10.48255/1973-9494.JCSCH.21.2021.01
Ancora oggi in Indonesia ci sono comunità indigene che hanno scelto di vivere come hanno fatto i loro antenati. La loro vita è rigorosamente disciplinata da regole consuetu-dinarie che si tramandano da centinaia di anni. Tali regole descrivono in dettaglio ogni aspetto relativo alla costruzione delle loro abitazioni; prendono in considerazione dove e come sono costruite le loro case e gli effetti delle loro dimore sulla fisiologia degli occu-panti, sulle relazioni sociali, spirituali e culturali all’interno della loro comunità, ben inte-grate nel loro sistema di credenze e nel loro ambiente. Una delle comunità indigene, che vive in questo modo e ha evitato ogni forma di modernizzazione, è l’Ammatoa Kajang in-sediata in un’area remota della provincia del Sulawesi meridionale. Le loro case tradizio-nali, ancora oggi, sono costruite aderendo a precetti orali secolari che incorporano molti dei principi scientifici che solo negli ultimi cento anni hanno dimostrato di collegare la co-struzione di case alla salute fisica e mentale dei propri occupanti. Lo studio di tipo quali-tativo, oggetto del presente lavoro, utilizza approcci antropologici e architettonici per esaminare le case della comunità indigena Ammatoa Kajang.
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1973-9494
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Bakhrani A. Rauf
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Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
culture
The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia
Text.Serial.Journal
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/
21
Articles
2022-08-02
2022-07-19
2022-08-02
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Bakhrani A. Rauf
2021
10.48255/1973-9494.JCSCH.21.2021.01
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Study Programme of Architecture Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar Indonesia
1973-9494
culture
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82
The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/download/15241/14458
21
T    HE HEALTHY HOMES OF THE AMMATOA KAJANG
     INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, INDONESIA

   Andi Abidah * 1




   Study Programme of Architecture
   Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar-Indonesia

   Muhammad Yahya
   Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
   Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar-Indonesia

   Bakhrani A. Rauf
   Study Programme of Architecture
   Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar Indonesia

   Keywords: traditional dwellings, healthy home, indigenous people, culture

   DOI: 10.48255/1973-9494.JCSCH.21.2021.01




   1. Introduction

    At the moment, the world community is dealing with COVID-19, which is transmitted
through droplets from people who carry the virus. As a result, health protocols, such as
staying at home, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, washing hands with water, using hand
sanitizer, wearing masks and social distancing have been initiated by governments all
over the world. Even in Indonesia, traditional remote settlements have implemented
COVID-19 prevention standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), where clean
water is placed outside homes to wash hands, face and feet before entering.
    It has only been relatively recently – just over the last one hundred years – that the
connection between the buildings where people live, and their physical and mental
health, has been linked scientifically. According to the WHO (2001), a home can be
said to be healthy when a physiological approach to its construction is taken, so that
techniques are used that manage risk factors that take into account a house’s orienta-
tion, location and adaptation to the environment, as well as its maintenance. Further,
Rudi [1] states that a healthy house should have clean water available, with good
plumbing and sanitation systems to deal with clean and dirty water, be well lit and have
good cross ventilation.
    The temperature and humidity of the room should also be adequate, as they can
affect the comfort and health of the occupants. Indonesia’s Ministry of Health states in
its decree (829/Menkes/SK/VII/1999) concerning healthy homes that interior living
spaces should maintain a temperature range of 18°C - 30°C with humidity between
40% and 70% to ensure the comfort of its occupants and sets the maximum parame-
ters for air exchange rates to ensure occupant health.


   * Corresponding author: andi.abidah@unm.ac.id
                                                                                                                    All these parameters for housing have been known and practiced by indigenous
                                                                                                               peoples who continue today to live their lives as their ancestors have for hundreds of
                                                                                                               years, like the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous peoples, who have separated themselves
                                                                                                               from all forms of modernization.
                                                                                                                    The Ammatoa Kajang1 reside on their ancestral lands of 22689.59 hectares2 in the
                                                                                                               Bulukumba regency of South Sulawesi province and have separated into two geo-
                                                                                                               graphically distinct areas, namely those living in the Kajang Dalam (Inner Kajang) cus-
                                                                                                               tomary area – locally referred to in their language, Makassar Konjo, as ilalang em-
A. Abidah, M. Yahya, Bakhrani A. Rauf - The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia




                                                                                                               bayya (inside the fenced area) also known as rambang seppang – which covers over
                                                                                                               552 hectares, and those living in the Kajang Luar (Outer Kajang) customary area – re-
                                                                                                               ferred to as the ipantarang embayya (outside the fenced area), also known as ram-
                                                                                                               bang luara. The Kajang Dalam area is where the community maintains all aspects of
                                                                                                               their heritage, beliefs and way of life, as set by their oral precepts, sayings and princi-
                                                                                                               ples, collectively referred to as the Pasang ri Kajang, while residents of the Kajang
                                                                                                               Luar have embraced most, if not all, forms of modernity.
                                                                                                                    The Pasang ri Kajang has been handed down from the first Ammatoa or communi-
                                                                                                               ty leader (Ammatoa Riolo) and governs how the Ammatoa Kajang community lives,
                                                                                                               such as their highly detailed multi-levelled system of governance (customary institu-
                                                                                                               tions), the type and colour of clothing that is permitted to be made and worn, how dif-
                                                                                                               ferent areas of land must be used, how rituals and traditions should be practiced, and
                                                                                                               all aspects of housing construction.
                                                                                                                    The houses within the Kajang Dalam area are strikingly similar and built according
                                                                                                               to the informal oral transfer of knowledge and customary compliance methods of the
                                                                                                               Pasang ri Kajang to maintain the natural environment. Their stilt houses are, in fact,
                                                                                                               similar in shape to those of the Bugis, Makassar, and Mandar indigenous peoples of
                                                                                                               Sulawesi island having floors raised about 180 - 200 centimetres from the ground, as
                                                                                                               reported by Roxana Waterson [2]. The “H-shaped” frames for the structure of the Bugis
                                                                                                               and Makassar houses that do not use pegs or nails in their construction, as C. Pelras [3]
                                                                                                               explains, are commonly found throughout Southeast Asia.
                                                                                                                    However, it is Amos Rapoport [4] who observes that tradition, custom and culture in-
                                                                                                               fluence a house, such as the orientation of the Kajang Dalam houses, as well as their
                                                                                                               shape and other aspects of house design. Passed down from generation to generation,
                                                                                                               every part of the house, including certain elements that are applied, has been given
                                                                                                               meaning, even in the case of recently built houses in the Kajang Dalam customary area.
                                                                                                               The form of customary Ammatoa Kajang house is divided vertically into three parts,
                                                                                                               namely, the upper level or attic, locally referred to as pammakkang / rakkeang, below
                                                                                                               which is the body of the house called kale ballak, and then beneath the house is an
                                                                                                               open space which is called awasao / siring, as Erawati Lewa [5] explains (see Figure 1).
                                                                                                                    The attic functions as storage for dry goods such as rice, corn and beans. The body
                                                                                                               of the house functions as a living space for the occupants to carry out their daily activ-
                                                                                                               ities, while the open area under the house is used to keep agricultural tools, as well as
                                                                                                               livestock, such as chickens, ducks, cows, buffalo and horses. This parallels Bugis
                                                                                                               houses, which according to Palemmui Nadji [6] also consist of three vertical parts,
                                                                                                               namely, the attic, the body of the house and the area under the house. The attic (rak-
                                                                                                               keang) is the upper level, which the Bugis indigenous people consider to be a sacred
                                                                                                               space; the middle part, the body of the house (alebola), is used as an area to carry out
                                                                                                               daily activities, and the lower part (wasaubola) is considered to be a “dirty” space (i.e.
                                                                                                               a space to put work clothes after they have been used for working in the fields and gar-
                                                                                                               den, and a space for chickens and ducks, and also guard-dogs.


                                                                                             68
               Figure 1. Vertical parts of the home (sketch: Andi Abidah 2020).


    The orientation of the house determines the amount of sunlight and air entering it,
as natural light and ventilation are essential for a healthy house. Although the Bugis
and Makassar indigenous peoples have generally maintained their houses’ traditional
structure, W. Osman [7] notes that their houses are now oriented toward the road,
while the Kajang Dalam maintain their houses’ orientation facing west, with the rear of
each house facing the sunrise.
    In addition to natural lighting and ventilation, other essentials to consider that will
ensure a healthy home include building materials, room size, and waste disposal.
Moreover, Gallahue, D.L. and J.C. Ozmun [8] observe that temperature, climate and
ceiling height also physiologically impact the occupants; such careful consideration of




                                                                                                      CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
these elements can be seen in Kajang Dalam homes.


   2. Objective

    The deep mental, spiritual and cultural connection the Kajang Dalam have with their
environment, their community, and their beliefs are shaped by their strict adherence to
the customary rules passed down orally by their ancestors in the Pasang ri Kajang. This
research examines how these precepts are embodied in the dwellings of the Kajang
Dalam community and how these homes influence the physiology of their occupants.


   3. Methods

    The research was conducted in the field using qualitative methods with anthropolog-
ical approaches which investigate culture, beliefs and behaviour, as highlighted by P. Ol-
ive [9]. This is so that the extent of a dweller’s physiological comfort within the Kajang Da-
lam community may be accurately examined. The research area is located within the
Inner Kajang (Kajang Dalam) customary area in the Bulukumba district. The distance
from the province’s capital to the research location is about 190.4 km. The number of re-
search samples is ten houses located in the village of Benteng in Kajang Dalam.


                                                                                                 69
                                                                                                                   This study is the result of the joint research carried out by three lecturers with ex-
                                                                                                               pertise in differing fields of study, namely, culture and history of architecture, occupa-
                                                                                                               tional health and safety, and environmental architecture.
                                                                                                                   The research process began by conducting a study of the literature found in aca-
                                                                                                               demic research connected with the Kajang community. This was followed by a field
                                                                                                               survey of ten objects of study (i.e. the houses) by sketching them, as photography was
                                                                                                               strictly forbidden and by collecting the measurements of each house’s dimensions.
                                                                                                               These were then transferred to the AutoCAD 2D application. Interviews with the inhab-
A. Abidah, M. Yahya, Bakhrani A. Rauf - The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia




                                                                                                               itants of the houses, as well as with community members, were also conducted using
                                                                                                               the local language, Makassar Konjo. In this case, the researchers were assisted by
                                                                                                               translators from the local community who understood this local dialect and spoke Indo-
                                                                                                               nesian. Some of the questions put to the owners of the respective houses included the
                                                                                                               age of the house, the position of the kitchen and stairs, as well as the order of the
                                                                                                               rooms, along with their importance and usage. The data was then correlated, anal-
                                                                                                               ysed, and discussed.


                                                                                                                   4. Results

                                                                                                                   The sample of ten houses, located in the hamlet of Benteng in the Kajang Dalam
                                                                                                               area, were carefully examined. The survey results showed that the houses were gen-
                                                                                                               erally similar in form. Eight of the houses were of similar dimensions measuring three
                                                                                                               lura by two latte with a tala-tala (an extension) along the back of the building (see Fig-
                                                                                                               ure 2), while two houses were slightly larger in size measuring three lura by three latte,
                                                                                                               also with a tala-tala (see Figure 3). Traditional houses in South Sulawesi are not mea-
                                                                                                               sured using the more well-known modern-day metric system but using units of mea-
                                                                                                               sure known as lura and latte (Kajang) (the module/width of a house is measured in
                                                                                                               lura/lurak and the length is measured in latta). The majority of houses use three lura
                                                                                                               and two or three latta and no more.
                                                                                                                   Generally, all houses are designed to ensure air circulation which occurs not only
                                                                                                               through the standard openings of the house such as doors, windows, and vents but




                                                                                                               Figure 2. The house measuring three lura and two latte plus tala-tala (sketch: Andi Abidah, 2020).


                                                                                               70
also through the floor which is constructed with gaps between the slats. Rudimentary
oil lamps are used in homes only after dark as the community follows their customary
regulations which require them to maintain a simple life (see Figure 4).




          Figure 3. Three lura by three latte plus tala-tala (sketch: Andi Abidah, 2020).




                                                                                                             CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE




Figure 4. Traditional lamp (pelita: local language). Mustamin’s house (photograph: Andi Abidah 2020).



    5. Discussion

     Indonesia’s geographical position is on the equator, which means that all islands in
the archipelago experience high rainfall and humidity, low wind speed and intense sun,
all characteristics of a tropical climate. Each customary dwelling consequently requires
a design that incorporates a good amount of ventilation in order to meet the occupants’
physiological needs.


                                                                                                        71
                                                                                                                    The ancestral land of the Ammatoa Kajang is about a six-hour overland trip of al-
                                                                                                               most 200 kilometers from the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar,
                                                                                                               South Sulawesi. As all the conveniences of modernization inexorably make their way
                                                                                                               into the hinterlands of Indonesia’s archipelago, it is becoming increasingly rare to find
                                                                                                               indigenous communities that have chosen to maintain the way of life of their ancestors
                                                                                                               in toto. This has been achieved, however, by effectively allowing members of the Am-
                                                                                                               matoa Kajang indigenous peoples to split into two geographically and, in some as-
                                                                                                               pects, culturally distinct communities, which the Ammatoa Kajang refer to in their lan-
A. Abidah, M. Yahya, Bakhrani A. Rauf - The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia




                                                                                                               guage as ilalang embayya (inside the fenced area), also known as rambang seppang
                                                                                                               or the Kajang Dalam area, and the ipantarang embayya (outside the fenced area), also
                                                                                                               known as rambang luara or the Kajang Luar area, as reported by S. Aminah [10].
                                                                                                                    Those who live in the Kajang Luar area effectively act as a buffer between those liv-
                                                                                                               ing in the Kajang Dalam area and the rest of the world, as they are able to embrace mo-
                                                                                                               dernity and yet maintain ties to their cultural heritage because they have chosen to only
                                                                                                               loosely follow a few of the Pasang ri Kajang customs. This can be seen in the Kajang
                                                                                                               Luar community’s use of modern tools and equipment to cultivate their land, in the wear-
                                                                                                               ing of modern clothing, and in the interior of their houses, which are often in appearance
                                                                                                               not very different from homes in suburban areas of Indonesia. The modern houses of
                                                                                                               various shapes and sizes of the Kajang Luar, are oriented facing the road, use electric-
                                                                                                               ity, have modern plumbing and generally incorporate into their construction, cement on
                                                                                                               wood frames, ceramic tiled floors, zinc roofing and glass window panes with metal bars
                                                                                                               in the window openings as explained by A. Abidah, M. Yahya, and B. A. Rauf [11].
                                                                                                                    On the other hand, the Kajang Dalam community’s houses are built entirely out of
                                                                                                               natural materials This is in strict obedience to every precept of the Pasang ri Kajang,
                                                                                                               which influences all aspects of daily life including the construction and placement of
                                                                                                               every thatch-roofed, wood and bamboo home within the environment.


                                                                                                                  5.1. Cultural influences on indigenous dwellings

                                                                                                                     The Ammatoa Kajang community has continued to live in a symbiotic relationship
                                                                                                               with their environment. They are prohibited from cutting wood in their sacred forest.
                                                                                                               Certain areas are allocated for the planting of trees to be used for firewood and con-
                                                                                                               struction, while fruit-bearing and other productive trees are planted closer to their
                                                                                                               dwellings. When any of these trees are cut down, a tree must be planted as a replace-
                                                                                                               ment. Moreover, each house has its own kitchen garden that supplies ingredients for
                                                                                                               the family’s daily meals and is cultivated close to the house by the women. As a result,
                                                                                                               the Kajang Dalam area remains lush and green. Nature is an ancestral heritage that
                                                                                                               needs both its quality and balance to be maintained. The resolution of the Kajang Da-
                                                                                                               lam community to preserve their forest and natural surroundings is evident in their firm-
                                                                                                               ness in applying their ancestral teachings, called Pasang ri Kajang, as I. H. Darmawan
                                                                                                               states [12]. This approach promotes the necessary balance, enabling this community
                                                                                                               to live in comfort and harmony with the natural environment, as explained by M. Aari-
                                                                                                               fin, W. Wahidah Osman and S. Wunas [13].
                                                                                                                     The houses built within the Kajang Dalam area are in strict adherence to all the cus-
                                                                                                               tomary rules including those which deal with all aspects of the form and elements of their
                                                                                                               stilt homes, such as the size and orientation of each house, the material that may be used
                                                                                                               for construction, the shape and position of the windows, the location of the kitchen, and
                                                                                                               the staircase. Even the placement of a house in the Kajang Dalam area and its construc-
                                                                                                               tion are considered a ritualistic rite as Sukman notes [14]. All Kajang Dalam houses, as


                                                                                                   72
Nurhayati [15] observes, have small dimensions, are simple in form without any orna-
mentation, and are constructed using similar materials in a standard floor plan that does
not reveal any signs of social hierarchy. Houses are oriented facing the sunset with their
back against the venerated customary forest and their windows open to the sun, on their
north and south walls. All this affects the physiological comfort of the home’s inhabitants.
      Traditional houses in Indonesia can be seen to have their design, and especially ori-
entation, influenced by Hindu and Islam, as explained by P.J.M. Nas [16]. Hindu practic-
es forbid houses from being built facing the sunset, as the sun is analogous to life. When
Islam started spreading its influence – in Aceh – the Hindu-oriented houses changed to
face Mecca in a West-Northwest direction. Further evidence of such influences, accord-
ing to A. Abidah [17], can also be found in the old settlement of the Soppeng-bugis tribe
where formerly North-South oriented houses are now oriented toward Mecca. However,
after Indonesia’s independence and from the 1970’s on, new settlements in the Regen-
cy of Soppeng no longer followed this rule of orientation according to culture, tradition
and beliefs, they followed local government regulations (each Regency has a mayor or
regent). This meant that houses had to be oriented toward the road, except in the case
of tribes who did not accept modernization, such as the Kajang Dalam.
      As the use of modern material is forbidden, the Kajang Dalam houses are con-
structed of wood and bamboo. They are topped with box gable roofs that have a 45-de-
gree pitch and covered with a thatch roof made from cogon grass (Imperata Cylindrica
Sp.); strands of this grass are assembled and tied to bamboo sticks to form sheets of
a specific size, making the houses much cooler than those in the Kajang Luar area,
where zinc is used as a roofing material.
      Generally, the walls and floors are constructed with a combination of wood and
bamboo, while some houses do not use any bamboo at all. The staircase to the front
door, which is centred at the front of the house, is open to the elements, so the wood
used for constructing the stairs is of noticeably better quality to withstand weathering.
At the top of the stairs everyone who enters must step over a plank that has been fit-
ted lengthwise across the threshold called a kappa-kappang.




                                                                                                      CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
       The ten objects of this study were similar in size and shape, as anthropometry is
used to set the dimensions of each house, and the terms lura for width and latte for
length are used as measurements. The dimensions of one lura / latte are taken using
the body of the owner. A depa is another measure of length and is the equivalent of the
span of one man’s body with outstretched arms measured from fingertip to fingertip. A
hasta, on the other hand, is measured from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. An-
thropometry is commonly used by many indigenous peoples as a way to measure dif-
ferent things. It can include, as P. Oliver [9] explains, the length from the fingertip of the
little finger and its base, the span of a hand, the length of an arm, as well as other parts
of the body including the torso, each representing a different unit of measurement.
      Anthropometry also occurs in many other cultures in Asia. The measurements of
Malay houses, as Z. Zain [18] states, are based on the human body to determine the
height of doors, windows, fences and so on. Furthermore, Balinese house dimensions,
as I. M. Bidja [19] explains, use the human body to calculate the size and scale of
buildings to ensure that a balance between the environment and humans is main-
tained. In the Bugis house, a special method of using the torso of the human body to
dictate the width and length of a home, is also used, as Andi Abidah [17] writes. All the
study objects also had a tala-tala, which is a narrow extension along the back of the
house with a slightly higher floor height. Eight of the ten houses measured three lura
by two latte and had a tala-tala, while two houses were wider by a third, at three lura
by three latte with a tala-tala along the rear, as shown in Figures 5,6,7 and 8.


                                                                                                 73
A. Abidah, M. Yahya, Bakhrani A. Rauf - The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia




                                                                                                                     Figure 5. Lura / lurak’ of house (source: Andi Abidah 2020).




                                                                                                               Figure 6. Floor plan of the lura and tala-tala (source: Andi Abidah 2020).


                                                                                                74
                Figure 7. Latte or latta’ of the house (source: Andi Abidah 2020).




                                                                                                        CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE




             Figure 8. Latte and tala-tala in room plan (sketch: Andi Abidah 2020).


   The placement of the kitchen is unusual and yet it has remained in this position, un-
changed, for generations in every Kajang Dalam house. It is located at the front of the
house to the left of the entrance in the third lura / lurak of the first latte so that it is al-
ways visible to guests in the sitting room to the right of the front door, as seen in the floor
plans of Figures 6 and 8. This indicates the openness of the occupants about their food,


                                                                                                   75
                                                                                                               as nothing is hidden. The kitchen is like a cube in its dimensions. Cooking is done on a
                                                                                                               low wooden table on which large stones, or sometimes simple furnaces, are placed to
                                                                                                               burn firewood. Over the cooking area, close to the ceiling, is a shelf which is used to store
                                                                                                               firewood. Next to the cooking area, which also occupies the first lura and third latte, is a
                                                                                                               simple washing area where a relatively large water container is placed to supply water
                                                                                                               for cooking and cleaning. This area is also used by the occupants as a place to wash be-
                                                                                                               fore going to sleep, as well as a convenient place to urinate at night. By comparison, the
                                                                                                               kitchen in a Bugis house, as C. Pelras [20] explains, is located in the lontang, or in the
A. Abidah, M. Yahya, Bakhrani A. Rauf - The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia




                                                                                                               last part of the house (lontang in the Bugis language or lura / lurak in the Makassar Kon-
                                                                                                               jo language / the language of the Kajang). It is rare to have the kitchen situated within the
                                                                                                               main part of the house in Indonesia, as J. Forshee [21] verifies. This is because Indone-
                                                                                                               sians in remote areas still cook using traditional methods which produce smoke.
                                                                                                                    Storage is constructed as a shelf along the interior of the north and south walls of
                                                                                                               the house that extends under the eaves like a soffit and is referred to by the Ammatoa
                                                                                                               Kajang as a para-para. In the kitchen, this is used for the storage of cooking equip-
                                                                                                               ment, buckets and plates, while the para-para on the opposite side is used to store
                                                                                                               floor mats, bedding and clothing. A similar storage shelf can be found in Bugis houses
                                                                                                               built before the 1970’s, according to And Abidah [17], and are referred to as tanre-tan-
                                                                                                               reang in Bugis. However, this element is slowly disappearing.


                                                                                                                  5.2. Indigenous techniques to maximize ventilation and light

                                                                                                                  The customary rules concerning windows allow for these to be placed along both
                                                                                                               sides of the house with each latte having two windows – one on the left side and the
                                                                                                               other on the right of the door (Figure 9).




                                                                                                                                   Figure 9. Cross ventilation (sketch: Andi Abidah 2020).


                                                                                                                   The number three is significant in Ammatoa Kajang culture, so every house is con-
                                                                                                               structed with three windows along its north and south sides respectively. Each window


                                                                                                 76
of the studied houses differed slightly in size, but their rectangular shape, style and ma-
terial were uniform. All windows are fitted with wooden bars, as glass is forbidden to be
used. They must be kept open during the day and closed only at night with a sliding
wooden panel set between upper and lower wood guide rails fitted onto the interior wall
of the house. This style of window closure, depicted in (Figures 10 and 11), is unique
to Ammatoa Kajang dwellings.




                Figure 10. Sliding window model (sketch: Andi Abidah 2020).




                                                                                                   CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE




                Figure 11. Sliding window model (sketch: Andi Abidah 2020).


                                                                                              77
                                                                                                                    Generally, the floor is made of wood and bamboo. Bamboo slats are used in the
                                                                                                               first and second latte while the tala-tala has a wooden floor. The flooring throughout
                                                                                                               each house has gaps of approximately one centimetre between each wooden plank
                                                                                                               and bamboo slat, to allow air circulation also at night, when the windows and door have
                                                                                                               been closed. The gaps also allow for liquid waste to pass through in the washing area
                                                                                                               beside the kitchen. This use of materials, according to S. Chuki, R. Sarkar, and R. Kurar
                                                                                                               [22], can be seen in traditional Thai houses that use bamboo, wood planks, and thatch,
                                                                                                               the difference being that bamboo is used not only in the corridor of the house but also
A. Abidah, M. Yahya, Bakhrani A. Rauf - The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia




                                                                                                               in the construction of the roof to support the thatch.
                                                                                                                    The other factors that maintain physiological comfort are the attention to the layout
                                                                                                               of the house’s mass, and the density or distance between the dwellings and any other
                                                                                                               barriers, such as vegetation, that would decrease air quality and flow. The distance be-
                                                                                                               tween houses is between three to five meters with well-maintained foliage surrounding
                                                                                                               each house, said T. E. Swasti [23]. Furthermore, Dipl. Ing. Y.B. Mangunwijaya [24]
                                                                                                               observes that such cross ventilation promotes the flow of outdoor air into the house as
                                                                                                               a result of the difference in pressure or temperature between the interior space and the
                                                                                                               exterior environment.


                                                                                                                  5.3. Indigenous management of clean and black water

                                                                                                                    One of the factors that affect physiological comfort is the presence of odours.
                                                                                                               Washing and bathing are daily activities that require a lot of water and therefore the
                                                                                                               Ammatoa Kajang have found ways to ensure that water does not stagnate and smell.
                                                                                                                    Clean water does not flow to the residents’ homes. Instead, householders carry
                                                                                                               fresh water by bucket to their respective houses. The Ammatoa Dalam area has only
                                                                                                               one source of clean water, positioned at 5o19’27.7” S 120o17’56.5oE, that serves three
                                                                                                               villages (see Figure 12).




                                                                                                                                 Figure 12. Source of fresh water (source: Internet 2020).


                                                                                                78
    The spring water is channelled through bamboo to a location specified by the Am-
matoa which is a public space where interaction between residents takes place every
morning and evening. Here communities gather to bathe, wash clothing and equip-
ment, and take clean water for drinking and cooking. In the first latte behind the kitch-
en, there is a small space for black water to drain where it falls directly to the ground
on the left side of the house, then flows into a low area and seeps into the ground.
    For the construction of their toilets, the Kajang Dalam community uses local wis-
dom and traditional methods because the use of modern materials for building are for-
bidden. Similar to an outhouse, their outdoor toilet, locally referred to as a cemplung,
is placed next to each dwelling. The walls surrounding the 1.5 x 1.5 meter area are wo-
ven from sago palm fronds, and there is no roof. The toilet itself consists of a hole ap-
proximately one meter in diameter, dug 2 to 3 meters deep into the ground and cov-
ered with two sizeable flat rocks placed with a gap between them for the disposal of
solid waste. There have been several Life Cycle Analysis studies conducted in recent
decades concerning this particular way of dealing with black water, as F. Boano et al
[25] explain, which actually receives good marks in terms of environmental and ener-
gy advantages when such processing systems are integrated into green structures.


   6. Conclusion

     Even though the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous community in the Kajang Dalam area
strictly adhere to centuries old customary rules, it is the holistic perspective of the Pas-
ang ri Kajang together with the directives of their customary institutions that regulate the
community’s interactions with the environment and each other for their physical, mental,
and spiritual well-being. The Kajang Dalam residents have maintained and sustained the
natural environment, which provides them with many necessary elements for their daily
living. Their houses, where they admit to living comfortably, are constructed with materi-




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
als that are readily available from their surroundings. They have a symbiotic relationship
with nature, as what they take from the environment is given back, for example, by plant-
ing one or two trees when one has been cut down; this is also because the Kajang Da-
lam peoples believe that nature will be angry if they violate any of their customary rules.


   Acknowledgments

    Thanks go to the Universitas Negeri Makassar which gave us the opportunity to
carry out research in Kajang; funded by DIPA PNBP of the Postgraduate program at
Universitas Negeri Makassar. Thanks also go to the communities of Kajang, especially
Kajang Dalam.


   Notes
   1
     Ammatoa is the local language of the head of customs or leader of the customs of
Kajang Dalam; the Kajang Dalam area is the area that still preserves its tradition, cul-
ture, and religion, and has not undergone any modernisation, whereas Kajang Luar is
already accepting modernization. The communities in the Kajang Luar area are grad-
ually avoiding tradition, culture, and religion and already accepting modernization; and
do not follow the rule of the Ammatoa in Kajang Dalam.


                                                                                               79
                                                                                                                  2
                                                                                                                    The results of the Ammatoa Indigenous Participatory Map processing Kajang_
                                                                                                               UKP3 AMAN Sulsel. AMAN (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara / Alliance of Indige-
                                                                                                               nous Peoples of the Archipelago).


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   Biographical notes

    Andi Abidah finished her doctoral studies at the Institute of Building History and
Building Archaeology at TU Wien, Austria. She studied Urban Design in her Magister’s
degree from the Institute of Technology at Bandung, Indonesia. She obtained her bach-
elor’s degree in architecture at the University of Hasanuddin, Indonesia. She is current-
ly head of the architecture study program at the Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia.
Her interests include research on the history and culture of architecture and urban her-
itage, particularly in ancient historical cities.

   Muhammad Yahya is a professor and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the
Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia. His research interests include occupational
safety, as well as health and safety in general, and education.

    Bakhrani A. Rauf is a professor in environmental and population education; he




                                                                                                       CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
has two bachelor’s degrees in architecture and education, and a master’s degree in
the field of architecture. His research interest is mainly in the field of architecture and
environmental education.


   Summary

    Even today, there are communities of indigenous peoples in Indonesia that have
chosen to live as their ancestors have. Their lives are strictly governed by customary
rules that have been handed down for hundreds of years and set out in detail every as-
pect of how their dwellings are constructed; they take into consideration where and
how their houses are built, and the effects of their dwellings on the physiology of the
occupants, as well as the social, spiritual and cultural relations within their community,
well-integrated into their system of beliefs and their environment. One of these indige-
nous communities that lives this way of life and has shunned all forms of moderniza-
tion, is the Ammatoa Kajang, who inhabit a remote area of the South Sulawesi prov-
ince. Their traditional homes, even today, are built adhering to centuries old oral
precepts that incorporate many of the scientific principles that have been proven only
in the last one hundred years to link house construction to its occupants’ physical and
mental health. This is a qualitative study using both anthropological and architectural
approaches to examine the homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous community.


                                                                                                  81
                                                                                                                   Riassunto

                                                                                                                    Ancora oggi in Indonesia ci sono comunità indigene che hanno scelto di vivere come
                                                                                                               hanno fatto i loro antenati. La loro vita è rigorosamente disciplinata da regole consuetu-
                                                                                                               dinarie che si tramandano da centinaia di anni. Tali regole descrivono in dettaglio ogni
                                                                                                               aspetto relativo alla costruzione delle loro abitazioni; prendono in considerazione dove e
                                                                                                               come sono costruite le loro case e gli effetti delle loro dimore sulla fisiologia degli occu-
                                                                                                               panti, sulle relazioni sociali, spirituali e culturali all’interno della loro comunità, ben inte-
A. Abidah, M. Yahya, Bakhrani A. Rauf - The healthy homes of the Ammatoa Kajang indigenous people, Indonesia




                                                                                                               grate nel loro sistema di credenze e nel loro ambiente. Una delle comunità indigene, che
                                                                                                               vive in questo modo e ha evitato ogni forma di modernizzazione, è l’Ammatoa Kajang in-
                                                                                                               sediata in un’area remota della provincia del Sulawesi meridionale. Le loro case tradizio-
                                                                                                               nali, ancora oggi, sono costruite aderendo a precetti orali secolari che incorporano molti
                                                                                                               dei principi scientifici che solo negli ultimi cento anni hanno dimostrato di collegare la co-
                                                                                                               struzione di case alla salute fisica e mentale dei propri occupanti. Lo studio di tipo quali-
                                                                                                               tativo, oggetto del presente lavoro, utilizza approcci antropologici e architettonici per
                                                                                                               esaminare le case della comunità indigena Ammatoa Kajang.




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