Photo and Video Gallery from ASM Miners in Gunung Mas

There is an artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities in Rangan Tate Village, Mihing Raya District, Gunung Mas Regency, Central Kalimantan.  ASGM is the main livelihood of Rangan Tate Villagers. Most of the communities mine alluvial gold in Murui River, 15 km from the settlement, also in Kahayan River and small streams in the village area.

For the last several years, the intensity of ASGM activities have declined due to decreased land. Miners work further from settlement in order to look for new land. These activities have result with stranded and allegedly mercury-polluted ex-mining area.  Rubber tree plantations is main livelihood of the residents in addition to gold mining. Due to the decreased price of rubber plantation products, many residents have abandoned rubber plantations and moved to ASGM) that is more promising.

COVID-19 has greatly impacted the community economic life. The purchasing power of the community has decreased, while the price of daily needs increases. Some households carry out small-scale plantation and animal husbandry in order to increase their income while reducing family spending. COVID-19 also affects education. Children must study through online and cannot play freely. Online learning also increases parents’ burden for buying phone credits and accompanying their children to study at home.

Some participants of the Photovoice training show photos of the potentials in Rangan Tate Village. These potentials are partly cultural potentials which are identical to the religion of Dayak residents, which are Kaharingan Hinduism. Some of the photos are related to residents’ livelihoods, namely rubber plantation, utilization of mine area and blacksmith (manasal). Participants took this video with the purpose of sharing the potentials in the village and preserve the Dayak cultural values of Central Kalimantan.