Indigenous Wisdom for Developing Economic Life Case of Yokari People, West Papua
Abstract: Natural resources
need to be used to improve the economic life based on the indigenous local
wisdom. This is one of Jayapura regency’s economic development programs to
increase the welfare of the whole society as mandated by the special autonomy
policy in West Papua. This study aims to address the potential of natural
resources in Yokari customary council by utilising their local knowledge to
improve the economic life of the community. The use of qualitative research and
triangulation method for data collection and analysis are used and purposive
sampling method employed to answer the expected objectives of this study. The
head of village government, Ondowapona, elders and religious leaders were
approached for in-depth interviews in addition to the observation and secondary
data study that had been largely completed beforehand. The results show that
the majority of community work as fishermen and farmers along with the
potential of natural resources, being various kind of fish, fruit, and
vegetable used for sale or daily consumption in the family. Local wisdom, such
as the obligation to protect the environment and customary laws, restriction to
fish with the bombs and taboo to work on Sunday are acknowledged and accounts
for traditional sanctions that need to be highly considered by the community to
engage with the natural resources. Significant challenges faced by the
community, such as difficult access to transportation, marketing and
distribution channels of their resources need to be seriously taken into
account by the government to improve a better quality of the community life.
Penulis: Jhon Urasti Blesia,
Westim Ratang
Kode Jurnal: jpsosiologidd160371
