The Punan Batu Indigenous Community celebrated its highest achievement in 2024. On World Environment Day, they received the Kalpataru Award for the Environmental Saver category (Decree of the Minister of Environment and Forestry No. 574 of 2024 regarding the 2024 Kalpataru Award recipients). Representatives from the MHA (Masyarakat Hukum Adat) received the award from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in Jakarta.
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Upon returning from Jakarta on June 12, a Kalpataru parade was held around the city of Tanjung Selor, the capital of Bulungan Regency. Several Punan Batu residents paraded for about an hour, with the assembly point at Kebun Raya Bundayati. This celebration marked the culmination of the Punan Batu community’s long journey to secure official recognition of their forest, which serves as their living and settlement area.
The journey began with genetic research on the Punan Batu community from 2018 to 2021. Professor Stephen Lansing and Researcher Pradiptajati Kusuma discovered that the genetics of the Punan Batu are older than those of indigenous peoples in North Kalimantan, such as the Dayak. They are also the only tribe in Kalimantan that still practices hunting and foraging. This combined research was published in a journal by the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information in 2022.
The scientific study significantly contributed to the recognition of the Masyarakat Hukum Adat (Customary Law Community) on April 3, 2023, through Decree No. 188.45/319 of 2023 by the Bulungan Regent regarding the Recognition and Protection of MHA Punan Batu Benau Sajau.
Now, the Bulungan Regency Government, supported by various parties, including Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), fully supports the establishment of the 18,000-hectare customary forest. The forest area was determined through research using Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers to assess the range and living space of the Punan Batu community.
Following the MHA recognition, the Kalpataru Award, and the parade in Bulungan Regency, it is hoped that the recognition of the Punan Batu’s Customary Forest will soon be realized.
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