Seasonal calendar by the Sama-Bajau people: Focusing on the wind calendar in Banggai Islands

Abstract

In local societies, people utilize indigenous ecological knowledge to engage in their livelihood. The study draws from a comparison of the indigenous calendars based on seasonal winds used by the Sama-Bajau fishermen in Banggai Islands, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. In previous studies about Sama-Bajau people, their ecological background of fishing activity was overlooked, and their seasonal calendar in coral reef area was only reported. This study conducted a qualitative research through semi-structured interviews and participant observation in four settlements. Based on a comparison between the main and other settlements, the study analyzed their indigenous ecological calendar using scientific data and comparing with other society’s data. The results revealed that the classifications of each calendar are critically different. Therefore, according to interviewees, they cannot determine if they previously resided in a region. The findings also suggested that they recognize seasons with a punctual and an irregular classification. Today, they face a contradiction between the indigenous seasonal and modern calendars. Given this problem, a relationship of antagonism and harmony with seasonal knowledge and modern knowledge is observed. A discussion of their adaptation process regarding the diachronic maritime ecology is provided.