Finding Sanctuary in the Embrace of Mother Earth

As part of Biwastu Architectural Magazine Vol. 5, with the bigger theme about "Hope in a Pandemic", I had to write a theme related to that as a reporter. So I wrote this article as part to inform people about the resilience of traditional tribes in Indonesia when facing the pandemic situation.

Children from Outer Baduy posing for a photo Source: goodnewsfromIndonesia.id

The corona pandemic, also known as COVID-19, is already in its tenth month. It has entered the second wave of instances in some industrialized European countries. However, the problems have not subsided in Indonesia and continue to worsen. Google has logged 467,000 cases, with 392,000 people surviving and 15,211 dying. The pandemic has struck Jakarta the most, with East Java coming in second and West Java coming in third. This pandemic has certainly devastated all aspects of life, from education and government to the economy; massive layoffs in various regions, the government's lack of preparedness in responding to cases, and a relaxed attitude that exacerbated the spread of patients; to the polemic of university tuition fees that must be paid in full even if campus facilities are not used. Many questions must be raised concerning the pandemic response actions conducted by government and bureaucratic holders at all levels.

This pandemic has resulted in profound social changes. Some community members, for example, see the usage of masks as a violation of freedom and repressive measures by the authorities (Scheid, 2020). When in fact, donning this mask is one of the transmission-prevention methods. This pandemic is unprecedented in the twenty-first century, and many segments of society are unprepared and looking for measures to limit transmission.

Development of COVID-19 Confirmed Cases in Indonesia

Source: covid19..go.id

Indigenous peoples are one group of people vulnerable to the transmission of COVID-19 (BBC Indonesia, 2020). The main factor is the challenging geographical conditions and the government's lack of health facilities. Butet Manurung, an activist for the rights of the Orang Rimba tribe, believes that as indigenous people become more reliant on the outside world, they will become more vulnerable. So it would be preferable if the jungle community could be more self-sufficient and apply lessons from earlier pandemic episodes.

Architecturally, there may have been many talks and explanations that highlight features of the tropicality of traditional dwellings, as well as how COVID-19 is handled on a domestic size. As is well known from numerous occurrences in Indonesia, many health workers are exposed to COVID-19, one of which is working in a room with artificial ventilation that does not allow viruses to escape. as well as other scenarios in modern structures when artificial ventilation is required.

Apart from components of traditional house construction that aid with COVID-19 handling, several other elements have formed part of the collective memory of several indigenous communities in dealing with the epidemic, including:

Bersanding Orang Rimba

The Orang Rimba tribe's equivalent of social distance is besesandingon. It has long been practiced by the Orang Rimba in Jambi, even before the coronavirus outbreak, and is often done to halt infectious diseases. Survivors must isolate themselves for several days in this technique, according to Orang Rimba tribe Indigenous rights campaigner Saur Marlina Manurung. The separation of sick individuals is referred to as disesandingko, or segregated, by the Orang Rimba. They are not permitted to mix

with healthy people. This practice applies to the Orang Rimba and those from outside who visit the Orang Rimba living region. They will be separated from healthy persons even across a 50-meter distance. Typically, sick people are placed downstream of the river, while healthy people remain upstream so that the water utilized by the suffering people does not flow to those who are healthy. According to Saur Marlina Manurung, everyone lives near the river in the jungle, and there is a concept of upstream and downstream. As a result, newcomers must first settle in the downstream region.

Rimba tribe children eating harvested fruit Source: mongabay.co.id

A man from the Orang Rimba tribe in front of his temporary residence Source: mongabay.co.id

The Baduy people's way of life

The Baduy tribe of Banten is one of the few remaining Javanese tribes with live traditions. One of them is to continue coexisting with the natural environment. This lifestyle can be applied in a variety of ways, including:

The cultivation custom was carried out to support the Baduy tribe's diet

As we know from numerous webinars and news reports, cities are in a terrible situation during this pandemic. The food distribution network has been disconnected due to challenging mobilization with its different health procedures, particularly during regional lockdowns. This problem can be overcome more swiftly in the middle and upper classes than in the middle and lower classes, whose livelihoods are threatened by work-fromhome rules and their incapacity to absorb the financial cost of living. People have food reserves and can limit the usage of food production by consuming a small portion and saving the remainder in their granaries thanks to this practice.

A person from the Baduy tribe carries crops with simple technology. Source: mongabay.co.id

Building construction regulations

In the Baduy community, it is forbidden to construct structures with modern tools and objects. They use natural resources such as wood for the pole, bamboo for the wall, and kiray or palm fiber for the roof. The endeavor is to reduce the probability of the virus entering and infecting Baduy people by cutting off access to the outside world.

The forest serves as a fortress against the outer world

For indigenous people, the forest is a living pharmacy; many medicinal plants or plants, in general, can cure common diseases without needing a hospital or pharmacy. The forest in Baduy traditional village is separated into three sections: leweung kolot (ancient forest), leweung reuma (field forest), and leweung lembur (village forest). The forest is classified into three groups based on its function: banned, dudungusan, and cultivated. The types and functions of woods possessed by Baduy show that large layers of trees surround the Baduy customary region. As a result, access can only be gained through a series of trails surrounded by trees, which can be regarded as a benefit in reducing the Covid-19 pandemic because it reduces human mobility and hence the transmission of the Covid-19 virus.

Baduy village is integrated with nature, a resource, and protection for them. Source: goodnewsfromIndonesia.id

Given that Indonesia has 714 tribes ranging from Sabang to Merauke, each with variations in geography, culture, and so on, it is reasonable to suppose that each tribe has its pandemic response strategy. The epidemic managing tradition also breaks the dilemma between tradition and modernity since there are many things they can teach us modernity; by living together to complement each other rather than condemning each other.