Monday, November 23, 2009

Orang Rimba

Deforestation , which has become a hot topic for global talks in the past fiew years , is directly affecting the life of the Orang Rimba tribe who live deep in the jungle of Jambi , a province in Sumatera .

The trible has been experiencing climate change , the shrinking of their forest home and decreasing biodiversity in the forest an impact of deforestation.

The size of the forest has been shrinking due to the forest fires or land clearances for cultivation.
We are worried about this phenomenon , said Tumenggung Grip , head of the Orang Rimba tribe in the  Bukit 12 neighborhood.

Today , fewer than 5,000 people from the Orang Rimba tribe live in the jungles of Jambi.
They are scattered across various locations including the Bukit 12 and Bukit 30 neighborhoods.

Usually living on the slopes of the mountains or among the huge trees not far from the river , the tribe is also known by the name of the river near where they live.
Tumenggung and his community are known as the Orang rimba Makekah Hulu , or the trible who live near the upper course of the Makekah River.

They live in simple huts made of wood , leaves and sometimes tarpaulin.
They collect rattan and sell it to people living near the forest.
The catch fish and boars for daily consumption.

However , the ever expanding palm oil plantations and the actibvities of the people from outside the forest pose a real threat to their future.

The forest is shrinking , Tumenggung lamented. What will become of our children.

(from Jakarta post by Iman D.Nugroho).

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