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WAVES OF DEVASTATION homepage
Background:
Global environmental justice
Natural disasters
How a tsunami happens
Tectonics
Past tsunamis
Pacific Ocean warnings
Indian Ocean warnings
Overviews:
Indonesia
Thailand
Sri Lanka
India
Other countries
Environmental
impacts:
Freshwater supplies
Fishing
Wetlands/timber
Agriculture
Diseases
Wildlife
Reefs/islands
Human
& environmental impacts:
Indigenous peoples
Tourism
Clean-up
Relief/aid
Civil wars
Conservation education
A
class project by students in
International
Environmental
Problems & Policy
(Geography
378, Spring 2005, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire)
Assistant
Professor
of
Geography Zoltan Grossman grossmzc@uwec.edu
(715)
836-4471
P.O. Box 4004,
Eau Claire, WI
54702 USA
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The
tsunami disaster in December 2004 made the global community recognize
the existence of the indigenous people in the region, and their
knowledge to anticipate the tsunami. It allowed us to understand
that there is much yet to learn from indigenous peoples' ecological
knowledge. We live in an era of the I.T. revolution, which allows
us to communicate and opens us to global sources of information.
However, through such information, it does not allow us to detect
an approaching tsunami and anticipate the natural disaster.
Traditional Lore
TheMoken
indigenous people (or "sea gypsies") of Thailand,
and Native inhabitants of India’s
Andaman and Nicobar islands managed to anticipate the tsunami danger.
Their knowledge of wind, tides, and the animals, which had been
passed down from generation to generation, prepared them to deal
with the natural disaster.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/04/01/indonesia.earthquake.traditional.ap/
In
the Town of Gunung Sitoli on Nias Island, Indonesia,
the local traditional house which was built nearly a century ago
survived without any damage, while a house next door, a six-year-old
brick and cement-made home was destroyed without a trace. Like most
homes across Nias Island
the house is made of wood in the traditional style. A typical house
is about 20 meters long by 10 meters wide, and stands on crisscrossed
stilts. Dozens of heavy stones are stacked underneath to keep them
stable during earthquakes and high winds. The home is made normally
for a single family. One of the villagers said, “They move when
the earth moves. They have flexibility that modern houses lack.”
However, the craftsmen who are able to build and repair the houses
have all died. Leaving the house under repair or replacing the house
using modern styles is said to bring bad luck. The villagers say,
“The homes have special powers. We will have to learn to repair
them ourselves."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/18/60minutes/main681558.shtml
Another
tsunami survivor is the Moken, the "sea gypsies" of the Andaman
Sea. They survived the
tsunami because they knew it was coming. The Mokens are nomads,
who constantly move from island to island, living most of the year
in boats. The Moken believe that ocean waves are created by the
spirits of the sea, according to Saleh Kalathalay (a Moken man interviewed
by CBS). In response to why the tsunami came, he said, “The big
wave had not eaten anyone for a long time, and it wanted to taste
them again.” The Moken has a legend that is passed from generation
to generation about the Laboon, the “wave that eats people.” It
is believed that the angry spirits of the ancestor brought the tsunami.
The myth tells that, before the giant wave comes, the sea recedes.
Then the waters flood the earth, destroy it, and make it clean again.
On these islands the cicadas are usually loud, but suddenly went
silent before the tsunami hit. Saleh Kalathalay noticed the silence
and warned everyone about the tsunami. The Moken started to flee
toward higher ground long before the first wave struck and were
saved.
Risk of Contact with Outsiders
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6786476/
http://www2.db.dk/pe/Andaman.htm
The
Andamanese and other six indigenous groups in Andaman and Nicobar
Islands survived the tsunami by taking shelter in the
highlands. Later, they were relocated to Andaman
Island’s capital city of
Port Blair because their
villages were destroyed. As they were to be relocated, one of the
men aimed his bow and shot an arrow toward the rescue chopper. It
was a signal that the indigenous people wanted to be left alone.
The tribal leaders are concenrned about the risk of coming in contact
with outside population and food. The leaders are demanding the
government authorities to return them back to where they were airlifted.
 http://www.redcross.is/redcross/eldri_frettir/?cat_id=9640&ew_0_a_id=109479
The
Acehnese are an Islamic community located on the northern tip of
Sumatra Island, which have had a conflict with
the Indonesian government (see Civil
wars). After the tsunami, GAM (Free Aceh Movement) and the Indonesian
government has agreed to a temporary peace in order to deal with
the tsunami damage. The Indonesian government is sending food, clothing,
and medical supplies to GAM. However according to recent news, it
seems that the peace process is being reversed. The rebels from
GAM have occupied the highlands area. The Acehnese, like Andaman
and Nicobar’s indigenous people has strong survival tactics against
natural disasters, but less resistance against surviving aggression
from outsiders.
Conclusion
While
there were numerous deaths and injuries reported in the main island of Indonesia,
Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and so forth from main
populations, the indigenous peoples’ death and injury reports were
less. It is due to their knowledge of understanding the way of the
nature, and their traditional resource management practices. Although
our understanding of science has increased and information technologies
have become intense, we have lost our human’s primary instinct of
survival. We have much to learn from the keen environmental awareness
that many indigenous people possess.
Sources
For
more information on this topic:
CNN
World News
MSNBC News
CBS
News
Lutz,
Ellen L. War or Water: Humanitarian Assistance Must Get Through.
Cultural Survival World Report on the Rights, Voices, and Visions
of Indigenous Peoples. Spring 2005. Vol. 29, Issue 1. p5.
Budjeryn,
Mariana. And Then Came the Tsunami. Cultural Survival World
Report on the Rights, Voices, and Visions of Indigenous Peoples.
Spring 2005. Vol. 29, Issue 1. P40-42.
Shiva,
Vandana. The Lessons of the Tsunami. Ecologist. March 2005.
Vol. 35, Issue 2. p21,4p.
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