Kajang Tribe, a Unique Ethnic Black Tribe in Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi.
Kajang situated about 58 km north-west from Bira beach, Kajang is a sub-district from Bulukumba regency, the interest point in Tana-Toa village where live the leather of Pra-islamic called:”Amma-Toa’”.The village covering the forest conservation area according to the teaching of the;Tana-Toa,every houses inside built in natural material from plant inside the area, and not any modern material use even nail, zinc-roof and electricity, really interest to visit in the global era.
The Kajang people is sub-ethnic of Makassar ethnic who in habited (occupied) a particular area. The area and the people the people are quite isolated from the livings of other people of Bulukumba. The head of this group is called “Amatoa” who considered holy. For those who are eager to see her, are obliged to wear a black shirt and black “sarong”, and it will be better to meet him without any shoes or sandals.
The Kajang Tribe or Kajang People or in Indonesia call it “Suku Kajang” is sub-ethnic to Makassar ethnic groups, who inhabited a particular area in the forest. The area and the people are quite asolated from other people of Bulukumba. The Head of this group who is ruled by a tribal and religious is called “Ammatoa” and their land call it Tana Toa.
Ammatoa is a person who masters of “Pasang ri Kajang” – an oral teaching of Kajang people, which inherited from one generation to the other. The life of Kajang centered to Pasang which is not only rules the relation among man, man to the Creator but it covers the relation of man with the nature. To have a person chosen as Ammatoa the congregation of elders attending the ritual will listen to the supernatural signs. It might be in a form of a buffalo suddenly come to someone house’s and stays there without precedents or a rooster fly in and stops at someone’s shoulder.
Kajang tribe divided into two groups is Kajang Dalam (Inner) and Kajang Luar (Outer) no differences between them. Kajang Luar live and living in villages outside forest and they live more open to change, while the Kajang Dalam live only inside forest with the nature, both the group live harmoniously from the past until now, they always hold fast to the teachings of the ancestors and they always maintain a balance of living with nature and the ancestors.
They live harmoniously with the nature, and they do not use modern facilities i.e. means of transportation. For that reason, no cars and they like permitted to enter this area. The meeting ceremony with “Amatoa” is very unique event.
The most famous adat community in Sulawesi, Kajang Dalam, located within the administrative borders of Bulukumba. Although
the Kecamantan of Kajang has its formal structures with the camat and kepala desa, there is a parallel adat structure under the authority of the Amma Toa that exists and seems not to need formal recognition from the district government.
The size of the adat territory in Kajang Dalam is approximately 25 hectares. The territory is called rambbang seppang. This already includes 2 hectares of the Amma Toa’s land, and the rest is divided into 4 villages; Tana Toa, Malleleng, Bonto Baji, and Batu Nilamung. At present there are community mapping initiatives involving AMAN SS and others to clearly indicate the wilayah adat and to support claims over this territory.
The informal borders that separate this customary territory from the rest of the Kajang Luar are respected by everyone.
If one wants to enter Kajang Dalam, for instance, permission must be requested first, and once this is obtained various protocol have to be followed, such as the removal of ones shoes and socks, the wearing of all black clothes, and so on. While the influence of modern life has started to creep into this territory, the customs of old take precedence and life still reflects the ways of the ancestors.
In the context of nature conservation, the presence of Kajang tribe in South Sulawesi Bulukumba seems to be an oasis. Harmony of life and the lives of people with nature make it sustainable. With the belief that nature is the source of life, Kajang tribe has great respect for nature. They guard the protected forest of the past until now, although they must be anti-modernization. They feel comfortable and safe with houses and villages are not electrified. Rocky road, a house made ??of wood, bamboo, and thatched roofs, and even around the village is by foot.