Disseminating the Tengger Calendar: Preserving Indigenous Knowledge Amid the TNBTS Ecological Crisis
SURABAYA — Yayasan Arek Lintang (ALIT) Indonesia, in collaboration with the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Surabaya, has concluded a two-day event on the Tengger Calendar, titled “From Tengger to the World.” Held on 15–16 August 2026 at Wisma Jerman in Surabaya, the event featured a photography exhibition, three public discussion sessions, and an inter-community networking forum.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, LPDP, and Dana Indonesiana, the event officially opened with a ceremony followed by a tour of the photography exhibition. The opening was led by Mgr. Tri Budi Utomo, Bishop of Surabaya and a member of ALIT’s Board of Trustees, together with Romo Eko Warnoto, Chairman of the Paruman Dukun Pandita Tengger Brang Kulon. The exhibition presented visual works curated by Robertus Risky, alongside photographs by Ranau Alejandro, Givenska Nadia, Muhammad Idham, and Andre Yuris.
Preserving Indigenous Knowledge and Media Representation
The first day of discussions, held on Saturday (15 August), began with Discussion 1, titled “The Tengger Calendar and Indigenous Knowledge: Safeguarding Living Spaces through Cultural Heritage.” The session featured Romo Eko Warnoto, Lucy Dyah, a lecturer in Anthropology at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Airlangga, Dr. Adrian Perkasa, a Postdoctoral Researcher at KITLV Leiden, and Yuliati Umrah, Executive Director of Yayasan ALIT Indonesia.
The discussion explored the significance of Pranata Mangsa, not merely as a traditional calendar system, but also as an ecological guide and a framework for everyday life within the Tengger Indigenous community.
Later that day, Discussion 2 addressed the topic “Documenting Yadnya Karo: Journalism and the Representation of Indigenous Communities in the Media.” The session brought together journalists from several media outlets, including Rossa Handini of Harian Disway, Ambrosius Harto of Kompas, and Jaswanto of Tatkala.co, with Petrus Riski of Mongabay serving as moderator.
The panelists examined the challenges and ethical considerations involved in media coverage of Indigenous communities. They emphasized the importance of presenting Indigenous narratives accurately and proportionately, rather than reducing them to journalistic commodities. Such an approach is essential to ensuring that local knowledge and cultural wisdom are not stripped of their meaning or reduced to mere attractions for tourists.
Ecological Threats and Collaborative Action
On the second day, Sunday (16 August), the program continued with Discussion 3, titled “The Future of Tengger: Mass Tourism and Environmental Degradation.” The session featured Dr. Andriyanto, a cultural observer, and Abdul Haq of WALHI East Java, moderated by Rangga Prasetya Aji Widodo of Project Arek.
During his presentation, Abdul Haq presented data on the socio-ecological crisis affecting the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS). According to data released by WALHI East Java on 14 August 2026, forest and land fires had affected as much as 1,120.2 hectares within the TNBTS area. The ecosystem degradation was described as the result of cumulative pressures, including land-use conversion, deforestation, and the expansion of tourism infrastructure, all of which pose risks to water catchment areas and the preservation of endemic vegetation.
The two-day program concluded on Sunday afternoon with the networking forum “Urun Rembug untuk Tengger.” The forum provided an open space for representatives of government institutions, civil society organizations, communities, media organizations, and Surabaya residents to develop concrete forms of collaboration for the preservation of Tengger culture and the protection of its Indigenous territories in the years ahead.
