The Jakarta Post, May 02, 2006
Eliza Kissya: Preserving the 'sasi' tradition against the odds
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon, Maluku
Eliza Kissya has for 27 years dedicated his life as a kewang chief to guarding the
land and waters around his village on Haruku island in Central Maluku regency.
The 57-year-old Haruku native who comes from a family of kewang (traditional village
policemen), says his job to conserve the environment in accordance with tradition is
not easy.
Unpaid and alone he regularly deals with fishermen who use explosives in the area to
stop them destroying the marine ecosystem, particularly the coral reefs.
He also meets state officials, bosses, mining companies and even opposes
government legislation that does not conform to the traditional norms his ancestors
laid down hundreds of years ago.
Despite the stressful nature of his work, Eliza felt unable to refuse being appointed a
kewang chief by his Kissya clan. He and his brother gave up school at elementary
level to undergo preparation for their future positions.
Eliza was officially appointed kewang chief in 1979, while his brother is now the village
secretary. His first challenge was Law No. 5/1979, which aimed to bring uniformity to
all rural administrations throughout the country. Eliza says the enforcement of this law
weakened traditional, village-level institutions in Maluku.
Eliza stood his ground against the new law, working to maintain the kewang
institution and its central concept -- sasi -- conservation-inspired prohibitions passed
down by his ancestors.
As a kewang chief, he feels called upon to apply the traditions of sasi as a means to
preserve natural resources on land and in the water.
There are three kinds of sasi in Haruku: marine, terrestrial and domestic prohibitions.
To protect a particular species of fish, one must enforce a marine sasi in a particular
part of the ocean. Fishing is then forbidden in this particular area for a certain period of
time, say a year or two.
When a sasi is enforced in a particular part of a forest, people are not allowed to
collect anything from the area for a set period. Anyone violating the law is normally
subjected to social sanctions along with material ones in the form of a fine.
Domestic sasi in Haruku are concerned particularly with personal morality and
conduct. A man is allowed to be outdoors wearing only a sarong during the day,
except when he is sick. However, when a woman comes home from taking a bath or
washing clothes in the river, she must wrap her body in a cloth, covering it past her
breasts. Violating these sasi leads to a fine of Rp 10,000.
Eliza says the different kinds of sasi stem from one traditional source -- generations of
wisdom about how to deal with nature.
Sasi govern the relationship between human beings and nature as well as between
people.
"Today, people talk about sustainable development. But hundreds of years ago, our
ancestors created and enforced sasi, laws which are still adhered to in our
community," Eliza told The Jakarta Post.
One local sasi which has attracted some international attention is the lompa sasi
(lompa is a fish).
In Haruku, seawater lompa are bred in rivers. The customary law on the island
requires the villagers to protect the fish from the time their eggs are released into the
rivers until the adult spawn are collected.
Eliza said the sasi tradition was economically advantageous to the public because it
ensured an abundant harvest. Villagers could accumulate more-than-enough to eat
and had savings for hard times in the future.
The tradition also has a special arrangement for widows and orphans in communities,
who generally get a bigger share of the natural resources collected when a particular
sasi is lifted.
For his consistent efforts to preserve the sasi tradition, Eliza was awarded the
Kalpataru environmental award in 1985. In 1999, he received the Satyalencana medal
of merit.
He has also received several citations at the international level for his dedication to
environmental conservation and is frequently invited to speak at forums involving
traditional communities from a variety of countries.
It has not been easy, however, for Eliza to ensure the sasi ancestral tradition is
well-heeded. He has had to take those fishing with explosives to court singlehanded
and attend trial sessions, going from Haruku to Ambon island without legal assistance
and paying for his own travel.
Still, the father of six and the husband of Elizabeth has never stopped fighting for the
rights of his village, especially if its the natural environment is under threat. Unpaid as
a kewang, he feeds his family by growing plants and raising cattle.
To earn some money for the institution, in 1980 he wrote a book -- Sasi Aman Harukui
(The Sasi of Haruku) -- in which he describes the sasi traditions and the kewang role
to the public.
The book has sold well among students, environmentalists, researchers,
anthropologists and non-governmental organization activists. OXFAM has asked that
when reprinted, the book be translated into English.
The first village of Haruku was razed to the ground during the religious rioting that
broke out in the region in 2000. The villagers later abandoned the place, rebuilding
elsewhere.
Eliza is now cautious about applying sanctions on fishermen using explosives
because most come from a neighboring village that was involved in a bloody conflict
with his own.
While before he tried to put the fishermen behind bars, he now prefers to settle
problems with them more amicably.
Eliza had to work even harder when PT Aneka Tambang, a state gold mining
company, planned to carry out prospecting activities in his village during the early
1990s.
He believed the exploration work would be a threat to the environment and a health
hazard for his fellow villagers.
Staunchly against the mining, he did not budge from his position when dealing with
the enterprise and the regional administration.
The head of a family that usually prays together when any of their members is facing
a problem, Eliza remembers he was moved to tears when his youngest daughter,
Halida Kissya, prayed so solemnly that she cried when he was in conflict with PT
Aneka Tambang.
Assisted by non-government organizations, environmentalists and the media, he
fought hard against the company and eventually won, when it abandoned its plan.
"I feel happy if I am successful in my struggle, particularly if I can preserve the legacy
of my ancestors," Eliza said.
"My family understands that I face a lot of challenges in my position. They understand
that I fulfill my responsibilities without hope of reward.
"I receive no salary and suffer great pressure in this job."
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