Natural resources are essential to improve economic life based on local wisdom in Papua. It is one of the programs specifically designed to enhance the welfare of all people in West Papua. As a result, Yokari people use their local wisdom to improve their economy. To know the details, here’s more information.
Yokari Community Economic Condition
Yokari district has various regions with unique ways of life. One of the pretty isolated villages is Senamai. It is a village formed before the expansion of the Yokari district area. The topography of this village is mainly surrounded by sea at an altitude of 19.5 meters with annual rainfall reaching 45 mm/year with an average temperature of 35C.
Due to its proximity to the sea, the majority of the people have a livelihood as fishermen by traditional means (fishing). Residents fish in groups from morning to evening without using sophisticated equipment. After that, they will sell it to other people in the traditional market. If the fish is not sold, it will be consumed for daily needs.
The development of this village is now increasing rapidly due to West Papua government programs with special village development funds. Besides the marine resources, the community around this village provides several stones and sand. The heavy rain cover around the town brings excellent construction and building material potential.
However, one of the obstacles in carrying out economic activities in this village area is limited transportation. It makes the price for having both land and sea transportation so expensive. For this reason, residents who work as fishers experience obstacles to economic activities. Transportation limitations also hinder the distribution of food and clothing to villages.
However, along with the times, most of the Yokari area has been used to build Jayapura government buildings, infrastructure, and public facilities. Many non-indigenous people build their businesses around the room to develop this area. This situation creates a significant gap between the indigenous population and the migrants.
The gap is more noticeable with indigenous people who tend to live close to the sea. Therefore, they still implement traditional economic activities using local wisdom. They prioritize the use of local wisdom to manage natural resources in order to protect nature and all resources properly in West Papua.
Potential Natural Resources Owned
The potential of natural resources in this village is seen from the possibility of nature and the sea. The people in this village rely on marine catches every day. With this in mind, the coastal community of Yokari relies more on men for capturing marine products. Meanwhile, activities for farming and gardening are more emphasized to women.
The potential of marine resources in the village, including various types of fish, provides a reasonably high income. Generally, they will sell the catch of fish directly or heated over a fire before being sold. Although some natural products come from the sea, there is also potential for natural resources from land, such as mangoes and matoa.
The plantation crops are picked in certain seasons and sold in traditional markets. Do not rule out the harvest is also consumed in the family. In addition, there is also the economic potential of West Papua of the community who has particular skills in making cakes from cassava and taro from their garden products. Furthermore, there are also crafts produced by women.
Yokari women understand the role of helping the family with their skills. This finding eventually became one of the reasons why the government provided funds for the particular autonomy budget, such as boats, gas lamps, and fishing gear. The assistance is intended to provide support to the local community.
This step also aims to enable communities to find and better manage their natural resources. As a result, this program can improve the indigenous people-based economy. However, other obstacles cannot be overcome, such as sea conditions with big waves. Therefore, through the use of better technology, people can catch more fish.
Local Wisdom and Yokari Consents with Natural Resources
All forms of local wisdom are passed down from generation to generation through behavior towards fellow humans. The Yokari indigenous people prioritize local wisdom that exists to guide them in engaging socially, with nature, and with the environment in which they live. It then teaches them to live according to what has been accepted.
It also includes ways to conserve natural resources that are already available. In preserving natural resources, West Papua tribes follow community rules inherited from their ancestral culture and agreed upon by Ondowapona, elders, and the whole community. People believe that nature and culture have a powerful influence, where wildlife will be disturbed if not cared for properly.
For these reasons, the customary rules will contribute as much as possible for the good of all parties. Apart from the sanctions as a consequence, if this rule is violated, the rules are applied to protect the universe. They believe that Nature exists to be used as a source of life. Therefore, it needs to be preserved and not to be destroyed for any reason.
