By Gabrielle Kics
Growing up in Illinois, my early understanding of land use and environmental impact was shaped by countless rows of commercialized corn and soybean fields. Now, as a Global Environmental Science student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, my perspective has expanded beyond solely Midwestern fields. Learning about environmental issues stretching from the atmosphere to the ocean and everything in between, I’ve come to appreciate the complexity of human-environment relationships.
I’ve also learned the value of community-led stewardship through extracurricular work. Through hands-on work in ecosystem restoration – removing invasive species, replanting native flora, and managing predators – I’ve seen how impactful it can be to care for the land with intention. Apart from this paid work, you can find me volunteering at ʻāina-based workdays, where we focus on restoring native ecosystems and building sustainable food systems. When I’m not in the field or the classroom, I love to surf, rock climb, hike, and read!
A day at work in Makaha, planting native ferns, asters, sedges, and trees!
At the core of everything I do is a deep passion for creating a livable, thriving planet, for both current and future generations. This is not just for people, but for all life. I believe that achieving this vision will require bold political and economic transformations that are rooted in indigenous knowledge and led by the communities who have stewarded these landscapes for generations.
Our topic of inquiry is centered around the impact that nationalized land management practices have on indigenous communities. More specifically, we will be researching how the transition of land ownership from indigenous communities to designation as a National Park harms both these communities and the health of the forest. This work is part of a much larger conversation around land dispossession, the erasure of indigenous knowledge, and the true goals of conservation.
To investigate this, we will be interviewing four indigenous communities to record their oral histories. These stories won’t just offer firsthand insight into ongoing struggles; they’ll also help preserve the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of kupuna that is at risk of being lost. We will be flying into Makassar in South Sulawesi at the beginning of July, then mainly staying at the Hasanuddin University’s teaching forest campus. This allows us to be near Bantimurung National Park, which is where the villages are. I will be working specifically with the community from Cenrana Baru, focusing on forest ecology.
On this map, the blue pin marks Makassar, and the yellow pin marks Cenrana Baru.
I’m especially excited to learn about land management techniques and systems where indigenous communities are leading the way. That said, one big challenge will be language. I’ve been studying Indonesian since January, but I’m still far from fluent. Moreover, many areas we’ll be visiting use local dialects more commonly than Bahasa Indonesia. Fortunately, native speakers will be working alongside us, which will help immensely.
Ultimately, I’m going into this experience with the intention to serve however I can and to learn as much as possible. By listening to and learning from these communities – their ways of life, their perspectives, their challenges – I hope to help spotlight the systemic issues they face and advocate for more just and inclusive conservation efforts.
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