Writing
20 Years of Indigenous Struggle: Celebrating AMAN & HIMAS 2019
“Long live Indigenous Peoples! Long live!
Indigenous Peoples, Rise United! Sovereign!
Rise United! Independent!
Rise United! Dignified!”
The Secretary General of the Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN), Rukka Sombolinggi, shouted these slogans of struggle. Her voice was loud. Tears flowed from her eyes. The joy and sorrow of 20 years of Indigenous peoples’ struggle merged in the words she spoke.
Siti Nurbaya, the Minister of Environment and Forestry who was present representing President Jokowi, appeared stunned. I believe she could feel the burning spirit of struggle as well as the criticism from the Secretary General representing Indigenous peoples toward the government. Because until now, the government has not fully been present for Indigenous peoples. For example, the Indigenous Peoples Bill is still pending, many Indigenous communities are discriminated against in their own territories, and so on.
All Indigenous peoples from across the archipelago who were present responded to the Secretary General’s call. Clenched fists and tears were united in their cries. Twenty years of their struggle together with AMAN became a reflection for them at that moment.
On Monday, August 9, 2019, at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) Jakarta, hundreds of Indigenous peoples from across the archipelago and from abroad gathered. The Secretary General, in her speech, managed to keep the fire of their struggle alive.
“Hotu, Iyaya, I Yayat U Santi,” and other greetings typical of Indigenous peoples echoed that day.
“Strengthening Determination – Strengthening Roots – Advancing Solutions” was written boldly on the backdrop of the main stage.
From August 9–11, 2019, hundreds of Indigenous peoples from across the archipelago gathered at TIM. They came together in the joy of celebrating 20 years of AMAN and commemorating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (HIMAS), together with AMAN and representatives of Indigenous peoples from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Deputy IV of the Secretary General of AMAN for Social and Cultural Affairs, Mina Susana Setra, served as the Chair of this major event.
The 20th anniversary of AMAN & HIMAS 2019 was celebrated with various activities. These included exhibitions of Indigenous community products and crafts, cultural art performances, Indigenous film week, photo exhibitions, Indigenous art workshops, culinary showcases, and traditional games. All activities were centered at TIM.
The cultural stage was very lively. Dances, verses, poetry, rhymes, and music from Indigenous communities became the center of attention. The event, which began in the evening, lasted until nearly midnight. Everyone was joyful. Cultural stage activities were held only on the first and third nights. The second night was canceled, as it coincided with the night before Eid al-Adha. On that second night, a man went up to the stage, took the microphone, and invited all Muslims and even non-Muslims around the stage to celebrate the takbiran night there. Spontaneously, several people went up to the stage. Someone began playing the drums. Others recited praises and chanted “Allahu Akbar” in turns.
That night, I felt the true Indonesia. Many people from different ethnicities, religions, and beliefs came together, celebrating with their Muslim brothers and sisters. I thought, perhaps, only within Indigenous communities can differences become a unifying force.
In the cultural performances, not only Indigenous peoples from Indonesia participated. Those from abroad also took part. Indigenous communities from Taiwan, for example, energized the first night with their performance. Although the song lyrics were not understood by most of the audience, the joy was clearly visible in their expressions.
The cultural stage did not only present gentle music. Fast-paced music, even with rock & roll nuances, was also performed—especially by Indigenous youth. One example is Fery Sape with his sape instrument, sometimes combined with fast loop beats. There was also Tindoki, a band from Toraja that combines traditional and modern music. Their performance captivated many people, even though the lyrics were in the Toraja language. Their music conveyed a clear message: musical forms may change with time, but the values and identity from which the music originates must not change.
Traditional games were held during the day and afternoon. This session was mostly led by children from Indigenous schools across the archipelago, though many youth and elders also participated. Games from childhood, still remembered by those who grew up until the 1990s, were played. There were also traditional games specific to Indigenous communities. These games are still alive—they have not become mere objects or relics of the past. They remain part of the living culture of Indigenous communities and village children across the archipelago.
The exhibition of Indigenous community products was arranged in huts with sago-leaf roofs lined neatly from the entrance to the area near the cultural stage. Woven fabrics, clothing, handicrafts, honey, coffee, carvings, necklaces, bracelets, and many other products were displayed. Indigenous peoples and visitors crowded this area—people buying and exchanging information about the products. Beyond economic benefit, there was also an exchange of knowledge.
The Indigenous art workshops were also held in these huts, although some had separate spaces. Tattooing, carving, weaving, and other crafts could be observed and experienced by visitors. I spent quite some time watching a tattoo demonstration from the Mentawai Indigenous community. An Indigenous woman from Brazil received a Mentawai tattoo. She appeared proud of it, after choosing the design and discussing it with the artist. For me, this part was important—the dialogue about meaning between artist and participant. It showed that the celebration was not one-directional.
The Indigenous Film Week and Photo Exhibition were held in the same building. Film screenings took place in the small theater at TIM, organized by Indonesia Nature Film Society (INFIS). After a long curation process, dozens of films about Indigenous peoples were screened over three days. Discussions on current Indigenous issues and dialogues with filmmakers were also part of the program. INFIS is highly competent in films about nature and culture, including Indigenous communities, which is why AMAN partnered with them.
The photo exhibition was also crowded. It displayed images of Indigenous life—nature, culture, figures, rituals, activities, and communities. It also featured photos documenting AMAN’s struggle since 1999, profiles of its founders, and maps of Indigenous territories. These photos served as important memories, expected to touch every viewer.
Indigenous culinary offerings were available from the first day to the last, from morning until night. Various traditional foods from across the archipelago were prepared in a large communal kitchen. Men and women from Indigenous communities took turns cooking. Meat dishes, vegetables, and diverse flavors were prepared there. Although the kitchen looked simple, it was a place where life continued. Taste and knowledge became its identity. The food served hundreds of people, all of whom seemed satisfied and happy—especially being able to taste foods from across the archipelago in one place, for free.
Food does not only provide physical satisfaction; for some, it also brings emotional fulfillment.
In addition to these activities, seminars and workshops were also held. One workshop was organized by BPAN (Barisan Pemuda Adat Nusantara) and Weaving Ties (ALDEA Foundation – Ecuador), with the theme Indigenous Communication Networks and Modern Technology. It took place on August 10–11, 2019, at TIM.
The workshop involved Indigenous youth from across the archipelago, as well as participants from Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico. I also attended and represented BPAN, speaking about the Smartphone Movement—a movement initiated by Indigenous youth to use smartphones as tools for advocacy. Through smartphones, we can create films, graphic designs, and writings that can be shared in real time through social media. It is also a way to preserve and relearn local languages that are disappearing.
On the final night, the stage became the center of celebration. Indigenous peoples from abroad expressed their appreciation for this major event.
“Who else, if not us”—a song familiar among Indigenous youth—added to the excitement of the closing night. Indigenous youth from various regions went on stage, expressing the song’s message in their own languages. The audience jumped, shouted, and celebrated together. It felt as if the exhaustion of years of struggle disappeared for a moment. Laughter and joy seemed to cover the pain and loss experienced by Indigenous peoples.
Yet, the 20th anniversary of AMAN and HIMAS 2019 became a new milestone—a point of reflection and a foundation to continue the struggle to protect Indigenous territories and existence in the future.
I Yayat U Santi
Kalfein M. Wuisan
(Indigenous Youth of Minahasa)