4.4.1 Connection of vanishing forests and forest people

Disappearance of forest has also importance to human society. Disappearance of natural forests affects the most communities that live inside the forest and whose culture and livelihood depend on forests. In the area of Riau there has been nearly ten of these indigenous peoples. However, some of them, like Orang bonai, have already disappeared from the way of "development" (Hamidy 1991, Suparlan 1995, Sandbukt 1991). APRIL's concession areas are situated in traditional living area of one to four tribes. Uncertainty in the amount of tribes regularly using the concession areas is due to lack of up-to-date information. Cultural assimilation, disappearance of forests, spreading of industrial plantations etc. are pushing the tribes into an increasingly difficult situation forcing them to move away.

Indigenous people in the eastern coast of Sumatra have concentrated in the coast and along the rivers inland. One tribe comprises few thousand people. E.g. APRIL's northernmost concession sector in Riau, Mandau, which is situated on the banks of Siak river, has been a traditional territory of Sakai people. A more southern concession sector, Pelalawan, situated along the Kampar river is a traditional living area of Petalangan people and possibly also Hutan people. (Effendy 1998, Suparlan 1995, Hamidy 1991.) Territory of Petalangan has also been left under APRIL's factory site and related infrastructure. A survey ordered by APRIL mentions that even the Kubu (Anak Dalam) people constantly use concessions as their hunting area (SGS 1998).

These peoples use the forests variously. The Kubu are very mobile and may spend a long time roaming in the forest without establishing any plantations just by hunting, fishing and gathering (Sandbukt 1991, Wuryantari 1998). Petalangan on the other hand are mainly living in permanent settlements. They cultivate the same, burned areas for a long period. The customary adat rights and regulations strictly regulate burning of forest to make way for plantations. Clearing new areas for the fields is a rare and notable operation.

Zones of rice fields, fruit trees and rubber plantations circle the Petalangan villages. The surrounding forests are also used for hunting, fishing, cutting timber and collecting other forest products in a radius of tens of kilometres. The acquired products can either be used directly by the communities or sold. Forest is the main factor of mythology of Petalangan not to mention the Kubu or Hutan people actually living inside the forest (Effendy, no date). The way of life and culture of these people is so strictly winded to forest that they can not survive when the forests disappear.

Folklore of Petalangan from a ritual song (quoted from Effendy, no date):

The Talang people live in the forest
When the forest vanishes,
the Talang people perish with it.