This story of To Cerekang, Ridwan continued, is proof that through unity, the right advocacy strategies, and hard work, indigenous communities can turn the tide. “They have succeeded in ensuring that sovereignty over their territory remains intact,” he said.

The To Cerekang Indigenous Community in East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, has finally succeeded in removing their managed territory from the nickel mining concession of PT Prima Utama Lestari (PT PUL). The To Cerekang Indigenous Community has stood firm in their struggle to defend their ancestral lands, sources of local wisdom, and their way of life.

Through a series of organized advocacy efforts facilitated by the Wallacea Association, the To Cerekang Indigenous Community not only succeeded in strengthening their own ranks but also secured significant support from the local government and even brought the mining company to the negotiating table.

The Wallacea Association (Wallacea), a civil society organization focused on issues related to indigenous communities and the environment, has, with support from the Tifa Foundation, begun to drive change from within the community. Wallacea is raising awareness among the To Cerekang community regarding the importance of a strong foundation of knowledge and unity.

On September 11, 2024, for example, Wallacea held a critical legal education workshop attended by 20 representatives of the To Cerekang Indigenous Community, including both women and men. As a result, according to Ridwan, one of Wallacea’s activists, the community’s critical awareness has grown.

“A commitment to safeguarding customary territories has also taken root,” he explained,

“Finally, on January 11, 2025, a village meeting attended by 101 people produced a Social Consensus Document containing the unanimous agreement of the To Cerekang Indigenous Community to reject PT PUL’s mining permit in their traditional territory.”

After that, according to Ridwan, the lobbying team moved quickly. “They knew that to succeed, they had to prove that their opposition was grounded in the principle of rights protection and supported by the broader public,” he explained. “In connection with that, an in-depth survey based on the PADIATAPA principles (Engagement, Consent, and Participation) was conducted in three villages (October–December 2024). The collected data was analyzed and summarized in the form of a robust Policy Brief.”

Read: Protecting the To Cerekang Indigenous Forest: Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

It didn’t stop there; according to Ridwan, to broaden support, Wallacea helped produce a documentary film. “The film is about protecting areas of local wisdom,” he explained. “The film and local media coverage successfully drew attention, resulting in public support for To Cerekang.”

According to Ridwan, that hard work is beginning to bear fruit, as support from academics, the media, and the East Luwu Regional Government for the preservation of this customary territory is growing stronger and more widespread.

“These structured and organized efforts have begun to shift policy and pressure companies to exclude the To Cerekang customary territory from their mining concession areas. In fact, through workshops involving government officials, academics, and other stakeholders, the East Luwu Regency Government has made a commitment to protect the customary territory.”

In fact, most of the To Cerekang local wisdom areas within the Other Land Use (APL) zone have been included in Local Regulation No. 1 of 2025 on RT/RW in East Luwu Regency. “The local government is even committed to conducting a further review to include all remaining local wisdom areas,” he said.

Furthermore, Ridwan revealed that the To Cerekang lobbying team held intensive meetings with the local government and PT PUL (in March and April 2025). “Although there is no official document yet regarding the reduction of the IUP, the follow-up meeting on June 13, 2025, resulted in a significant commitment: PT PUL has pledged not to carry out any activities within the To Cerekang traditional territory until 2026,” he explained. “The company will also coordinate with the relevant ministries regarding the agreement document for the reduction of the IUP area that falls within the traditional territory.””

Ultimately, Wallacea’s advocacy efforts in collaboration with the To Cerekang Indigenous Community succeeded in shifting the balance of power. “This was marked by the emergence of a critical awareness among the To Cerekang Indigenous Community,” he explained. “They also have an organized lobbying team that has successfully built a strong social consensus to defend their traditional territories.”

This story of To Cerekang, Ridwan continued, is proof that through unity, the right advocacy strategies, and hard work, indigenous communities can turn the tide.

“They have successfully ensured that sovereignty over their territory remains intact,” he said.

Ridwan, Wallacea Association

Meanwhile, Hamsaluddin (Ancha), Executive Director of the Wallacea Association for the 2024–2027 term, stated in a text message to the Tifa Foundation on Monday (December 1) that the movement to preserve the local wisdom of the To Cerekang region must also be consistently supported. “Moving forward, strengthening the role of the youth who are part of the To Cerekang Youth Warriors (PM-WTC) is a concrete manifestation of this,” he said.

Firdaus Cahyadi, Program Officer for Natural Resource Governance and Climate Justice at the Tifa Foundation, also expressed his hopes for this initiative,

“We hope that the struggle of the To Cerekang community to protect their territory will serve as an inspiration to other indigenous communities in Indonesia, showing them that this is not an impossible task.”

He also concluded on a similarly optimistic note, stating that these changes and achievements are not the end, but rather the beginning for marginalized communities to continue working together to uphold transparency and justice in the management of natural resources and climate justice in Indonesia.

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Stories of Change and About the Program

This story of change among the To Cerekang Indigenous Community is supported by the Tifa Foundation’s Natural Resource Governance and Climate Justice Program, which is implemented directly by the Wallacea Association.

To achieve this, the To Cerekang Indigenous Community is building its capacity in advocacy and critical legal studies, working to organize the community, garner support, and engage stakeholders through dialogue—negotiation and advocacy to preserve the To Cerekang Indigenous Forest—and protect their rights.

The Tifa Foundation is committed to fostering an open society, including by ensuring that marginalized communities have their basic rights upheld. In this context, the rights of indigenous communities to protect their territoriesensure that these communities receive justice.