Bringing Back the Dayak Gods

The Dayak indigenous people of Borneo are making a final stand.  But this time, in a last desperate attempt to save their rainforests, they are calling upon the wisdom of their ancestors and their ancient belief system (Kaharingan) to try and halt the destruction caused by deforestation and land conversion to mono-cultural plantations.  But many Dayaks are facing discrimination as they try to hold onto the last traces of their roots.  In May-June, 2014, the Rainbow Family tribe of Indonesia gathered in the last of these great forests for one month and learnt more about the experiences of the Dayaks as they protect their ancestral land.

Although there are many different ethnic groups spread throughout Borneo, the Dayaks were historically well-known in the archipelago of Indonesia for fearless head-hunting, longhouses, (community houses – some with lengths of hundreds of metres) and painful, ritual tattooing (pigment tapped onto the skin with a mallet.)

Nowadays, Borneo is well-known for a different reason: palm oil plantations, rubber and mining have resulted in the destruction of one of the oldest rainforests in the world and charismatic creatures such as the orangutan are facing extinction.  Now Indonesia has the record of being the third largest emitter of carbon in the world and still the deforestation continues.  But the Rainbow family of Indonesia had heard about a small village, Kiyu, in South Kalimantan, that was making a stand against these pressures and had wisely turned down offers from palm oil companies wishing to buy their forests.  We wanted to meet these villagers – the ones who were brave enough to say no.  A small scouting team discovered the area with the guidance of the locals and the seed camp established a great kitchen up in the rainforest using tarpaulin - everything needed to be carried up the one-hour trek into the forest - all of the heavy pots and pans and equipment.  I am amazed by the tremendous work that went into the gathering and the construction work by Briegel, Silent Radit, Koji from Japan who cooked lots of our food, Bharat who became our 'doctor' and all the love from the rainbow tribe.

After a long boat-ride to Banjarmasin and a wagon-ride up to the village of Kiyu, a small, smiling old lady guided us to her small warung (home-style cafe) where we sat and drank coffee and ate fried bananas – she was expecting more of us to arrive.  We were camping in the hutan adat (tribal forest), a one hour  or half an hour trek from Kiyu village  The elders gave the rainbow family consent to stay in their forests with an official ceremony. 

A traditional Dayak ceremony of Central Kalimantan

The fact that the Dayaks can call these forests hutan adat is a great milestone for indigenous communities in Indonesia.  On 16th May 2013, in a court decision and law amendment, “customary forests” were no longer considered as government-owned forests but as “private forests” under the jurisdiction of the indigenous peoples – now the legal owners.   The indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) is integral in standing up for the rights of indigenous communities and have unfortunately noted the “Discrimination of certain beliefs or ancestral religions, such as the Kaharingan belief of Dayak Meratus and other Dayak tribes in Central Kalimantan.” 

The mountains of Meratus were certainly heaped in mysticism – after I had been camping for a few days my foot mysteriously enflamed, turning red and three passing Dayak farmers confirmed that it was ‘magic’ and that I shouldn’t go in the river.  One Dayak farmer kindly pulled a small glass bottle out of his bag. 

“It’s ten years old,” he smiled and revealed his gums.  He scraped the green paste on my feet with his long fingernails and I waited patiently as he spoke some mantras and tied two black threads around my feet to prevent the swelling from spreading up my legs.  I later spent some time with the Dayak villagers of Kiyu and learnt some local words including simpai (Dayak-style bracelet) and gayam (traditional Dayak pudding made of brown sugar and flour balls.)  They invited the rainbow family for a feast in their community house and we enjoyed a meal of rice, fish and sambal (chilli sauce) along with gayam pudding.  To show our thanks we taught them some rainbow songs, all holding hands in a beautiful circle.

A Dayak girl eating the local mangosteen fruit

The rambutan fruit (literally meaning "hairy") is native to Borneo

But their innocence existed at the periphery of civilisation.  In the neighbouring village of Batu Kambar, we stayed overnight in a household and the owner of the house bitterly explained about the discrimination he faced as a minority member from residents of Banjarmasin – the capital of South Kalimantan.  The villagers face tremendous tension concerning their animist beliefs and are pressured to convert.  Conflict is not new to Kalimantan – in 2001, in the town of Sampit, Central Kalimantan, over 500 Madurese were killed and some were decapitated by the Dayaks in the frenzy.  The Madurese had first arrived under a government transmigration program in the 1930s and the tensions had escalated between these two neighbourhoods.   Discrimination should not be lightly disregarded and history has shown how easily the sparks can explode.

Yet the Dayak people of Kiyu, despite outside influences, seemed determined to protect their ancient animist ways and they enjoyed explaining to us about the culture.  Mae! They would laugh before explaining that it meant ‘good,’ as the rainbow family helped to paint their village school with some beautiful artwork.  Many of the children came to the gathering to learn English from the rainbow brothers and sisters - about 150 people had come, mainly from Indonesia, Australia, Russia and Europe.  Some of the villagers helped us in our communal kitchen by showing us how to cook rice in bamboo poles over the fire.  They were impressed that some of us had managed to live for one month in the rainforest - eating only local foods such as cassava.  We had a simple shit pit toilet, a great sand filtration system for the river-water which was developed by Briegel and a beautiful river. 

Our days were spent singing around the fire, jamming, doing workshops and learning with the locals.  We shared poems, listened to great music by Matt Harrington and Gem, listened to Torben's fantastic stories, learnt about plants from Mesakh, experienced Pamela's amazing recipes, appreciated Bronx's recycled art and felt the giant hugs from Fami and Max.  Yet it was not always easy - the humid climate made it difficult for any infections to heal and many experienced pain as they tried to fix their wounds.  The rivers flooded at one point and there was lots of rain - at times the gathering felt like a roller-coaster, but we always managed to pull it together with the strong love that we felt for each other and the hugs and support.

As outsiders interested in the Dayak culture of Kiyu, real healing could take place as they felt our appreciation - their culture did have value and was worth protecting - despite all of the outside pressure to conform to belief systems that were not immersed within the landscape or history.  As we entered into their ancestral forests a signpost clearly marked the territory: ini hutan adat kami bukan hutan negara meaning ‘this is our tribal forest, not the government’s forest.’ 

And now the world is getting involved.  Recent international campaigns have been focused on documenting this process of ‘return’ by helping the Dayaks to express their cultural heritage with courage and confidence and to support their connection with nature.

Last May, with the help of writer Jane Brunette, the Dayak Benuaq people of Muara Tae performed an ancient vow ceremony (called Sumpah Adat) lasting 64 days which they hoped would resolve the difficulties they were facing.  Palm oil companies were illegally destroying their home and negotiations had failed - the bulldozers were moving in.  The Dayak Benuaq believe that their task on Earth is to be guardians of their forests.  For the long ceremony, each participant was asked to think carefully about their involvement since the vow required complete sincerity in the desire to restore harmony and protect the forests.  The neighbouring villagers of Muara Tae had already sold their ancestral lands and the footage released by Mina Setra, (a Dayak lady from West Borneo) demonstrated the emotional limbo faced by communities after losing their forests to palm oil. The stakes faced by indigenous communities are incredibly high.

After the gathering had finished, we hired a bus-type vehicle to carry us down from the market outside of Kiyu down to Banjar – we squeezed in between boxes and woven bags and after an hour of travelling an elderly man from the city wearing a batik shirt ushered me down from the vehicle which had suddenly stopped for a tea break.  His curt mannerisms were a stark contrast to the humble kindness of the Kiyu villagers.

As our journey continued I became aware of the sounds of a small bird emanating from the heap of wares in the centre of the vehicle and the elderly man who had noticed our prodding pulled up a woven basket from the market - inside it was an endangered baby hornbill.  The man spoke in the Banjar language but we understood the price that he wanted to sell it for – IDR 500,000 (or about $42.)  Despite our disagreeing pleas the man ignored us and popped the bird back into the mound of boxes and plastic junk. 

Back home, I kept thinking about the Kiyu villagers and I started researching the Kaharingan religion.  That’s when I saw it – they believed in the Tree of Life, at the top of which was a hornbill and the sun which represented Ranying Mahalala – meaning God – source of all life on Earth.  It seemed ironic that this small baby hornbill could mean so much and yet here it was, in the back of a van, so innocent and accepting of its fate, separated from his parents, its wings, its right to soar.

I can only hope that the Kiyu villagers will continue to believe in themselves and their rich heritage which is connected so deeply to the land and I hope that future visitors to these forests will support the Dayak people during these times by sharing a genuine interest in these cultures and the ancient, mystical forests in order to preserve them and allow the hornbill to return to its sky.

Indonesian Superfoods - Secret Medicines for Fighting Cancer

Indonesia is full of super-foods and vitamin-packed fruits and some are even used as powerful cancer treatments.  Jamu (herbal medicine) is very popular in Indonesia and is the traditional form of treatment for illnesses.  Nutritionists have been campaigning for years about the effectiveness of raw juice diets as a way to treat cancer and the famous successful example includes the Gerber treatment which combines organic vegetable juices with coffee enemas as an alternative method to chemotherapy.

Here are some of the top super-foods to be found in Indonesia:

Tumeric
A powerful anti-cancer root it contains curcumin, an anti-oxidant and studies have shown that it slows down the growth and spread of cancer cells and has even killed certain cancer cells.  As an anti-inflammatory it is also used to reduce inflammations caused by arthritis, muscle pains and for menstrual cramps.

Ginger
This medicinal plant has historically been used to treat digestive problems including diarrhea, nausea and stomach upsets. Studies have shown that ginger can kill certain cancer cells including ovarian cancer cells.  It is also used to treat menstruation cramps, high blood pressure and asthma.

Red Fruit (buah merah)
Red fruit comes from Papua and its oil is often used in treatment of cancer, aids, high blood pressure, diabetes and hepatitis. As a powerful anti-oxidant it also contains unsaturated fatty acids, beta carotene, calcium and omega 3, omega 6, omega 9.

Moringa (daun kelor)
In Indonesia, the super-food wheatgrass can be easily substituted with daun kelor (moringa) - which is full of nutrients including calcium, potassium, protein and brimming with vitamins A and C.  Although daun kelor grows all over Indonesia it is rarely traded at the market and is not well-known for its nutritional qualities - it is usually only eaten by those in the villages.  Containing 46 anti-oxidants it has 7 times the levels of vitamin C as oranges and its leaves are anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral.

Other super-foods that can easily be found in Indonesia include:
avocadoes
strawberries (grown in East Java)
honey
pineapple (anti-cancer)
noni juice (anti-cancer)
carrot (anti-cancer)
cucumber
brocolli
mangosteen
tomatoes
coconut water
pumpkin seeds

Making a Super-food 4-layer Pudding

Here's the recipe for this yummy fruit pudding which includes 4 super-foods plus lots of honey. 
(feeds 5 people)

First layer:
6 bananas
1 tbsp wheatgrass powder
1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

mix ingredients up in a food processor with 2 tbsp water and layer in a glass.

Second layer:
3 mangoes
1 tbsp honey

mix ingredients up in a food processor with 2 tbsp water and layer in the glass.

Third layer:
1 avocado
3 bananas
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Mix all together in food processor and layer in the glass.

Add cut up strawberries

Place glasses in the freezer to set, then remove and keep in the fridge.
Enjoy!

Treating Paresthesia (or Toothache) with Cloves

In March this year I had my wisdom tooth extracted – for a while I had applied ground cloves on the tooth which had failed to penetrate through the gum, leaving a painful ‘flap.’  The cloves helped to relieve the pain, however after a few months, the flap hadn’t shown any signs of healing and so I went to one of Bali’s best dental hospitals.  With just one look at my wisdom tooth (lower left) the dentist told me he needed to take it out.  The operation was quick, and no x-ray was performed to check the tooth’s proximity to the mandibular nerve which runs along the lower jaw, or its branch-off nerve, the lingual.

The post-operative healing was successful, however I soon noticed a numbness and tingling sensation which steadily grew over the months.  This is a condition known as paresthesia and eight months after the operation, it has become extremely persistent – my lower and upper lips tingle, my mouth feels numb and the whole sensation feels uncomfortable.  Paresthesia is caused by nerve damage during the extraction process and as a result, a nerve may be bruised, stretched, crushed or severed.

In most cases, paresthesia should clear up after a few days or weeks after the operation – however for some, the condition is transient – lasting for more than 6 months.  In a few cases, it has been known to be permanent.   However it is recommended to wait for up to 12 months after surgery in order to wait for the nerve to repair naturally before treatment (surgery) on the nerves is recommended.

So here I am, eight months in, and the numbness and tingling sensations are steadily increasing.  Each day I meditate to learn to relax and not react against these sensations by focusing on my breath and I am now applying ground cloves onto the gum area which is reducing the symptoms. 

A quick Google search about the wisdom tooth extraction industry highlights the concerns – many operations have been completely unnecessary.  Some holistic doctors recommend focusing on your diet and nutrition as a way to strengthen the jaw bone, providing space for all the teeth.  More information on this topic can be found here:

http://worldtruth.tv/wisdom-teeth-dental-scam-why-you-need-your-wisdom-teeth/

Yet why Cloves?  Along with nutmeg and mace, cloves originated from Maluku (the Spice Islands) and were highly coveted throughout history – in 1522, Spain was the first to circumnavigate the globe to reach the Spice Islands of Indonesia and over the centuries the powerhouses of Europe competed to gain control over the spice market.  Cloves and other Indonesian spices were highly prized and became a status symbol in wealthy households. 

Used as a treatment for toothache for centuries – cloves and clove oil contain eugenol which has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities and it inhibits the growth of fungi.  Yet care should be taken when applying the oil - essential oils should never be applied directly to the skin or consumed.

In Indonesia today, cloves are mostly grown to supply kretek (clove cigarette) manufacturers, and the plant’s health benefits have largely been forgotten by the general public – even in America, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reclassified eugenol, downgrading its effectiveness rating in its treatment of toothache – further demonstrating just how much power the medical industry holds and its ability to downgrade the Earth’s healing plants.  

So please, if you have problems with your wisdom teeth, please consider the natural alternatives before you put your faith in any profit-making industry.

Update - Success with Treating the Paresthesia:
For the past week I have been doing a raw juice detox - everyday I've been consuming carrot, beetroot and turmeric juices along with lots of fruits.  After seven days, I noticed that the paresthesia seemed to have been aggravated and the sensations were increasing - I have read that this is a common sign of the healing process during a detox, if the wound becomes aggravated.  I applied a tiny amount of clove oil on the gum with a cotton bud, which was red and sore (I have read that this can be dangerous to apply the oil directly to the gum since it can deaden the nerves) - my whole mouth felt smooth and clear and the sensations began to dissipate.  Now, five days on, my mouth is beginning to heal, the sensations have reduced considerably and the site of the wound is no longer red.

 

A clove farm near Halimun National Park, West Java

 Clove trees in West Java

Trouble in Paradise: The Coral Reefs of Raja Ampat

Award-winning photojournalist James Morgan recently documented the destructive fishing methods of the Bajau Laut – driven by fish stock depletion, the Bajau sea nomads learnt to devise bombs by filling up bottles with ground matchstick heads, sand and fertilizer.  Not only do these explosives kill all fish within radius of the explosion, they also detonate the coral reefs below.  Now bombs have fallen upon one of the richest marine sites in the world - Raja Ampat – an archipelago of 610 islands surrounded by coral reefs, in far Eastern Indonesia.

 The idyllic islands of Wayag in Raja Ampat 

It’s hard to imagine.  For hundreds of years the locals of Raja Ampat have implemented a management system that protected their natural resources, known as sasi – areas were temporarily closed to all fishing activity for periods of 6 months up to 5 years, to protect the area from exploitation.  Some communities held sasi over marine wildlife such as the sea cucumber and lobster, to give the species time to re-populate.  Benefiting of all members of the community, the system ensured that there was always a fish on the plate for tomorrow and for their children’s tomorrow.  Yet the dynamics of Raja Ampat have rapidly changed over the last 10 to 20 years with a government-directed transmigration program in progress and non-sustainable, illegal fishing techniques have been introduced.

The coral reefs outside of the protective gaze of resorts and conservation posts are likely to be the most vulnerable.  In the quiet village of Meos Mangara in far Western Raja Ampat, the locals spoke about the empty island of Jefmoi where white sands glistened beneath a parade of overhanging coconut trees.  However the island’s reef, (located just outside of a no-take fishing zone) had been destroyed by bombs.  White fragments of soft coral were piled across the ocean floor – hard corals were split and the landowner’s dream of opening a home-stay had quite literally been shattered.
 

A boy from Meos Mangara scoops up a piece of shattered coral

The locals of Meos Mangara (meaning Ant Island in the local dialect) explained that bombers often targeted small islands with no inhabitants, in order to evade their vigilant watch.  It is believed that fishermen from Sorong and Buton in Sulawesi have used home-made bombs to fish since the 1990s – only this year no explosions were heard by the villagers.  Yet although no-take zones and government and community surveillance teams have been established, the villagers in Meos Mangara complained that many patrol posts were left unguarded.  As corals perish, the fishing stocks deplete and the villagers experienced difficulties finding food on an island that used to yield plenty.

In Waisai, the capital of Raja Ampat, there was little evidence of bombed fish entering the market.  Some of the locals at the harbour explained that bombed fish were usually sold in Sorong and the mainland where the damaged fish could be traded unnoticed, in a large-scale market.  When fish have been bombed, the bones shatter, detach and the fish become floppy.    Another clue to look for in the market, they explained, was a large amount of fusiliers (lalosi) and mackerel (lema / kembung).  These fish are targeted because they school in large numbers, often near coral. 

Noticing the depletion of lema stocks – a new campaign by the government of Raja Ampat, Conservation International (CI) and RARE, has developed and CI staff member Bertha Matatar explained that “Fishermen are encouraged to refrain from catching the lema during the spawning period of September to November”

Sustainable fishing methods are often used by the locals and the inhabitants of Salawati (one of the four main islands of Raja Ampat) used underwater fishing cages called keramba.  Erected close to the beach with a tunnel at the front, fish were able to swim into the cage, but not back out.  When the locals required fish, they simply scooped out the live catch with a net and all infants were thrown back into the sea in order to mature.  Villagers also held sasi over the lobster, since according to folklore, the lobster once guided lost fishermen back to the shore – no-one is allowed to eat the lobster and if it is accidently caught in the net it must be thrown overboard.

Dinner in Salawati: the catch from the keramba nets is tossed into the boat

Yet Salawati’s hidden corals were also victim to illegal fishing practices and officers at a nearby Conservation International post explained that the reef by the post had been bombed in the past and was beginning to recover after years of surveillance. 

According to research by renowned marine scientist Gerald Allen, the locals are now applying non-sustainable fishing methods such as cyanide which is supplied to them by non-locals along with a squirt-bottle.  After CI scientists investigated the conditions of 45 coral reefs over 10 years ago they discovered that 13.3% showed evidence of destructive fishing practices.  Patrols and surveillance posts are crucial and CI has established many stations across Raja Ampat.  Even the idyllic region of Wayag was bombed in the past and only now, (under the protection of CI) has the area flourished with black tip reef sharks.  However, CI rangers explained that illegal boats from the Philippines were caught entering Wayag’s waters - these hunting boats were often armed and dangerous and packed with shark fins to trade illegally in Asia.

Due to global fishing pressures, nets are now being flung further East, into one of Indonesia’s last remaining paradises - Raja Ampat.  For hundreds of years the respectful islanders have lived in harmony with the marine world, yet in just the past 20 years this relationship has faced many strains.   A firm understanding of the impacts of bombing, coral destruction and fish stock depletion needs to be understood by every fisherman, before the paradise is lost.

Further Information

Conservation International: http://www.conservation.org/

McKenna, S.A., G.R. Allen, and S. Suryadi (eds.). (2002) ‘A Marine Rapid Assessment of the Raja Ampat Islands, Papua Province, Indonesia.’ RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 22. Conservation International

James Morgan’s documentary: http://www.jamesmorgan.co.uk/film/people-of-the-coral-triangle/