Indigenous communities in the Province of South West Papua are identical with two things, namely culture and also environmental sustainability. These two things cannot be separated from each other but go hand in hand. The culture they have is closely related to the process of preserving nature. The reason is because indigenous people have a life that depends on natural conditions. So when indigenous people carry out their daily activities, there will be a connection with nature including their livelihoods in nature, both forests and oceans. One culture related to environmental sustainability is the Sasi Ceremony culture which is held in Raja Ampat Regency, Province of South West Papua. The Sasi Ceremony is a form of culture that aims to preserve nature, in this case the nature in question is the sustainability of the sea and its contents.
Indigenous people who live on the coast of the Raja Ampat region are dependent on natural resources in the form of fish catches in the sea so that the majority of people’s livelihoods there are as fishermen. However, this does not mean that they exploit nature by continuously taking fish and not even protecting nature, especially protecting the coral reef ecosystem which is famous for its beauty and is one of the attractive tourist destinations. In addition, of course, there has been an awareness in the indigenous community as a result of the culture passed down from their ancestors regarding how they must continue to preserve nature while living dependently on nature. Thus, the indigenous people in the Raja Ampat region continue to be fishermen who also preserve the marine ecosystem.
The Sasi Ceremony is one of the efforts to preserve nature. Usually, this traditional event is carried out by men. However, specifically on the coast of Raja Ampat, women are given the privilege to become Sasi guards and implementers of the Sasi Ceremony. This women’s group is called the Waifuna Women’s Group. The ceremony that is carried out is a series of events with the aim of closing an area or region so that its natural products are not taken for a while. This means that fishermen are prohibited from taking marine products such as fish, sea cucumbers, lobsters, and others in a water area for a certain period of time such as one month to six months. The goal is for there to be regeneration that occurs in the area naturally and to prevent damage or exploitation of nature.
The form of culture that is manifested in the Sasi Ceremony process is how indigenous people obey the prohibitions issued by the Waifuna Women’s Group. In addition, indigenous people who work as fishermen are also prohibited from using modern tools that can damage the ecosystem but rather use traditional tools that are also cultural products of indigenous people around the coast of Raja Ampat. The hope of the Sasi Ceremony process initiated by Waifuna women is that the natural ecosystem is maintained and can be preserved so that its benefits can be felt by future generations. The culture that is owned can also continue to be preserved along with the maintained natural conditions.