Namblong Community Defends 53,000-Hectare Homeland

In Jayapura Regency, Indonesia, Yon, Vebbry, Ruth, and Stebby shared stories of the Namblong people’s struggle to maintain their identity and 53,000 hectares of customary land. They spoke at the Makassar International Writers Festival about how their ancestral forest has been altered since the 1970s. Local place names have been replaced with new infrastructure, and palm oil plantations have expanded into the forest.

Vebbry explained that PT Permata Nusa Mandiri received a permit for 32,000 hectares in 2012, but the license was revoked in 2022. Greenpeace Indonesia reported continued forest clearing—over 100 hectares—even after the revocation. The loss of the forest restricts the women of Namblong, requiring permission to farm and subjecting them to harsh treatment if they don’t have it.

Ruth detailed how traditional practices are disappearing, from sago roofs being replaced with corrugated metal to pressure to conform to different beauty standards. In response, they established a school in 2019 to teach children the Namblong language and identity, and to revive practices like weaving noken—traditional Papuan bags—from forest fibers. Despite these challenges, the community continues to document their knowledge and adapt to the changing landscape.