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“Development with Culture and Identity”:
Philosophies and Spirituality
The Seven Fortunes
“Development” is undeniably a foreign concept to
indigenous peoples. It is something we have to approach
with extra care, with critical minds and determination,
for one simple reason: to make sure
that it brings us the “freedom” it encompasses and
the “opportunities” it is capable of offering. We have
to avoid accepting any form of “development” that
initially or eventually has the opposite effect: exploitation,
destruction, appropriation of our lands
and natural resources and cultural genocide of our
indigenous identities, in most cases for the sake of
economic and political interests alone. Even with
the concept of “Sustainable Development”, we always
have to make sure that the economic, ecological,
social, cultural and spiritual benefits are taken
into account. None of these benefits can be sacrificed
or neglected for the sake of economic benefits
alone because this is in contradiction with the real
meaning of “sustainability”.
“Lands, Territories and Other Resources” are indeed
the three most important elements that determine
the indigenous peoples’ culture and identity.
However, at the same time, they also become the three
most important in terms of the interests and objects
of “development”. And this has become the heart of
the matter, a source of conflict and an everlasting
challenge to indigenous peoples everywhere on this
planet, past, present or future.
Drawing on lessons and experiences in Asia, especially
among Kalimantan’s (Borneo’s) indigenous peoples,
I have summarized what I usually call the “Seven
Fortunes” (Bamba, 2008:241-249) received by the Dayaks
(Kalimantan’s indigenous peoples), which cover
the main principles and philosophies of their natural
resource management. These seven principles and
philosophies could offer us some criteria and indicators
for our Self-Determined Development or Development
with Culture and Identity concept. Unfortunately,
these principles and philosophies are often in
direct contradiction with the activities of the “Global
Development Model” implemented by most governments
and development agencies around the world.
1. SUSTAINABILITY (BIODIVERSITY) versus
PRODUCTIVITY (MONOCULTURE)
It is hard to reach a compromise between sustainability
and productivity. Sustainability demands
biodiversity, resulting in relatively lower production
outputs, while productivity requires massive,
30 Indigenous Affairs 1-2/10
Dayak people west Kalimantan, Indonesia – Photo: Christian Erni