 million hectares—is located in Papua.

This makes Papua home to the largest sago reserves in both Indonesia and the world. Unfortunately, according to the chairman of the Indonesian Sago Society (MASSI), less than one percent of these reserves are utilized. The rest is left to rot and decompose without being harvested.

In the Southwest Papua region, South Sorong is recognized as the province’s largest center for sago production and reserves. According to the latest available data from a 2015 study by BPPT researchers Bambang Haryanto, Mubekti, and Agus Tri Putranto, nearly 45 percent (311,591 hectares) of South Sorong Regency’s total land area of 694,221 hectares consists of sago forests, with an estimated sago starch potential of almost 3 million tons.

The six largest sago-producing districts, each covering approximately 10 percent or more of the total area, are Kais (63,797 ha), Kokoda (61,344 ha), Inanwatan (55,483 ha), Saifi (39,630 ha), North Kokoda (34,530 ha), and Metamani (29,400 ha). Meanwhile, Konda (19,641 ha) and Seremuk (7,766 ha) have the smallest sago forest areas.

These figures may have changed over time due to development and land-use shifts, but they remain a crucial reference for understanding the region’s sago potential.

Private sago industries have been operating in Kais and Metamani, while other districts still rely on community-based plantations. However, Adrianus and Ones—local EcoNusa facilitators who accompanied us—hold a different perspective. They believe that the absence of investment from sago processing companies in Konda actually benefits the indigenous community. This is evident in Bariat, where residents are not bound to corporate contracts and remain free to manage their own land, which has been divided according to clan agreements.

I recall an interesting moment the day before our visit to the sago hamlet. After Sunday service at church, Adrianus and several residents invited us to visit one of the village’s sacred sites in the forest, located about 700 meters west of the village. The path led us through a landscape rich with endemic trees and plants, many of which hold great value for the community—whether for medicinal use or for building homes.

At the end of the trail stood a grave, sheltered by a simple zinc roof supported by wooden poles. It was the final resting place of the mother of Yulian Kareth (62), the traditional leader of Bariat Village, who passed away in 2018

“Why is my mother buried here, far from the village? Because this is where she first met my father, who came from another village,” Yulian explained. Their meeting was seen as a matter of destiny, making this land a significant and memorable place.

Yulian then pointed to a large tree with drooping leaves and branches beside the grave. A plaque with the word “Mrasa” was painted in red, marking the site as a sacred place belonging to the Kareth clan. Such naming traditions are usually kept confidential, known only to the community elders. As visitors, we were only given a brief glimpse of the history deemed appropriate to share.

For the Bariat community, this is an important place—a designation given to sites that hold historical and ancestral significance. Sacred or significant places often include ancient trees, burial grounds, or hidden locations deep within the forest. These landmarks play a crucial role in mapping customary land areas, as they serve as key references when applying for legal recognition of customary forests or ancestral territories from the government.

Since June 6, 2024, the South Sorong Regency Government has officially recognized, protected, and respected the customary law communities and territories of seven indigenous groups in South Sorong. This includes five neighboring villages in Konda District: Manelek (Gemna sub-tribe), Bariat (Afsya sub-tribe), Nakna (Nakna sub-tribe), as well as Konda and Wamargege (Yaben sub-tribe).

Currently, in Bariat, the village government authority—supported by the non-profit organization Pusaka Bentala Rakyat—is working to secure recognition at the provincial and ministerial levels.

“As a customary law community, we fiercely protect our staple food source,” Adrianus stated. “We will defend the sago hamlet in the Afsya sub-tribe’s customary forest with our lives because sago is the staple food for our children and grandchildren.”

As a father of three, he also believes that official government recognition carries immense value. A strong and binding legal framework will ensure the long-term security of their land, homes, and traditional territory.

This includes safeguarding important places—sites that play a crucial role in protecting the sago hamlets scattered throughout the forests of Bariat Village. For the Bariat people, sago is more than just a food source—it is sacred.

Translated by Novrisa Briliantina

Cover photo: A sago farmer mother in the forest of Bariat Village, South Sorong/Deta Widyananda

TelusuRI is an Indonesian travel and tourism media platform under the Tempo Digital network. This article was written as a report on the Arah Singgah 2024 expedition in Southwest Papua and Papua. Read more the trip reports at telusuri.id/arahsinggah.

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The post Sacred Sago of Bariat Village appeared first on TelusuRI.

Teks: Rifqy Faiza Rahman
Foto: Deta Widyananda dan Mauren Fitri

Ketika kembali dari Merabu ke Tanjung Redeb sore (16/10/2023), tim ekspedisi Arah Singgah TelusuRI menumpang mobil Asrani. Ester ikut serta. Kebetulan Asrani memang akan mengikuti acara deklarasi damai calon kepala kampung se-Kabupaten Berau. Calon lainnya dari Merabu, yaitu Doni Simson, Delfi Oley, dan Elisabet Ida Saloq sudah berangkat terlebih dahulu paginya.

Sepanjang 103 kilometer awal atau hampir tiga jam sampai tiba di Warung Tower 2, Gunung Sari, Merasa, Asrani yang menyetir. Selepas makan, saya diberi kesempatan mengemudi di sisa 70 km menuju hotel tempat kami akan menginap di Tanjung Redeb. Kurang lebih dua jam perjalanan, saya benar-benar merasakan betapa menantangnya jalan poros Samarinda—Berau tersebut.

Saat berkendara malam harus fokus karena badan jalan sempit, naik turun, berkelok-kelok, banyak lubang, dan minim penerangan. Tidak terhitung ban mobil harus kejeblos lubang dalam karena saya yang belum paham medan kurang antisipasi. Belum lagi truk-truk besar berseliweran dan kadang melaju dengan kecepatan tinggi. Kabut tebal kadang-kadang turun ketika berada di tengah hutan.

Rute seperti itu sudah sangat sering dilewati Asrani dan orang-orang Merabu lainnya. Saking seringnya, mereka seperti hafal tikungan, tanjakan, maupun titik-titik jalan yang rusak berat. Tidak terkecuali arah sebaliknya, dari Merabu ke Samarinda, ibu kota Provinsi Kalimantan Timur. Tatkala dahulu belum beraspal sepenuhnya, mereka bisa terjebak berhari-hari di jalan karena buruknya jalan. Antrean panjang terjadi saat menunggu giliran melalui jalur yang berlumpur atau ada tanah longsor di musim hujan.

Asrani dan orang-orang Merabu sudah amat kenyang dengan bertahun-tahun bersabar menunggu kehadiran negara lewat pembangunan infrastruktur jalan. Aksesibilitas memang belum sepenuhnya merata seperti Pulau Jawa, termasuk akses jaringan listrik dan telekomunikasi. Namun, Asrani mengatakan, “Kami ini sebenarnya merasa beruntung hidup di dua zaman. Zaman susah ketika fasilitas serba terbatas, lalu zaman sekarang yang sudah lumayan maju.”

Tim TelusuRI saja benar-benar bersyukur masih bisa mengakses listrik dan sinyal ketika singgah delapan hari di Merabu. Meski tidak tersedia sepanjang hari, tetapi rasanya cukup dan sesuai kebutuhan. Kami sebagai orang dari luar kampung, merasa beruntung tidak harus naik ketinting menyusuri sungai berhari-hari, seperti masyarakat Merabu alami beberapa dekade lampau. Tatkala Merabu benar-benar bagaikan planet lain yang tidak mudah dijangkau siapa pun.

Dan kini, di tengah tantangan yang belum menyentuh kata usai, di saat upaya menyeimbangkan kebutuhan ekonomi dan perlindungan hutan masih berlangsung, kekhasan alam dan budaya Merabu telah memikat banyak orang untuk berkunjung.

* * *

Meski berbeda situasi, tetapi semangat senada juga diusung orang-orang hebat yang kami temui di kawasan Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser (TNGL), Siak, Bengkalis, dan Suaka Margasatwa Bukit Rimbang Bukit Baling. Jargon “Masyarakat Sejahtera, Hutan Terjaga” yang disuarakan Kepala Balai Besar TNGL, Dr. U. Mamat Rahmat, S.Hut., M.P. berlaku untuk siapa pun dan di mana pun.

Sampai sekarang saja, pembicaraan kami dengan para narasumber masih terekam jelas dalam ingatan. Empat topik utama dalam ekspedisi ini, yaitu restorative economy (ekonomi restoratif), social forestry (perhutanan sosial), renewable energy (energi terbarukan), dan climate justice (keadilan iklim), menjadi pintu masuk sisi-sisi lain yang tak terduga. 

Para mahout Pusat Latihan Satwa Khusus (PLSK) Tangkahan, Joni Rahman, Budiman, Sudiono, Katio, dan Cece Supriatna, terus berjuang menjaga sembilan gajah sumatra dari ancaman konflik dan penyakit Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Rutkita Sembiring, mantan penebang kayu ilegal, tak henti berkeliling mengampanyekan pelestarian hutan dan ekowisata.

Bobi Chandra dan segenap karyawan Ecolodge Bukit Lawang masih berkomitmen menerapkan kaidah-kaidah ramah lingkungan di tengah tantangan lingkungan dan stigma. Pengabdian tim SMART Patrol yang dipimpin Misno belum mengenal kata lelah menyisir hutan demi keutuhan kawasan TNGL.

Dari pelosok Besitang, seorang Hatuaon Pasaribu akan selalu menyuarakan pertanian berbasis konservasi lewat jengkol, petai, durian, cempedak, rambutan, dan aren. Tak surut nyali sekalipun rekan-rekan lainnya tergoda uang cepat hasil praktik mafia tanah.

Penduduk perdesaan di tepian Sungai Subayang, baik di dalam maupun luar kawasan Suaka Margasatwa Bukit Rimbang Bukit Baling, berupaya melestarikan jejak adat Kekhalifahan Batu Songgan sekaligus menggali potensi-potensi ekonomi alternatif yang berkelanjutan. Mencari titik temu yang saling memberi manfaat antara Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BBKSDA) Riau dengan pendampingan lembaga masyarakat sipil.

Generasi muda Siak terus berinovasi lewat ikan gabus dan produk-produk lokal berkualitas demi restorasi gambut dan masa depan Siak Hijau. Di seberang Selat Malaka, Samsul Bahri, Hasnur Rasid, Herna Hernawan, Indra, dan orang-orang Teluk Pambang bergerak di tengah terik dan ancaman illegal logging untuk konservasi 1.001,9 hektare hutan mangrove.

Lalu Merabu, kampung kecil yang dirintis etnis Dayak Lebo di tepi Sungai Lesan, yang bersandar pada kawasan ekosistem karst Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat, menjadi penutup cerita-cerita harmoni manusia dan alam dalam Arah Singgah 2023.

* * *

Tidak kurang dari 8.700 kilometer kami tempuh selama sebulan ekspedisi. Aneka ragam transportasi, mulai dari pesawat terbang, mobil, bus, motor, dan perahu kami naiki untuk berpindah dari satu tujuan ke tujuan lain. Menemui lebih dari 30 narasumber lokal di tiga provinsi, Sumatra Utara, Riau, dan Kalimantan Timur dengan berbagai macam latar belakang.

Namun, Arah Singgah lebih dari sekadar utak-atik mengumpulkan angka-angka statistik. Arah Singgah sekaligus menjadi ruang tim TelusuRI untuk berkontemplasi. Kami tidak hanya memperluas jangkauan cerita-cerita itu kepada pembaca, tetapi juga mengendap sebagai bahan perenungan kami sendiri. 

Mengingat keterbatasan yang ada, tidak semua kisah tertuang di ruang-ruang kolaboratif, situs web, maupun media sosial. Walaupun demikian, kami yakin suatu saat cerita-cerita tersebut akan menemui waktu dan tempatnya sendiri. Setidaknya dalam bingkai jiwa yang sama, kesejahteraan hidup manusia yang selaras dengan alam sebagai sumber kehidupan. 

Rasanya satu bulan terlampau sebentar untuk sebuah ekspedisi yang panjang dan berat. Terlalu banyak wacana, keinginan, bahkan janji-janji kami yang harus ditebus kala nantinya diizinkan kembali ke tempat-tempat nan jauh itu. Kami akui, keterikatan batin yang terjalin dengan orang-orang lokal yang luar biasa tersebut tidak akan mudah dilupakan begitu saja. Namun, kami percaya ini bukanlah akhir dari perjalanan. Kami baru saja membuka pintu untuk awal perjalanan berikutnya.

Semoga kita semua belajar dari perjalanan ini. Sampai jumpa di ekspedisi Arah Singgah berikutnya! (*)

Foto sampul:
Mauren Fitri, project leader Arah Singgah 2023 melintasi Jembatan Nini Galang yang membentang di atas Sungai Batang Serangan. Jembatan ini menghubungkan kawasan perkampungan dengan Pusat Latihan Satwa Khusus Tangkahan di kawasan Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser, Langkat, Sumatra Utara/Deta Widyananda

Pada September—Oktober 2023, tim TelusuRI mengunjungi Sumatra Utara, Riau, dan Kalimantan Timur dalam ekspedisi Arah Singgah: Meramu Harmoni Kehidupan Manusia dan Alam. Laporan perjalanannya dapat diikuti di telusuri.id/arahsinggah.

Kenali Indonesiamu lebih dekat melalui Instagram dan Facebook Fanpage kami.
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The post Epilog Arah Singgah: Dari Akhir Menuju Awal appeared first on TelusuRI.

Teks: Rifqy Faiza Rahman
Foto: Deta Widyananda dan Mauren Fitri

Dalam The State of Indonesia’s Forest (SOIFO) 2020 rilisan Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (KLHK), sampai dengan tahun 2019 sekitar 120 juta hektare lahan atau 64 persen daratan Indonesia adalah kawasan hutan negara—dengan berbagai macam fungsi dan peruntukan. Termasuk di antaranya 5,3 juta hektare kawasan konservasi perairan. Indonesia bersanding bersama Brazil dan Republik Demokratik Kongo sebagai pemilik kawasan tutupan hujan tropis terluas. Penyumbang paru-paru dunia.

Situasi tersebut merupakan berkah sekaligus mengundang bahaya. Tingginya keanekaragaman hayati serta kebutuhan perut jutaan penduduk Nusantara rupanya malah turut memicu deforestasi. WWF’s Living Forest Report: Chapter 5 (2015) memproyeksikan Pulau Sumatra dan Kalimantan menyumbang deforestasi global selama 2010—2030. Indonesia tidak sendiri. Sembilan kawasan lainnya adalah Amazon, Atlantic Forest (Gran Chaco), Cerrado, Choco-Darien, Congo Basin, Afrika Timur, bagian timur Australia, Greater Mekong, dan Papua Nugini.

Berdasarkan data KLHK, sepanjang periode 1990 sampai dengan 2019, Indonesia telah kehilangan lahan hutan seluas 13,75 juta hektare. Sekitar 1,46 persen dari keseluruhan hutan yang ada di Indonesia. Kebakaran masif, perambahan hutan, pembalakan liar, dan perburuan satwa ilegal adalah penyebab berkurangnya tutupan lahan secara signifikan. 

Sekilas angka tersebut kecil, seperti tak akan berdampak apa-apa. Namun, kenyataan di lapangan berkata sebaliknya. Meskipun laju deforestasi terbilang menurun, angka deforestasi tetaplah berarti masih terjadi deforestasi. Sebuah tekanan luar biasa hingga mengancam hajat hidup banyak penghuni bumi, karena bernapas dari sumber udara yang sama.

Berita gejolak alam—yang menjadi bencana— mendera. Menimbulkan penderitaan. Banjir, tanah longsor, kebakaran hutan, hingga kekeringan serta sulitnya akses air bersih dan pangan. Akibat segelintir oknum dengan kepentingannya sendiri, harapan hidup flora, fauna, dan orang-orang tak bersalah pun terancam.Di sela kekacauan itu, ada orang-orang hebat bergerak meniti jalan sunyi. Jalan hidupnya tidak populer dan terdengar nyaris mustahil dilakukan. Keseimbangan hidup bukan tawaran yang menggiurkan banyak orang. Ada yang berjuang sendirian. Ada pula yang memiliki kekuatan besar di balik amanah jabatan strategis. Melalui Arah Singgah 2023, TelusuRI ingin menjadi media penampung sekaligus penerus beragam kisah itu.

Bertemu para peramu harmoni

Melalui Arah Singgah, TelusuRI melakukan ekspedisi menggali cerita-cerita dengan beragam isu, yang kadang jarang atau bahkan tidak terdengar sama sekali di media arus utama. Filosofi dasar perjalanannya berupaya menyentuh sisi-sisi lain yang tanpa disadari sebenarnya saling berhubungan. Jika episode Arah Singgah pertama lalu kami berjalan ke arah matahari terbit—Bali dan Nusa Tenggara Timur—kali ini kami pergi ke arah berlawanan.

Di edisi kedua, Arah Singgah mengusung tema “Meramu Harmoni Kehidupan Manusia dan Alam” di tanah Sumatra dan Kalimantan. Kami berupaya menginventarisasi cerita-cerita penyelarasan kehidupan antara manusia dan alam di Sumatra Utara, Riau, dan Kalimantan Timur. Ada empat topik utama yang kami angkat di ekspedisi ini, yaitu restorative economy (ekonomi restoratif), social forestry (perhutanan sosial), renewable energy (energi terbarukan), dan climate justice (keadilan iklim). Setidaknya satu dari empat topik tersebut melekat pada seluruh destinasi yang dituju selama periode September—Oktober 2023.

Di Kabupaten Langkat, kami singgah ke dua destinasi ekowisata yang telah lama dikenal turis, yaitu Tangkahan dan Bukit Lawang. Melihat kerja para mahout, berbincang dengan mantan pembalak liar, hingga menjumpai seorang polisi hutan. Lalu kami diajak oleh Hutaoan Pasaribu, ketua Kelompok Tani Hutan Konservasi (KTHK) Sejahtera, menengok ladang perkebunannya di resor Sekoci yang rawan akan konflik lahan mafia tanah. Ketiga daerah tersebut merupakan kawasan penyangga Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser di wilayah Sumatra Utara.

Kami juga menemui Kepala Balai Besar Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser, Dr. U. Mamat Rahmat, S.Hut., M.P., untuk mendengar mimpi besar dan program konservasi berbasis masyarakat yang ia canangkan. Bukan sesuatu yang mustahil. Namun, perjalanannya tak akan semudah melepas lebah dari madu.

Kami menyebar lebih jauh ke tiga kabupaten berbeda di Riau. Melihat langsung jejak nyata Samsul Bahri menghijaukan puluhan hektare pesisir Bengkalis dengan mangrove. Berbincang dengan komunitas generasi muda penuh inovasi dan kreativitas di Siak, kabupaten yang 57 persen wilayahnya merupakan lahan gambut.

Kami menyempatkan pula bermalam di kawasan Suaka Margasatwa Bukit Rimbang Bukit Baling, Kabupaten Kampar untuk merasakan denyut kehidupan masyarakat desa adat yang aksesnya bergantung pada Sungai Subayang. Yang tampak di permukaan, tidak semulus yang dibayangkan.

Menyeberang ke Kalimantan, kami fokus menggali cerita di Merabu. Sebuah kampung Dayak Lebo di pelosok Berau yang hidupnya bersandar pada napas hutan Pegunungan Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat. Kawasan karst dengan sumber daya alam melimpah dan tempat memasok kebutuhan dasar, seperti air, hasil hutan, ekowisata, obat-obatan tradisional, hingga kuliner. Di balik itu, eksistensi adat berada di bayang kepunahan.

Selama ekspedisi, kami menyaksikan dan merasakan pelbagai situasi perjalanan yang mungkin tak segemerlap kehidupan di Pulau Jawa. Apalagi kota-kota besar, seperti Surabaya, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Bandung, dan Jakarta. Bahkan membeli minyak untuk sekadar menyalakan listrik dari petang sampai tengah malam tidak segampang datang dan belanja ke toko kelontong terdekat. Muka tertampar realitas paling fundamental. Indonesia bukan hanya Jawa. Indonesia tidak sekadar berbicara Jakarta. Sumatra dan Kalimantan, pulau besar yang tertuduh menyumbang deforestasi—dan terus berjuang menutup lubang-lubang di kawasan hutan berbasis masyarakat dan kearifan lokal—juga bagian dari Nusantara.

Para peramu harmoni yang kami temui menyadarkan itu. Apa apresiasi sepadan untuk orang-orang yang mengabdikan diri merawat pertiwi?

Selamat datang di Arah Singgah!

Jauh bukan satu-satunya alasan mengapa tiga provinsi itu menjadi tujuan utama ekspedisi Arah Singgah tahun ini. Namun, jauh tidak menjadi ambisi yang harus dikejar sebagai sebuah pencapaian pribadi kami. Jauh adalah harapan spektrum cerita yang kami laporkan mampu merengkuh lebih banyak pembaca maupun pemerhati kebijakan.

Selama ekspedisi, puluhan orang yang menjadi narasumber telah berbagi banyak cerita kepada TelusuRI. Masing-masing memiliki peran. Masing-masing menyuarakan isu terkini yang relevan, mulai dari ekonomi restoratif, konservasi, iklim, energi terbarukan, sampai dengan perhutanan sosial—di daratan dan perairan. Lengkap dengan keresahan maupun harapan terhadap aneka perubahan; yang cepat atau lambat pasti akan datang.

Kami harus mengakui jika kami bukanlah juru selamat untuk menjawab itu. Kami hanyalah perpanjangan dari suara dan tangan mereka untuk menjangkau mata dan telinga yang lebih luas lagi. Melalui tulisan, foto, dan video. Karya-karya jurnalistik yang sebisa mungkin kami sajikan secara berimbang. Walau sekilas tampak setitik, tetapi jika kami seyakin Pak Hatuaon Pasaribu tentang masa depan, maka semoga Arah Singgah bisa mengetuk hati siapa pun yang peduli.

Inilah, Arah Singgah 2023. Selamat menikmati dan belajar dari tutur serta laku orang-orang yang kami temui. Ada belasan bahkan puluhan sosok yang berupaya mengisi hidupnya untuk mencari titik temu, antara keseimbangan alam maupun memenuhi kebutuhan ekonomi. Merenungi suara-suara hutan, sungai, danau, embun, kabut, hingga para satwa yang turut berjuang menjaga harmoni.

Ritme dan senyawa perjalanan Arah Singgah mungkin bukan untuk semua orang. Tak terkecuali Anda sekalipun. Namun, kami berharap perjalanan ini kelak akan menjadi bagian dari perjalanan hidup kita. (*)

Foto sampul:
Trekking di dalam hutan desa Merabu, Kabupaten Berau/Rifqy Faiza Rahman

Pada September—Oktober 2023, tim TelusuRI mengunjungi Sumatra Utara, Riau, dan Kalimantan Timur dalam ekspedisi Arah Singgah: Meramu Harmoni Kehidupan Manusia dan Alam. Laporan perjalanannya dapat diikuti di telusuri.id/arahsinggah.

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