**5.2. Recent transformation in indigenous forest resource management**

Judging by the fact that infringement of *seli kaitahu* has rarely happened, the locals strongly believe the power of supernatural agents, and that belief heavily influences on forest resource management in Amanioho. However, we observed recent transformations in forest resource management such as the application of *sasi gereja* (church prohibitions) on forest resource use.

Sasi is a customary ban for regulating land and resource use in east Indonesia. It includes spatial and temporal prohibitions on harvesting crops, cutting wood and gathering other products from the forest, tidal zone or marine territory of a village [23]. In *sasi gereja*, the church plays the most important role in imposing the prohibition. A village clergyman publicly declares the closing and opening of a certain area or a resource. In Maluku, this type of sasi has become widespread among the local communities of Christians [23–25].

Christianity (Protestantism) was introduced to the mountain areas of the Central Seram at the end of the nineteenth century. In Amanioho, almost all the villagers embrace Christianity. Their animistic belief, however, was not extinguished and it coexists with their Christian beliefs.

<sup>7</sup> Interviews with Ym. A., a 63-year-old male; F. Li., a 71-year-old male; and Ad. Li, a 50-year-old male, in January 2004.

In Amanioho, around the year 2000, some villagers started to ask the village church council to implement *sasi gereja* to protect their agricultural crops (coconuts, sago palm, betel nuts, etc.) from other villagers who might harvest them. The person who wants to implement *sasi gereja* must request its implementation from the council with donation to the church, and inform the crops subject to the sasi and their location. The preacher announces the imposition of *sasi gereja* and prays for a good harvest at Sunday worship. He also counsels the villagers not to violate the sasi and prays that the Christian God will inflict a punishment on the violator.

The local people believe that the Christian God will punish the persons who infringe upon the *seli kaitahu* ban. *Sasi gereja* is supported by such faith of the local people. In regard to resource management based on a supernatural enforcement mechanism, both *seli kaitahu* and *sasi gereja* have a common characteristic.

Recently, instead of *seli kaitahu*, a few villagers started to impose *sasi gereja* for prohibiting forest resource use as shown in Case 3.

Case 3: Sewatinueni is a private forest owned by Ym. A. Its adjoining forest, the Ahahae, is soa forest collectively owned by all members of the soa Amanukuany that Ym. A belonged to. Both Sewatinueni and Ahahae had been used and managed by Ym. A. Both forest lots had been closed under *seli kaitahu* by Ym. A. However, it has been recognized that someone is engaging in trapping/hunting in these forests for several years. Therefore, Ym. A. imposed a *sasi gereja* on these forests and put up a notice board stating that both forests are under *sasi gereja*. This board was placed at the side of the forest trail near these forests in October 2005. It was the first *sasi gereja* against forest use (trapping and hunting) placed in Amanioho.

The imposition of *sasi gereja* on the forest use was not because Ym. A. no longer believed in the effectiveness of the supernatural power of *seli kaitahu*. According to the explanations by Ym. A., *mutuaila* and natural spirits (*awa* and *sira tana*) sometimes inflict *akeake* (punishment) on the offender shortly after *seli kaitahu* is broken, but sometimes they inflict the *akeake* long afterwards. However, in the case of *sasi gereja*, the Christian God punishes the sasi breaker shortly after the infringement. Ym. A. imposed *sasi gereja* on these forests because he wanted to have the poachers meet with some punishment (misfortune) as soon as possible.

In December 2006, a half year after placing the *sasi gereja*, Ym. A. requested opening the sasi in Sewatinueni and Ahahae to the village church council. After the announcement of the removal of the sasi in the Sunday service, his son-in-law (his daughter's husband), living with him, went trapping in the forest. The son-in-law found several new *totoi* (incisions made by machete in a tree trunk to climb the tree). This indicated that someone had conducted spear hunting for cuscus, thus violating the *sasi gereja*. The son-in-law returned to the village and reported it to his father-in-law.

Ym. A. suspected X, who was known as the master of tree climbing, of poaching in the forests, since many *totoi* had been made in huge trees, which ordinary people hesitated to climb. In addition, X had caught many cuscuses and had sold them in the village. X had also suffered from terrible malaria and hovered closely between life and death in October 2006. In addition, X's wife also had suffered from serious malaria, and a brother of X had been seriously wounded in his knee by his machete a while before the sasi was opened. The villagers interpreted all misfortunes of X and X's family members as punishments brought by the Christian God because of his violation of the *sasi gereja*. 8
