Offerings to local place-spirits (West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo)

Offerings to place-spirits mark the start of conservation-related activities on the edge of a peat swamp forest in Indonesian Borneo. Spirits are important social agents in indigenous Bornean society. Rituals are held to seek the spirits’ permission and blessing for new activities, including mining, logging, commercial agriculture, and conservation interventions. In this case, permission was sought to commence forest fire mitigation activities in a logging concession. This forest, like many other logging concessions, constitutes important but threatened habitat for orangutans, and has made it an object of attention for conservation organisations.

Spirit offerings.

‘Ah, karena ku mohon, ya teman ku datang, lengkap cukup yang kudatang, bukan hanya meminta-minta memohon-mohon, dikatakan cukup dengan sirih kapur sebatang, dengan tuak lauk, yang ku mau ku sedekahkan dengan duhan, jangan sampai duhan menjakat, memodih, nyembalani, dengan anak buah ku, entah dari mana, setiap sida’ bekunjung, tolong, tak rinding. Maklum, kalau kai ndak bepadah bebilang, kadang kadang duhan ada yang nakal, ada yang jajal’.

‘Ah, because I ask for my friends that have come. We have come pretty complete, not merely asking and begging. It is said […] some betel leaves and lime is enough, some rice wine and meat that I want to offer to you, so that you will not tease, hurt, cause disaster to my friends, wherever they are from, every time they come, please, don’t scare them. Understandably, if we don’t speak and inform you, sometimes there are those among you that are naughty, that try [something naughty]’.

While the midday sun caused the chicken gut to contract and push out its dark green content, the ceremonial leader, demong, delivered a long monologue intended as much for his human audience as for the place spirits. The spirits were informed at length about planned forest fire mitigation activities by the company that works closely with orangutan conservationists to sustainably manage the area. Chicken, sticky rice and rice wine were offered to dissuade the spirits from trying any tricks.

At the same time, the company staff that were present could not miss the underlying message. The spirits care little for their government license. Anyone who wants to work here—even if it’s for a good cause like preventing wildfire—must rely on local mediation to avoid supernatural repercussions. The demong also made clear that any security provided was conditional: ‘That is if, so to say, they don’t cross boundaries [do inappropriate things]. But if they cross boundaries, then it’s up to you [to react as is fitting]’. (‘Kalau seandai kata sida’ tak lewat batas. Tapi kalau sida’ melewati batas, terserah duhan dah am’.) Knowledge of local spirits and protocols for dealing with them play an important part in indigenous claims to control over territory.