Disasterchannel.co,- Forest destruction is increasingly worrying day by day because in the 20th century the total area of forest in the world was estimated at five billion hectares, however there was a total amount of forest destruction due to human activities which resulted in forest loss of seven million hectares per year. Subsequent forest destruction will have an impact and of course will result in disasters such as landslides, water resource crises due to catchment areas and many more. According to Sonny Keraf, forest damage caused by humans is the result of an anthropocentric perspective that only prioritizes human interests without caring about nature conservation.
In contrast to society in general who thinks in an anthropocentric way, traditional societies usually have local knowledge related to the environment. One of them is the Kalaodi community who have local knowledge regarding the relationship between humans and nature, which of course we can use as learning related to harmonization between humans and nature.
The Kalaodi community itself is located in the Kalaodi Village area in the City of Tidore Islands, North Maluku Province. The Kalaodi people have local knowledge and traditions, which are called Paca Goya and Bobeto Rituals. These two cultures are the main keys to preserving nature in the Kalaodi community.
The Paca Goya ritual is a ritual carried out by the Kalaodi people which is carried out after the big harvest season for picking cloves or nutmeg. This ritual has the aim of expressing human gratitude to God, who has bestowed natural wealth on society. It should be noted that according to research by Ihsan Teng in the journal Local Wisdom Scientific with the title “Bobeto, a Local Wisdom Value that Forms a Ritual Space between Humans and Nature in Kalaodi – Tidore,” the majority of Kalaodi people work as farmers, who of course still depend on preserving nature.
When the Paca Goya ritual is carried out, the Kalaodi people will stop their activities for three days. There are no people who trade, garden, or do any work. On those three days, the community will clean the sacred graves, and continue holding the Paca Goya ritual on a hill or mountain which is believed to have good luck or is sacred.
The area used as a Paca Goya ritual site is a prohibited area, which must not be damaged and must be preserved. Still according to Ichsan Teng, the Paca Goya ritual area is the greenest area. The Kalaodi people will not cut down trees and damage the place, for fear of being hit by a plague or bad luck. This shows that the Kalaodi people believe that nature has mystical powers. This view is truly wise because they not only view nature as inanimate objects, but also have deep meaning and need to be preserved.
The Paca Gayo ritual itself is a form of implementation of Bobeto, namely an agreement between humans and nature. The Bobeto Agreement itself states “Whoever destroys nature will be destroyed by nature.” This is proof that the Kalaodi people already have a concept about protecting nature. Apart from that, the Bobeto concept shows that the people of Kalaodi already know the effects of environmental damage.
Hopefully with this article we can learn from the Kalaodi people who respect nature and protect it through their traditions. Apart from that, awareness among the Kalaodi community through Bobeto, which is an agreement between nature and humans, is a wise example of local knowledge. Where natural damage is caused by human behavior, of course it has bad consequences for humans themselves.
Author: Abdurrahman Heriza
Editor: Lien Sururoh
Translator: Nugrah Aryatama
Source:
A. Sonny Keraf, Krisi Dan Bencana Lingkungan Hidup Global (Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 2014),h 28, h 117.
Ichsan Sukarno Teng, Agung Murti Nugroho, and Susilo Kusdiwanggo, “Pengaruh Petuah Bobeto Terhadap Kearifan Setempat Kampung Kalaodi, Kota Tidore Kepulauan,” RUAS 19, no. 2 (December 23, 2021): 40–50.
Ichsan Teng, “Bobeto Sebuah Nilai Kearifan Lokal Pembentuk Ruang Ritual antara Manusia dengan Alam di Kalaodi – Tidore,” Local Wisdom : Jurnal Ilmiah Kajian Kearifan Lokal 9, no. 1 (January 9, 2017): 12–22.
Ichsan Sukarno Teng, Agung Murti Nugroho, and Susilo Kusdiwanggo, “Pengaruh Petuah Bobeto Terhadap Kearifan Setempat Kampung Kalaodi, Kota Tidore Kepulauan,” RUAS 19, no. 2 (December 23, 2021): 40–50.
Photo: mongabay.co.id
