Bogor – Indonesian Network for Participatory Mapping (Jaringan Kerja Pemetaan Partisipatif, JKPP) launched indicative map of indigenous territories in Indonesia during the seminar on “Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI) and Living Space Sovereignty of Rural People of the Archipelago” in Bogor, Wednesday (29/1).

The indicative map of indigenous territories was an initiative of JKPP and Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara, AMAN), Simpul Pemetaan, SEKALA, UKP4, Ford Foundation and Samdhana Institute. The initiative aimed to provide alternative information on indigenous peoples’ claims regarding their existence and hereditary rights.

Basic assumption to analyze the map is divided into four categories. They are high probability indigenous territories’ existence as wide as 42.049 million hectares, moderate probability as wide as 70.412 million hectares, low probability as wide as 29.005 million hectares and very low to zero probability as wide as 45.126 million hectares.

“This is an initial assumption based on several data processed. This indicative map is ‘live’ thus its data will change every year in accordance with correction and input from various parties of which nature is claim of indigenous peoples,” explained Kasmita Widodo, the National Coordinator of JKPP.

Indigenous territories map is highly significant to sit with maps from other sectors, such as map by Ministry of Forestry, in order to improve development in Indonesia. JKPP and its networks, including AMAN, has mapped 5.2 million hectares of indigenous territories. “The participatory mapping seems slow indeed when compared to the fast rate of spatial utilization. By launching this indicative map of indigenous territories, we want to push the State to immediately conduct indigenous territories participatory mapping as well since this is basically one of the State’s task,” said Widodo.

Abdon Nababan, the Secretary General of AMAN, said that until today, the Government of Indonesia doesn’t have data on the indigenous peoples and their indigenous territories. Therefore, it will be difficult to implement particular policies related to indigenous peoples, including One Map Policy, Constitutional Court Decisions No. 35/PUU-X/2012 and No. 45/PUU-IX/2011 and the recently adopted Law on Villages. “I am convinced that they will not be implemented well if the government doesn’t know where indigenous territories are. And in the context of MP3EI, conflicts are highly likely to occur if indigenous territories mapping is not conducted,” explained Nababan.

In the end of the event, Widodo asked Indonesian Geospatial Information Agency (Badan Informasi Geospasial, BIG) to revise regulations related to National Spatial Data Network (Jaringan Data Spasial Nasional, JDSN). Kasmita expected indigenous territories map to be included and a part of JDSN, along with other maps from various ministries it currently covers.