The Age of Trees Measured Through the Nomadic Cycles of Indigenous Communities
Have we ever heard of a civilization that determines the timing of planting and cutting trees not based on market quotas, but on the cycles of stars, water, and the sounds of night grasshoppers? This is a glimpse into the story of Jufentus, our friend from Wanja Hamlet, Soi Village.
Reading Nature Like Reading a Clock
A few nights ago, Pentus stayed over at my place. Before going to sleep, we talked about coffee, the forests surrounding Soi, rhizome plants and traditional medicines, cuscus, and various forest animals he often encounters.
Jufentus is unique. He is only around 23 years old—what we would call Gen-Z. What makes him different from many people, even those older than him, is that he still practices the teachings passed down by his grandfather, Newapalu.
That night, he began reconstructing his memories of how their ancestors determined the right time for planting. According to his grandfather, there were specific signs and messages that needed to be understood before beginning the planting process.
Pentus then explained how their ancestors determined the timing for planting and cutting trees, almost as if he were describing an ecological calendar complete with its own calculations. Unfortunately, my limited understanding of local terminology prevented me from fully grasping everything he explained.
Yet this was where I felt indigenous wisdom met the modern biochemistry we often study today. For example, when he spoke about the quality of wood harvested at certain times, I was reminded of lignin—the compound that strengthens plant cell walls.
When lignin levels are at the right condition, wood becomes more flexible, stronger, and more resistant to destructive insects. In the past, many tree houses of the Da’a indigenous people were built with simple architecture, yet they remained durable and comfortable to live in. From this brief conversation, I became increasingly convinced that the way they treated forests was never random or merely based on guesswork.
They had their own planting and harvesting protocols that optimized material quality naturally, long before laboratories even existed.
A Shield Against Deforestation
If indigenous communities are willing to reconnect with the symbols and teachings inherited from their ancestors and practice them once again, I believe many things can rise again.
This concept goes far beyond simply producing quality wood. When people understand how to read time and natural signs, they can select the best timber with greater durability. Durable materials reduce the need to continuously exploit forests. This aligns closely with the rotational nomadic cycle practiced by the Da’a indigenous people—a system that gives forest ecosystems enough time to recover naturally.
It is a unique mechanism that also contributes to carbon absorption and the slowing of global warming.
Today, however, this tradition stands on the edge of extinction. The drive for exploitation and the conversion of forests into urban areas are slowly breaking the chain of knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
That is why hearing even a small part of this story feels deeply meaningful. Hopefully, there will be more stories and knowledge they can share with us. And perhaps everything begins with one simple step: getting to know them more closely before this knowledge truly disappears forever.
(Written By : Ista Mujahidin, CGCL Project)
