Sekolah Adat / Indigenous Education

“This project gave me many opportunities to develop further… leading an idea of protecting community assets through education, collaborating with many other groups, and even finding the best solution for every challenge.”

The goal of the project is to increase the ability of young indigenous generations in Sumbawa to lead their community + protect the indigenous assets.

Main Objectives:

• Explore the traditional knowledge base and history of one indigenous community
• Develop a prototype curriculum for one indigenous community to allow traditional knowledge to be protected through transfer to young people
• Build AMAN (Sumbawa) expertise in facilitating the protection of traditional knowledge through education.
• Improve my leadership skills

The Sekolah Adat Pusu (Pusu Indigenous School) project, implemented by M. Syukron Anshori through AMAN Sumbawa, aimed to strengthen the capacity of young Indigenous people in the Pusu community of Sumbawa to protect and pass on their traditional knowledge, language, and culture. The project was developed in response to the lack of culturally relevant education in mainstream schools and the risk of losing Indigenous heritage. Through a participatory and intergenerational process, the team designed a prototype curriculum rooted in local traditions, history, ecological knowledge, rituals, and gender roles. The school served both youth in formal education and those without access to schooling, offering lessons in traditional arts, food, language, and environmental stewardship.

Despite challenges such as difficult terrain, patriarchal social structures, and disruptions from COVID-19, the project successfully carried out 40 hours of learning activities, held in traditional houses and adapted to the local agricultural calendar. It involved collaboration with elders, women’s groups, university students, and non-Indigenous youth organizations, including Pupinka and Samawa Organic. The school used a contextual and mobile learning model, emphasizing experiential learning in forests, homes, and traditional lands. Over time, participants became more engaged, and awareness grew within the community about the importance of preserving cultural heritage through education.

The project led to wider impact across the region, inspiring neighboring Indigenous communities to initiate their own schools and inviting AMAN to support expansion efforts. The curriculum prototype, developed in local language and based on real-life community practices, became a model for replication. The project also significantly improved the leadership capacity of the project manager, fostered intergenerational dialogue, and mobilized community assets to sustain cultural knowledge. The Pusu Indigenous School has since been recognized by AMAN and included in national discussions on Indigenous education.