Report · Oct 3, 2023
Climate Change in the Indonesian Mind
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Seth Rosenthal, Marija Verner, Sanguk Lee, Matthew Ballew, Jennifer Carman, Matthew Goldberg, Jennifer Marlon, Enggar Paramita, Mardiyah Chamim, Paramita Mohamad and Matthew Daggett
Filed under: Behaviors & Actions and Beliefs & Attitudes
6. Awareness and Understanding of Indigenous People in Indonesia
6.1. Most Indonesians say they do not know much about the Indigenous people (“Masyarakat Adat”) of Indonesia.
About 50 – 70 million Indigenous people (“Masyarakat Adat”) live in Indonesia, making up 18%–25% of the country’s total populationIWGIA. (n.d.). Indonesia. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://www.iwgia.org/en/indonesia.html#:~:text=Indonesia%20is%20the%20home%20of,to%2070%20million%20Indigenous%20Peoples. . The loss of land has significantly impacted the livelihoods of Indonesia’s Indigenous people, posing risks to their homes, identities, and cultures as well as their access to food and water, economic systems, livelihoods, and general well-being.
Most people in Indonesia (62%) say they either “have never heard of” (15%) or know “a little about” (47%) “Masyarakat Adat” – the Indigenous people of Indonesia. Fewer Indonesians (38%) say they either know “a moderate amount” (33%) or “a lot” (5%) about the Indigenous people of Indonesia.
6.2. Very few Indonesians recognize Indigenous people (“Masyarakat Adat”) as a distinct population in Indonesia.
Respondents who said they know at least “a little” about the Indigenous people (“Masyarakat Adat”) of Indonesia were asked a follow-up question about whether they think (incorrectly) that “Masyarakat Adat” refers to “all people or all tribes in Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke.”
Only 4% of Indonesians (correctly) disagree with the statement that Indigenous people (“Masyarakat Adat”) include all people and tribes of Indonesia, while most (incorrectly) either “strongly agree” (18%) or “agree” (61%) with that statement.
