By Gerard Tiwow (Minahasa)
“Nowhere in Indonesia has the old culture so fast and so completely disappeared as in the Minahasa” – Hetty Palm, Ancient Art of Minahasa (1958)
By Gerard Tiwow (Minahasa)
“Nowhere in Indonesia has the old culture so fast and so completely disappeared as in the Minahasa” – Hetty Palm, Ancient Art of Minahasa (1958)
By Hendro Karundeng, Kelung Contributor, Tontemboan Tribe, Minahasa Nation
In the misty hills of Kolongan, a group of young Minahasan men and women gathered with a shared purpose: to reclaim their ancestral stories and traditions through the power of writing and media. This marked the beginning of “Mapantik ne Kelung” (The Writing of the Shield). The name evokes a powerful image of a kelung (shield), a tool once used by ancient Minahasan warriors, now wielded in a new kind of battle—one fought not with steel, but with words and images.
By Ellen Moore, Reposted from Earthworks
On Obi Island in Indonesia, residents in Kawasi Village, the ancestral land of the Tobelo Galela Indigenous Peoples, are calling for action from Harita Nickel. The company operates a large nickel mining and processing operation on the island near the village.
By Ellen Moore, Earthworks
From June 10 to 13, 2025, heavy rainfall hit Obi Island in Indonesia. As a result, muddy floods submerged three villages in the Island where one of largest nickel mining companies in Indonesia, Harita Group, has been operating.
By Rikson, 94.1FM Mars FM
By Rama Wajiya, Staff Reporter, ORARI Mamasa, a community radio station
Kelung Media Siber is a media platform run entirely by Minahasan youth. Kelung means "shield" or "guardian" in the Tombulu' language, and symbolizes the mission to protect and pass on our cultural heritage to future generations. Our ambitious goal is to create the first Indigenous media outlet that actively publishes engaging and relevant content. We believe that this style of content dissemination is the most effective in reaching audiences of all ages.
By Rikson Karundeng
In the heart of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, a battle for survival is taking place. The ancient land of Minahasa, celebrated for its rich cultural heritage and unspoiled natural beauty, is in jeopardy. Widespread mining activities, driven by corporate greed and government neglect, are destroying the region's forests, contaminating its rivers, and undermining the very fabric of Indigenous communities.
By Michael Beltran
Since August 19, 2019, a match of dissent has been lit in West Papua with protests spreading like wildfire. Indonesia’s easternmost region has seen a resurgence in demonstrations from the locals demanding accountability from the spate of abuses by the state and renewing their call for complete independence
By Dev Kumar Sunuwar (CS STAFF)
By Amanda Stephenson
"If the dam is to be built, our homeland, our longhouses, our burial ground, our places of interest, all will be under the water. This will definitely put an end to our livelihood, our cultures. We want the government to respect our boundaries, to respect our rights upon our land." --James Usang, Tanjung Tepalit community leader, Baram, Sarawak
On May 14 Indonesia’s constitutional court ruled to modify the language of a 1999 law, effectively placing millions of hectares of previously government-controlled forest land back into the hands of Indigenous Peoples.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.