Community Forest and Land Conflicts

Abundant forests cared for by indigenous communities provide tangible evidence of their traditional commitment to environmental preservation. Wax gourds and chickens symbolize peace. Meanwhile, bamboo tubes tied to trees, containing the placentas of community members, signify the spiritual bond between individuals and the trees they are entrusted to protect. Unfortunately, these traditions are often overlooked by modern society, and indigenous communities constantly face conflicts with the modern state, including discrimination, prohibitions on accessing natural resources in their ancestral lands, and legal issues arising from statelessness.