Capital Corner

BADUY: EARTH'S LAST GUARDIANS

Earth, our home, is suffering. The temperature is rising, glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and wildlife is dying as we power up our gadgets of modernity, releasing heat-trapping gases. Our forests are now barren because of irresponsible logging. We live carelessly, oblivious to the cries of Mother Earth, all in the name of modernization and technological advancement.

However, it wasn't always like this. There was a time when human beings were at one with nature. We used what we needed, and we did not exploit. Sadly, as civilization has evolved, the harmony between humans and nature has been greatly disturbed. Around the world, scientific findings reveal that the earth is now in a critical situation and environmentalists urge us to take immediate steps in preserving our home for the future generations.

The good news is some have been doing this since the day they populated the planet. One tribe on this archipelago has been relentless in their effort to preserve the earth, and will continue to do so. They are the Baduy people. Living only a 5 hours drive from Jakarta, hidden at the feet of Kendeng Mountain, they are one of the few remaining traditional tribes who are still very much in tune with nature. Their unique customs and religious beliefs do not allow modernity to infiltrate them in any way. Today, they are still living the way their ancestors used to live hundreds of years ago, as if trapped in a time capsule. A fact made even more remarkable by their actual proximity to Jakarta, the capital of excess and everything modern.

The origin of the Baduy is not perfectly clear. According to the book Baduy Bicara (Baduy Talks) by Asep Kurnia, one speculation is that the term ‘Baduy' was a derivation from the word ‘badawi' (Bedouin), a tribe of nomads who lived near the Arabian Peninsula. The Baduy people do have some similarities with the Badawi tribe; they are always active and on the move and they never cultivate the same field, but close one when they finish cultivating it and open another in a new area.

The chiefs of the Baduy however, object to this speculation. According to them, Baduy is the name of the river that runs through the area. They also believe that they are the direct descendant of the first human on earth and that the spot that they live on is actually pancer bumi, the center of the earth.

Baduy people sometimes call themselves the Kanekes people because the Indonesian government named the area that they live in Kanekes. This location of Kanekes is believed to be the embryo of the earth. Because they are the direct descendants of the first human on earth and the fact that they live at the center of the earth, it is therefore taboo for the Baduy people to treat the earth in manners that are deemed disrespectful. In fact, they have a set of rules that they have lived by from generation to generation: What is long cannot be cut short, what is short cannot be lengthened, the mountains cannot be destroyed, the slopes cannot be harmed, always cut exactly what you need - no more no less, always peel exactly what you need-no more no less, say wrong when it's wrong, say right when it's right, no cheating and no lying.

The Baduy people believe that their mission here on earth is to be the guardians who preserve the balance of the earth. They believe that by treating the earth with utter respect and not violating its functions, the earth and all its abundance will bring only benefits to the people populating it. To ensure a perfect implementation of their mission, they divide themselves into two groups, namely the Inner Baduy (Baduy Dalam) and the Outer Baduy (Baduy Luar). The task of the Inner Baduy is to preserve their culture and the environment, while the task of the Outer Baduy is as protectors and filters, and to act as Baduy's ambassador to the outside world, to show that the Baduy people are also part of the nation of Indonesia.

And they stay true to their mission in preserving the earth, in every aspect of their lives. Take farming for example. They never damage the soil structure by digging too deep. They merely graze the surface before planting the seeds inside the holes on the surface of the land. The Baduy people do not have rice fields because rice fields change the structure of the land. They have non-irrigated fields instead and their farming activities are limited to the slopes of the hills.

The top of the hill is off limits for farming because they have to preserve the vegetation. There is one forest known as The Forbidden Forest (Hutan Larangan) where only certain respected members of the tribe are allowed to enter, and any activity in the forest that involves disturbing the vegetation is strictly forbidden. According to their belief, the forest is closed because it is the Essence of the Universe (Sasaka Domas) and also because it is located in the South, which is the direction of prayers for the Baduy people, therefore it is considered holy. However, if we want to look at it from the environmental point of view, it is an undeniable proof that the Baduy people have a deep understanding of the concept of conserving the forest.

Another interesting fact is that the Baduy people never flatten the ground. They never ‘disturb' the soil. If a house is to be built on an uneven surface, instead of making the surface even by digging and flattening the ground, they use pillars to support the house from below and the length of the pillars vary, following the contour of the land.

The same goes for the bridges that they build. Not a single nail is used; instead they tie the bridge together with palm fibers. That way, they do not ‘harm' the bamboo used to make the bridge.

The Baduy people do not allow any form of modern transportation to enter their village, not even the pollution-free bicycle. In fact they never even build roads. To get from one village to another in the Kanekes area you need to hike over several hills using unforgiving tracks. Even for emergencies, such as when somebody needs to get to a neighboring village for medical attention, no motor transportation is allowed when picking up the patient from the village. Those whose physical conditions are not fit for such a strenuous walk will be carried in a litter by a group of tough resilient men who can walk at a remarkable speed. As a result of this practice, the air of Baduy is 100% pollution free and the sky is probably the bluest you'll ever see in the densely populated island of Java — specifically in the province of West Java with its proximity to the capital city!

The Baduy people are also famous for their friendliness. Although their customs do not allow them to be open to assimilation and outside influences, they are by nature good-hearted people because they believe in harmony. They welcome any visitor who comes to the village, providing a resting place in their patio and the owner of the house will serve water and fresh fruits. It is such a simple kindness that will rekindle your belief in humanity, if you ever lose it by living in a big and cynical city.

On the other side, to preserve their values, they do not allow foreign visitors to stay more than one night in the village. Photographers and videographers are not allowed to take any picture in the Inner Baduy area and also in some of the Outer Baduy areas. They are not open to schooling nor are they familiar with writing. Everything is passed down verbally from generation to generation.

It is simply because they do not want other cultures to infiltrate their way of thinking and corrupt their minds and steer them away from their original mission, which is preserving the earth.

Whether or not the Baduy people really are the direct descendant of the first human on earth remains a question. However, seeing how harmonious their relationship is with nature and how they go to great lengths to carry out their mission, unfazed by the lure of modernization and the comfort that technology brings despite the cost, it is not entirely wrong for us to think the Baduy people might indeed be the last guardians of the Planet Earth. «»

Text by Patricia Ivana
Photos by Josua Alessandro
www.escapadepictures.com