ISSN Print 2540-7716, ISSN Online 2540-9166 Interpreting Between the Concept of Customary Law Community And the Concept of Indigenous People (A Theoretical Study) Kadir Katjong Faculty of Law, Cenderawasih University Jl. Kamp. Wolker, Waena, Jayapura, 99358, Papua, Indonesia Email: [email protected] DOI: 10.31957/plj.v3i1.631 Abstract: The concept/term often used in the community and in the academic world is the concepts/terms of customary law community and indigenous people. In its development, there are those who equate the two concepts, and those that distinguish them according to their point of view. Therefore, the problems that arise in our society in everyday life are the difficulty to distinguish or interpret between the two concepts, namely: what the concept of indigenous people and the concept of indigenous peoples are, and how the background of the differences between the two concepts is. The method used in reviewing the problem above was normative legal research, by studying various literature/materials, both primary, secondary and tertiary legal materials. The concept of the customary law community and the concept of indigenous peoples are used in the same sense because the subjects are the same, even though theoretically and academically the concepts are different. The difference between these two concepts/terms is due to the emergence of historically different backgrounds, such as in aspect of language, users (people, scholar, entity or scientific field, all of which use the terms to give identity to certain group of people (as subject) in a certain area). Keywords: Customary Law Community; Indigenous People. INTRODUCTION religions and foreign cultures into the Historically, the development of intact life pattern of the community. customary law in Indonesia has The referred custom is “Polynesian shown that before Indonesia became Malay custom”1. As the time went on, an independent country, the existence Hindu culture came to Indonesia, of customary law community and followed by Buddhist, Islamic, their customary laws had existed Christian and other cultures, each of since the existence of their ancestors (ancient times), or the era before the 1 Soerojo Wignjodipoero. (1983). Pengantar dan Asas-Asas Hukum Adat. arrival of Hinduism and other Jakarta: PT Toko Gunung Agung. p. 25. 49 Papua Law Journal. Volume 3 Issue 1, November 2018: 49-61 which had an influence on the cultural identities and rights of original culture2. According to the traditional communities are to be existing circumstances and facts, it respected in conjunction with the can be said that the existing progressing times and civilization. In Indonesian custom is a result of addition, the juridical dimension of acculturation between the original recognition and respect for customary custom rules (pre-Hindu) and the law communities is contained in rules of life taught by Hinduism, various laws and regulations. Islamic, and Christian cultures3. Although juridically there has been In line with the explanation recognition and respect for customary above, juridically as a legal State, law communities, but sociologically, Indonesia constitutionally recognizes they have not yet fully taken into the existence of customary law account by the government. communities, as mandated in the Nonetheless, the existence of 1945 Constitution of the Republic of customary law communities remain Indonesia (UUD 1945), where the internally exist, especially in carrying State recognizes and respects out their customary law institutions as traditional communities along with a necessity in regulating their their traditional customary rights as communities. long as these remain in existence and Along with the existence of are in accordance with the societal customary law communities seen development and the principles of the from legal entities, the concept/term Unitary State of the Republic of of indigenous people has also been Indonesia, and shall be regulated by widely used in various studies. In its law (Article 18 B paragraph 2 of the development, these two concepts 1945 Constitution of the Republic of (customary law communities and Indonesia). The existence of Article indigenous people) are often 18 B paragraph 2 of the 1945 interchanged by community, scholars Constitution of the Republic of and experts since the subjects are the Indonesia is supported by Article 28 I same. However, some distinguish the paragraph 3 affirming that: The concepts/terms according to their 2 Ibid. point of view based on the history or 3 Ibid. 50 ISSN Print 2540-7716, ISSN Online 2540-9166 background of the emergence of these DISCUSSION two concepts/terms, and the cultural, Customary Law Community religious and other dimensions. A community is a form of shared Therefore, the problem arising in life, where citizens live together for a Indonesian society is the difficulty to long period of time, resulting in distinguish or interpret the two culture. Community is a social system concepts, such as what the concepts as a forum for patterns of social of customary law community and interaction or interpersonal indigenous people are, and how the relationship and relationship between background of difference between the social groups4. two concepts is. In community life, the existence of customary law community is often METHOD likened to indigenous people. The method used in examining Historically, this customary law the problem above is a normative community has existed before the legal research, by studying various country establishment5. In the context literature related to the problem of customary law, Ter Haar uses the through various legal materials term legal alliance or legal including primary, secondary and community (rechtsgemeenschap)6. tertiary legal materials. Quoting Cornellis van In relation to the development of Vollenhoven’s opinion, in his speech these two concepts/terms in on October 2, 1901, Soepomo stated Indonesian society, the following is a that “to find out the law, it is brief description of the two concepts necessary to be investigated at any (the concept of customary law time and in any area, the nature and community and the concept of structure of legal alliance bodies indigenous people) in the theoretical where people controlled by the law level to understand the background and meaning of these two concepts. 4 Soerjono Soekanto. (1986). Hukum Adat Indonesia. Jakarta: Rajawali Publisher. p.106. 5 Fifik Wiryani. Reformasi Hak Ulayat Pengaturan Hak-Hak Masyarakat Adat dalam Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Alam. Malang: Setara Press. p.1. 6 Ibid. p.11. 51 Papua Law Journal. Volume 3 Issue 1, November 2018: 49-61 live their daily life”7. Furthermore, Hazairin provides a relatively according to Soepomo, the long description of the customary law explanation of the alliance agency community that customary law should not be carried out in a community is a community unit with docmatic manner, but on the basis of the completeness to stand alone, by the community real life. having a legal unity, unitary authority Ter Haar in his book “Asas-asas and environmental unity based on dan Susunan Hukum Adat” affirms joint rights to land and water for all that throughout the Indonesian its members”10. archipelago at the level of the If each customary law common people, there is social community is thoroughly examined, interaction within groups behaving as each has its basis and form. a unity to the best of theirselves to the According to Soepomo, customary world. The groups have the order and law community in Indonesia can be they experience their life in the group divided into two groups according to naturally, according to their nature. its structure, namely those based on None of them thought to dissolve the genealogy and those based on the group. These groups have its own territorial area. management, own assets, and tangible From the basis and form of the and intangible possessions. These customary law community above, it groups are legal alliances8. develops into three types of Thus, the legal alliance or customary law communities, namely: customary law community is a genealogical community, territorial permanent organized group that has community, and genealogical- its own power and wealth in the form territorial community. of material and immaterial Genealogical Community properties9. Genealogical community or legal alliance is an organized community 7 R. Soepomo. (1996). Bab-Bab Tentang unit whose members are descended Hukum Adat. Jakarta: Pradnya Paramita Publisher. p. 45. from an ancestor, either directly 8 B. Ter Haar Bzn. (1994). Asas-Asas dan Susunan Hukum Adat. Jakarta: PT Pradnya Paramita Publisher. p. 7. 10 Hazairin in Soerjono Soekanto. 9 Ibid. (1986). Op Cit. p.108. 52 ISSN Print 2540-7716, ISSN Online 2540-9166 through blood relation or indirectly both paternal and maternal clan, for example the through marital relation or customary communities in Java and relation11. Kalimantan. This genealogical community can Teritorial Community be divided into three types, namely: Territorial community or legal patrilineal, matrilineal, and bilateral alliance is a permanent and organized or prental communities12. community whose members are 1. Patrilineal Community A patrilineal community is bound to a certain residential area, one whose lineage is traced either physically as a place of life or through father’s lineage (male line), not their mother’s line. spiritually as a place of worship for The Indonesian patrilineal ancestral spirits. communities include genealogical clans of