The Talang Mamak are a customary community of Indonesia living in the kabupaten of Indragiri Hulu in the province of Riau. They number 6,500 (in 2000) and live in Batang Gangsal, Cinaku, Kelayang and Rengat districts. Some live in the hamlet of Semerantihan in the province of Jambi.
According to one tradition, the Talang Mamak come from the Pagaruyung area in the province of Sumatra.
They speak a dialect of the Kerinci language, close to Malay. Beliefs and customsmodify the code
Most Talang Mamak are animists. Some of them are Catholic and live in the villages of Siambul and Talang Lakat. For the Talang Mamak, the conversion to Islam is a loss of identity because they consider that they become Malay.
The Talang Mamaks have preserved traditions such as the wearing of long hair and turban and the consumption of betel, as well as many rituals performed for birth, circumcision, marriage, healing, death etc.
Every year, especially during Muslim religious holidays, the Talang Mamak descend the river to Rengat and pay homage to their datuk or prince, a tradition that goes back to the time of the kingdom of Indragiri. > The environmentedit code
The Talang Mamak consider that the land and the forest are an inseparable part of their life. They collect the products of the forest. They practice shifting cultivation. In the 20th century, the fall in demand for forest products led them to turn to new crops, such as rubber.
Today, logging has taken over their territory. Implants of transmigrants have developed. Much of the forest has been converted to palm oil plantations. Talang Mamak are threatened with marginalization.
In 1999 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, WWF honored the village chief of Tiga Balai for fighting the encroachment of Talang Mamak territory. In 2003 he finally also received an award from the President of the Republic of Indonesia.
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