The Dispossessed Indigenous Paradise
The visual investigation that recounts about daily life of indigenous with palm oil plantation in Papua, Indonesia which requires them to have new behaviours of living from one vulnerability to other vulnerability, without choices.
Merauke, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Oil palm plantation areas replace customary forest land and sago groves.
A palm oil corporation in Boven Digul and Merauke regency, Papua, Indonesia pushes indigenous Papuan community, the owner of customary rights, to be cheap laborers. They often must owe groceries in the cooperation managed by the company. Their debts will be paid when they receive wages in the following month. The amount of their wages is not enough to cover their necessities in a month. The impact is there always new debts every month.
Palm oil has destroyed the food and water resources for indigenous Papuan communities live in those areas which depends to the forest for living.
Before the forest was converted into oil palm plantations, there were prey animals such as walabi (kangaroo), cuscus, cassowary, and wild boar. But now, it is hard to find any of them. Water fauna like fish, lizard, crocodile, and tortoise are contaminated by pesticides and palm oil factory waste. The sago trees left in the palm oil plantation areas are slowly dry because palm oil is greedy for water. It is hard to find vegetables, fruits and nuts become rare in the forest.
The lost of access and resources to food for indigenous Papuan community has changed their well-being and prosperity they possess since their ancestors. One of the worst impacts is the malnourished indigenous children.
This investigative project is an assignment from The Gecko Project.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Oil palm fruit, workers must collect fruit that is separated from the main fruit cluster.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Indigenous Papuan women work to harvest oil palm with her children.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. The the indigenous people's houses are made of wood and the floors are made of sago bark. All materials come from the forest.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Woman and child looking for foods. Since the forest is being cleared for oil palm plantations, they have to walk farther to get foods.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. A number of women harvest sago belonging to clan relatives. A number of clans who have sold their forest and land to oil palm companies have lost their sago groves.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. A number of women and children showed preparations to go to the forest. They brought axes, fishing rods, cutlery and wood with coals of fire. The forest is a kitchen for indigenous communities.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Grubs that live in sago palms is a source of protein for the indigenous community.
Merauke, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. A sign in one of oil palm concessions in southern Papua prohibiting hunting of animals.
Merauke, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. A snake crushed in the plantation road.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Tina Dompram, 34, works as a laborer in a palm oil company, because his husband's wages are not enough to support her family.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Rap Megabon, 30, works as a laborer in a palm oil company, because his husband's wages are not enough to support her family.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Koleta Tangguap, 37, works as a laborer in a palm oil company, because his husband's wages are not enough to support her family.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. People from the Auyu tribe who work in oil palm plantations live in a barracks built by the company.
Merauke, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Maliyaki Mahuze, 5, suffers from malnutrition. He was treated several times at the health service in their village. The number of cases of malnutrition in children has increased in deforested areas.
Boven Digul, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Paskalina, 42, has had headaches for the past 2 years. She was stress. “There used to be a forest with lots of trees, it didn't feel hot. Now the forest is gone”, said her. Women have no voice to defend forest.
Merauke, Papua, Indonesia, 2019. Children prefer to eat "nasi kosong", (eat only rice). The presence of palm oil companies slowly changes consumption patterns, appetite and nutritional quality of food.