On terminology

The term “isolated” fails to capture that the very existence of these communities is under threat.

Dorince discusses why AMAN does not use the term "isolated" to describe these communities. For AMAN, the more accurate descriptor is masyarakat terancam punah — communities threatened with extinction. Communities do not choose isolation in a vacuum. They are driven into it by the destruction of their living space through extractive industries, forced displacement, and development projects that proceed without their consent. This framing names the root cause: the destruction of living space that forces communities toward disappearance.

On what's working

Recognition is the foundation of effective Indigenous rights work.

Dorince's account of her work is grounded in the conviction that Indigenous peoples must be recognized as the primary subjects and rights-holders in any process that affects their territories. Whether she is accompanying a land dispute in Kampung Hobong, where she helped the Mehue clan recover 100 hectares of customary land that had been illegally sold, or mediating inter-tribal conflicts in the La Pago region, the approach is the same: create the conditions for recognition, bring all parties to the table, and ensure that Indigenous peoples are not bypassed in decisions about their own land.

Territorial data systems are among the most powerful advocacy tools available, and Indonesian organizations need support to build them.

Dorince describes her exposure through cross-regional exchange to the sophisticated territorial databases maintained by Latin American organizations, systems that allow advocates to access comprehensive data about Indigenous lands, resources, and rights quickly and effectively. "I strongly agree that if the same thing were applied in our country, it would provide clarity and certainty about Indigenous peoples' rights,” she says. Such resources could be powerful advocacy tools that give Indonesian indigenous communities the evidentiary foundation they currently lack when defending their territories in legal and political processes.

On the intersection of climate and PIACI rights

Climate and conservation initiatives must include indigenous-based conservation, and communities must benefit directly.

Dorince sees a clear connection between climate and conservation agendas and the protection of Indigenous peoples, but insists that conservation must be Indigenous-led to be meaningful. When extractive industries clear customary forests for palm oil, mining, or food security programs without community consent, they create ecological damage that cannot be undone and leave indigenous communities without the forest resources they depend on for food, medicine, and cultural life. Reforestation and restoration efforts, she argues, must be designed with and for indigenous communities rather than imposed on them.

Indigenous rights advocates are regularly labeled as anti-development and anti-economic growth for resisting large-scale investment. But for her, the logic runs the other way: protecting indigenous territories and ensuring their free, prior, and informed consent is what makes sustainable development possible. “They can benefit by becoming guardians of their forests and lands, and this will also improve their economy,” she says.

On the funding landscape

Direct funding to indigenous communities, not channeled through governments, is essential for meaningful impact.

In Papua, special autonomy funds — resources designated for Indigenous Papuan communities — are managed and distributed by regional governments rather than going directly to the communities. The result is that the people who most need support rarely receive it in full or in a form that serves their actual needs. Dorince calls for direct funding to Indigenous communities, bypassing government intermediaries, so that communities can manage their own resources and improve their own wellbeing.

Dorince also notes that support for the mapping of customary territories is a practical and urgent priority when it comes to securing the legal rights of Indigenous communities. Without legal documentation of their territorial boundaries, Indigenous communities have no standing to defend their rights when the state or investors arrive. Funding for participatory mapping, she argues, is one of the most concrete and impactful investments that partners and donors can make.