Revealing the Social Life and Local Knowledge of the Descendants of

Contract Workers on the Deli Tobacco Plantation

Rosramadhana Rosramadhana, Tappil Rambe, Pristi Suhendro, Erino Nainggolan and Meira Simbolon

Faculty of Social Science, Universitas Negeri Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Contract Coolie, Tobacco, Social Life.

Abstract: This research aims to analyze the adaptation process of former contract laborers on Deli tobacco plantations,

to explore the existence of former contract laborers on Deli tobacco plantations and to reveal the living

conditions of the community of former contract laborers on Deli tobacco plantations in Saentis Village, Deli

Serdang Regency. The research method used in data collection is qualitative research with an ethnographic

approach, research is carried out directly (offline). The collection of data used in this research is observation,

direct interviews, and documentation. The results of this research found that the adaptation process of migrant

communities from Java to the land of Deli was to improve the family economy so that Javanese people

continue to live in the land of Deli until now. Javanese ethnic life before working on the Deli tobacco

plantation was still a poor situation, after the Javanese were brought to Deli land to work as contract laborers

on the Deli tobacco plantation, their family's fate changed. The lives of the coolies and their descendants are

prosperous and fulfilled. The existence of Deli tobacco plantation workers still resides in the village of Saentis.

1 INTRODUCTION

The North Sumatra region which is the years 1887-

1948 are called as East Sumatra Province is area

forest wilderness, but in period time 1865-1891 area

the experience change become Wrong One area

producer commodity export tobacco most important

in the Indies Netherlands (Sinaga, 2020). East

Sumatra Region is region under government The Deli

Sultanate became part important in history

Indonesian nation. On time colonial, East Sumatra

region become areas that tend to wanted by

government colonial as party private specifically For

development plantation like opening forest, planting

plant commodity in the form of spices, coconut,

cotton, opium And paddy (Suwirta, 2022). Next on

1863 was carried out Work The same by government

Netherlands, then results from plantation tobacco

dominate and become the famous commodity to all

over corner world (Wicaksono, 2021).

Tobacco plantation is expansion the first

plantation to be brought to East Sumatra by a

descendants Dutch named Jacob Nienhuys who

landed in the Sultanate of Deli in 1863 (Breman,

2022). Arrival Nienhuys This on Said Abdullah's

invitation which is Arab descendant brother brother

inlaw from the Sultan of Deli (Anderson, 2021).

Efforts For to launch business trade in East Sumatra,

Nienhuys to establish A company named Deli

Maatschappij on 1869. Deli Maatschappij is the first

and largest company in East Sumatra engaged in the

production of tobacco, tea, rubber, and coffee. The

establishment of Deli Maatschappij has made tobacco

production increasingly abundant (Apriani, 2020).

The

vastness

tobacco plantations

requires

relatively many laborers or workers to cultivate the

plantations. Efforts made to meet the workforce,

entrepreneurs brought in workers from China, Tamil,

and Java who were recruited from their respective

places of origin, so that the number of workers

increased (Istiyana, 2020). Workers on tobacco

plantations in East Sumatra are known as contract

coolies. Contract coolie workers must make a work

bond with the plantation or what is commonly called

a contract. Furthermore, the contract agreement will

bind the coolies so that they are not free to leave the

plantation before their contract ends (Supratno, 2021).

Based on the data found, the number of Chinese and

Javanese coolies in East Sumatra in 1883-1930 was

208,756 ethnic Chinese workers, while Javanese

workers were 386,676 and Tamil workers were 7,717

(Sinaga et al., 2020).

Government colonial Dutch in East Sumatra make

Rosramadhana, R., Rambe, T., Suhendro, P., Nainggolan, E. and Simbolon, M.

Revealing the Social Life and Local Knowledge of the Descendants of Contract Workers on the Deli Tobacco Plantation.

DOI: 10.5220/0013409100004654

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science (ICHELS 2024), pages 31-39

ISBN: 978-989-758-752-8

regulation the legislation referred to Cool Ordinance

on 1880, which became A means from government

Dutch For force coolie contract still stay on the

plantations. In addition, the Dutch also provided

gambling, entertainment, and prostitution venues

(Anwar, 2022). The contracts they signed tended to

treat them arbitrarily without regard to the rights of

the workers. On the other hand, plantation

entrepreneurs also issued kebon money which was

special money on the plantations, this was intended

by the plantation entrepreneurs to narrow the room

for the coolies to move. In 1891 there was a decline

in the cultivation of Deli tobacco and an increase in

competitors of similar tobacco from Africa and

America, causing the price of tobacco to decline.

Since then, even until now, the golden era of Deli

Tobacco has gradually receded. In the colonial

period, the decline occurred since the early 1890s,

and continued. Since then, Deli tobacco plantations

have only been left in Langkat and Deli Serdang. The

decreasing price of tobacco on the world market has

also had an impact on the decreasing number of Deli

tobacco plantations (Sumarno, 2020).

Based on the data obtained from field decrease

amount plantation deli tobacco tends to influence life

for coolie contract. Phenomenon This happen since

period relative time long and can seen life coolie

contract the until period time moment This. The life

of these contract workers is currently called ex-

contract workers. The phenomenon of the life of ex-

contract workers on Deli tobacco plantations based on

field data shows a dark side that has not been

uncovered and minimal government attention in

paying attention to the social life of these ex-contract

workers. Based on the study (Sumarno, Karina and

Ginting, 2020), contract laborers lost their livelihoods

and most of them fell into poverty. This condition

occurred in Saentis Village, Deli Serdang Regency.

The social life of former contract laborers in the area

tends to be seen as having no livelihoods and are

generally classified as poor people. As for the theory

used in solving the problems of the lives of contract

coolies is cultural ecology, that the environment does

have an influence on human culture and behavior, how

Javanese people adapt to indigenous people

(Febrianto, 2020). The study in this research escribes

the adaptation process of contract coolies who are of

Javanese ethnicity in social aspects can be accepted

and live side by side with the indigenous population

(Suprayitno, 2021). The study of the social life of

former contract laborers illustrates that the arrival of

the Javanese ethnic group to North Sumatra was

because the tobacco plantations offered tempting jobs,

but in reality the workers did not get the agreements

given. Different environmental conditions certainly

require contract laborers to adapt to the local

community. Adaptation carried out by contract

laborers was well received by the local community

(Lubis and Lubis, 2020).

Another study in this research on the Tobacco

Plantation Coolie Wage System in East Sumatra

During the Colonial Period, that the wage system

implemented by the plantation owner was solely to

benefit one party. Coolies actually suffered greatly

from this system, because the wages were not in

accordance with the hours worked. In addition, the

plantation owner also made wage deductions when

coolies were punished and the costs of the tools used

by coolies in working which were implemented in

this piecework wage system were all borne by the

coolies. This made the lives of coolies even more

difficult because to meet their needs (Hutagaol and

Simangunsong, 2020)

The life of Javanese contract coolies while

working on plantations in East Sumatra experienced

poor conditions due to various arbitrary actions from

their superiors. The suffering experienced by contract

coolies even came from fellow Javanese ethnic

groups. The lives of coolies were constrained by strict

plantation regulations, and were trapped in debt with

foremen and plantation owners who lent them money

so that workers were increasingly constrained

(Herdiansyah, 2021).

Table 1: Data on Deli tobacco plantation coolies 1883-1930

in East Sumatra.

Chinese

Coolie

Tamil Coolie Coolie Java

208,756 souls 7,717 souls 386,676 souls

2 METHODS

The method used in this study is qualitative research

with an ethnographic approach. Researchers use this

approach because qualitative research requires data

and information in the form of descriptions to be able

to reveal the meaning behind the descriptions or

descriptions of informants (Sugiyono, 2022).

According to (Spradley, 2020), the ethnographic

method is a very in-depth study of behavior that

occurs naturally in a culture or a particular social

group to understand a particular culture from the

perspective of the perpetrators, one of which is the

Javanese ethnic group in Saentis Village, Deli

ICHELS 2024 - The International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science

Serdang Regency. The processes carried out in the

study are searching for literature studies; compiling

and determining observation locations, determining

informants, research schedules; creating a research

program design; conducting field research using

observation, interviews and documentation.

This research was conducted offline in Saentis

village by interviewing informants who met the

research criteria in order to obtain data that could

answer the formulation of the research problem. The

criteria for informants in this study were descendants

of former contract laborers, village heads and

community leaders. This research was conducted on

July 17 - August 17, 2023. The clear measuring

instrument in data collection is through the provision

of interview guidelines that have been validated by

expert lecturers so that the questions asked to

informants have been tested for their truth.

Furthermore, comprehensive and comprehensive data

were obtained through field research conducted

offline.

The data analysis technique used refers to

(Spradley, 2020) which is carried out continuously

and accurately so that the data can be proven true.

Data analysis is the process of searching for data,

systematically arranging data obtained from

interviews, field notes, and documentation.

Furthermore, concluding the research results in the

form of descriptive data such as data from interviews,

observations and documentation. Data analysis

carried out by researchers with interpretation of data

obtained by informants, comparing it to theories and

concepts and drawing conclusions as the latest

findings from the research.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Adaptation Process Ex Coolie

Contract

In the mid-18th century, East Sumatra consisted of

different ethnic groups with different cultural

patterns. Several tribes inhabited the East Sumatra

region, including Malay, Batak, Javanese, Acehnese,

Minangkabau, Chinese, European, and others. The

Batak and Malay tribes were the native inhabitants of

East Sumatra, while the other tribes were immigrant

groups. According to Lau Husny in his book "The

Historical Trajectory of Civilization and Culture of

the Malay-Pesisir Deli Population, East Sumatra,

1612-1950" the native population of East Sumatra

was the coastal Malay. The coastal Malay was a

mixture of local Malays with Malays from Johor,

Malacca, Riau and Aceh. The entry of other tribes

into East Sumatra was largely due to Dutch

colonialism (Akbar, 2018).

J. Nienhuys from the Netherlands was a pioneer in

the development of deli tobacco plantations in East

Sumatra. Initially, Nienhuys opened his own tobacco

plantation with wage workers. Based on Anthony

Raid's notes, deli tobacco turned out to have high

quality and even received recognition from

Amsterdam as high-quality tobacco. The increasing

number of deli tobacco consumers on the market

required a large area of land and the workforce

needed was increasing. In 1865, Nienhuys brought 88

Chinese and 23 people from Penang as workers on the

Deli tobacco plantation. This number continued to

grow along with the increasing area of tobacco

plantations to facilitate processing and managing

marketing techniques, so a very famous tobacco

company was established, namely Deli Maatschappic

in 1869. The establishment of this tobacco company

made Dutch colonialism in Indonesia even more

widespread (Damanik, 2020). The number of

tobacco plantations continued to increase until the

end of the 19th century, driven by an increase in the

production of Deli tobacco. In 1883, the number of

contract coolies from India on the Deli tobacco

plantations reached 1528 people. Indian coolies

who worked on tobacco plantations were often

referred to as Tamils. The number of coolies from

India continued to increase along with the

increasing demand for Deli tobacco (Apriani, 2020).

Ethical politics (1901) by the Dutch government

changed the lives of indigenous people because the

priority of ethical politics was migration. The opening

of large areas of land turned out to require a lot of

workers to manage the plantations. It turned out that

the Chinese and Tamils were still lacking in tobacco

management so that more coolies were needed. At

that time in Java there was a population explosion

and the Deli Tobacco Plantation needed coolies to

manage it, there would definitely be many

opportunities for Java to get jobs (Reid, 2021).

Because previously the Javanese were used to

working as farmers and it was not difficult to adapt to

working as contract coolies on the Plantation. The

Javanese migrated

to East Sumatra in droves and even

in 1926 the number of contract coolies from Java

reached 194,189, this number continued to increase in

line with

the

increasing

expansion of tobacco

plantations (Herdiansyah, 2021). On the other hand,

the glory of Deli tobacco has created an increasingly

complex community life. Chinese, Tamil, and

Javanese are the tribes that dominate the plantation

area (Wibowo, 2020). According to the researcher's

Revealing the Social Life and Local Knowledge of the Descendants of Contract Workers on the Deli Tobacco Plantation

interview with Asmawito, who is the Head of Saentis

Village and a descendant of contract laborers, he said

that the community adaptation process was not

difficult because each laborer was placed according

to race and ability. Javanese people were in the

tobacco planting section, Indians or Tamils worked in

the transportation section where at that time they still

used oxen while the Malays built huts. According to

him, until now the community still lives in harmony

even when they were former laborers.

3.2 Existence Ex Coolie Contract

Contract workers brought in from China, Tamil, and

Java from 1874 to 1926 were 208,756 ethnic Chinese,

386,676 ethnic Javanese, and 7,717 ethnic Tamils.

From the data found, it is known that from 1881 to

1902 the most workers recruited from outside East

Sumatra were Chinese, followed by Javanese

(Wibowo, 2022). The workers brought to East

Sumatra were facilitated with housing by the

plantation owners in the form of barracks in the form

of long wards occupied by hundreds of contract

workers. The number of former contract workers in

Saentis Village was around 300 people because

initially Saentis Village had 310 tobacco fields,

meaning that 1 person managed 1 hectare of land.

Contract laborers who were brought from Java settled

in Deli after their contracts expired. They did not want

to return to Java until they had grandchildren and

great-grandchildren in Saentis, one of whom was the

grandfather of the Head of Saentis Village, who was

from Madiun. The reason why retired contract

workers do not want to return to their hometowns is

because the economic life in Deli is better than in

Java. The reason why contract workers come to Deli

is because of economic difficulties in Java and want

to know new areas that hope that these new areas have

better prospects than in Java and indeed they feel that

there is more hope in Deli than in Java so they do not

return to Java (Rafiqi and Marsella, 2021). Among the

100% of contract workers who come to the land of

Deli, only around 5% of contract workers return to

Java because on average they have settled in the land

of Deli. Most contract workers who come to Deli do

not bring their families because they are not sure

whether the land they are going to guarantees it or

not. On the one hand, most of the contract workers

who come do not bring their families because they are

single, they get wives in Deli and those who return to

Java sometimes only do pilgrimage or visit their

hometowns and return to Deli because they already

consider Deli to be their place of residence (Iyos,

2020) . The distribution of former contract workers in

Saentis Village can be said to be evenly distributed,

almost in all corners because 100% of the Saentis land

was formerly a Deli tobacco plantation. There are also

most of the contract workers who have retired from

Saentis Village, they do not want to have any

relationship with the plantation so they buy land in

the village and live there.

The Javanese ethnic group occupies 90% of the

residents of Saentis Village, the rest are Chinese,

Tamil and Batak. In each plantation there are 3 ethnic

groups, namely the Javanese as workers in Deli

tobacco, the Chinese for the procurement of goods (9

basic materials given to contract workers), the

Hindia/Keling ethnic group on their plantations work

in the transportation sector (ox carts), the Malay

ethnic group is part of the making of the ward used

for drying tobacco (Muhajir, Anwar and Sumantri,

2020). The existence of for ex coolie contract from

ethnicity China, Keling Already start finished

Because after use the tools in Deli tobacco are already

start modern then automatic whose name is pulled

cart by cow Already start extinct or No There is so

they interact or continue his life That from other

sectors, but a number of ethnicity China Still is in

Saentis. Ethnic Malay Already start No There is again

on the plantation Because forests Nipah made For

make ward Already Lots extinct so that they change

eye livelihood No Again as maker ward.

Descendants from ex coolie current contract a number

of there are some who have become class, teacher,

work in company factory and others. With the more

narrowing it down land plantation so field work That

the more small. Now that Deli tobacco has closed,

they automatically look for any job they can do. The

closure of the Deli tobacco plantation in Saentis

village has caused the remains of the barn,

fermentation warehouse, and office to be neglected.

Currently, there are only 2 bars left in the klumpang

garden and 4 hectares of tobacco land in buluh cina.

The tobacco plantation has now been transformed

into sugar cane and oil palm land managed by PTPN

3.3 Conditions Life Ex Coolie Contract

The arrival for coolie Java to East Sumatra who hopes

get a better life prosperous However the reality coolie

the precisely get suffering and torture. The cruelty of

the Dutch by torturing Javanese coolies by forcing

them to work and getting small wages. The Dutch

made regulations to bind the coolies so that they could

not escape from their jobs (Zubir, 2021). In 1880 the

Dutch East Indies government made a binding

employment relationship requirement for Javanese

ICHELS 2024 - The International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science

coolies called the Koelie Ordonnantie or coolie law.

The contents of the Koelie Ordonnantie contract

include Poenale Sanctie, namely sanctions for

punishment against coolies who are negligent and

violate the regulations (Kusbianto, 2020). Poenale

Sanctie contains provision regarding coolies who

escaped could be caught and returned to their

employers, namely the Dutch (Winandar, 2020). This

was what guaranteed the employers to be able to act

arbitrarily towards coolies who escaped and force

them to return to the plantation even when they

resisted.

The regulations and work systems on the

plantations that required coolies to work from 4 am to

8 pm based on Tan Malaka's notes, with the heavy

work experienced caused coolies to run away. In

addition to the heavy working hours, the division of

work between male and female coolies. Male coolies

mostly worked such as opening plantation land,

planting tobacco, and caring for it and harvesting it

while female coolies were tasked with looking for

tobacco worms, sorting, tying tobacco leaves in the

barn, and weeding the seedlings in the fields

(Nababan, 2020). The occurrence of deviations in the

contract that had been agreed upon by the contract

coolies with the Dutch caused them to have to remain

obedient because the contents of the agreement were

not known to the coolies because at that time they

could not read therefore their handprints were the

binding of the agreement that had been made by the

Dutch. The social life of contract coolies continued

until they got married and had children. Currently, the

descendants of former contract coolies who live in the

village of Saentis also feel the impact of the cruelty

of the Dutch government at that time. The low

economy will certainly have an impact on education.

The descendants of former contract coolies cannot

continue to go to school due to economic difficulties

so they have to work. The majority of descendants of

former contract coolies currently work as

construction workers, in agriculture and livestock

(Ramayanti, 2022).

The impact of the closure of the Deli tobacco

plantation certainly has an impact on the economy of

the people in Saentis village because the majority of

the people are workers on the plantation. The

cessation of plantation operations means that people

have to look for other jobs in order to continue their

lives. The variety of jobs for the descendants of

former contract laborers in Saentis village is due to

the closure of the tobacco plantation. People must be

able to switch jobs from previously managing the

plantation to now having to become laborers, farmers

to the livestock sector. The closure of the tobacco

plantation has made the community's economy

increasingly difficult because the existence of the

Deli tobacco plantation has helped the economy of

the people in Saentis village because workers will be

given 9 basic necessities every month for plantation

workers. Until now, the existence of the descendants

of former contract laborers continues in Saentis

village and has adapted to newcomers even though

the Deli tobacco plantation has closed.

The impact of the closure of the Deli tobacco

plantation, which certainly affects the economy of the

community in Saentis village, because the majority of

the community are workers on that plantation. The

closure of the plantation has forced the community to

seek other jobs in order to continue their livelihoods.

The variety of jobs among the descendants of former

contract laborers in Saentis village is caused by the

closure of the tobacco plantation. The community

must be able to switch jobs, from managing

plantations in the past to now becoming laborers,

farmers, and even working in the livestock sector.

The closure of the tobacco plantation has made the

economy of the community increasingly difficult

because the presence of the Deli tobacco plantation

significantly supported the economy of the people in

Saentis village, as workers were provided with 9 basic

necessities each month for plantation workers. Until

now, the presence of the descendants of former

contract laborers continues in the village of Saentis

and they have adapted to the newcomers despite the

closure of the Deli tobacco plantation.

Contract workers on the Deli tobacco plantations

are an important part of the history of plantations in

Indonesia. They come from various regions, work

under often difficult conditions, and experience

significant social changes over time. Their

descendants, who were born and raised in plantation

environments or have moved elsewhere, carry with

them a unique cultural heritage and life experiences.

Each plantation has a unique history, including its

founding period, changes in ownership, and other

significant events. This history shapes the identity

and values passed down to the next generations. In

addition, the diverse ethnic composition of the

workers brings with it a wealth of different cultures,

creating a unique cultural blend in each plantation.

The type of crops grown, the work system, and the

facilities provided by the company will greatly

influence the daily lives of the workers and their

families. For example, workers in rubber plantations

may have a different work rhythm compared to

workers in tobacco plantations.

The relationship between plantation workers and

the surrounding community is also influenced by the

Revealing the Social Life and Local Knowledge of the Descendants of Contract Workers on the Deli Tobacco Plantation

local context. Factors such as the distance of the

plantation from residential areas, the company's

policies in interacting with the surrounding

community, and the community's perception of

plantation workers will affect the social and cultural

life of the descendants of contract workers. The

dynamic local context can force the descendants of

contract workers to adapt to the changes that occur.

For example, changes in the economic system or

government policies can affect their job opportunities

and social mobility. The descendants of contract

workers on isolated plantations may have limited

access to education, healthcare, and information. This

can hinder their social mobility and strengthen

internal community bonds. In plantations with a

certain ethnic dominance, the language, customs, and

cultural values of the majority ethnic group tend to be

more dominant. This can affect the cultural identity

of the descendants of contract workers from minority

ethnic groups.

The local context is a very important factor in

understanding the lives of the descendants of contract

workers in the Deli tobacco plantations. By paying

attention to the diversity of the local context, we can

delve deeper into the life experiences, adaptations,

and challenges faced by this community. Research

that is sensitive to the local context will yield richer,

more relevant, and more meaningful findings, and

will provide valuable contributions to the

development of knowledge and society.

The Deli tobacco plantations are an important

part of Indonesia's history, especially in North

Sumatra. Contract laborers who worked on these

plantations made significant contributions to the

colonial economy, but unfortunately, they often faced

exploitation and poor working conditions. Many

descendants of former contract laborers have

inherited agricultural skills and knowledge about

tobacco cultivation. These are valuable assets that can

be further developed. During the working period on

the plantation, a strong social network was formed

among the laborers. This network can become an

important social capital for mutual assistance and

support in developing businesses. To develop a

program to enhance economic resilience for the

descendants of former contract laborers. Conducting

a skills mapping for each individual or group.

Providing technical skills training relevant to the type

of business to be developed, such as crop cultivation,

agricultural product processing, or marketing.

The development of an economic resilience

enhancement program for the descendants of former

contract workers of the Deli tobacco plantations is a

complex effort and requires a comprehensive

approach. By leveraging the existing foundation and

addressing the challenges faced, this program can

have a positive impact on the welfare of the

community. Involving the community in creating

initiatives that celebrate heritage and address current

challenges is the key to the success of sustainable

village development. By involving all residents,

Saentis Village will become a more independent,

prosperous village with a strong identity.

The use of ethnographic findings in designing

policies for former labor communities can yield better

results because these policies will be more relevant,

effective, and sustainable. By deeply understanding

the

values,

beliefs,

and

social

practices

the

community, we can design programs that not only

improve living standards but also strengthen their

cultural identity. The conditions of workers in

Saentis, especially in the tourism and agriculture

sectors, have unique characteristics. Although the

minimum wage is relatively high, seasonal workers

often face challenges such as job uncertainty, social

isolation, and language barriers. To improve the

conditions of workers, a joint effort from the

government, employers, trade unions, and society is

needed.

Scholarship and vocational training programs for

the descendants of former contract workers are a very

important long-term investment to improve the

quality of life of the community and build a more

advanced Indonesia. With support from various

parties, this program can run successfully and provide

significant benefits to the community. Descendants of

plantation workers to ensure economic security.

The issue of land ownership or leasing for the

descendants of plantation workers is a complex

problem that requires serious handling. With a

comprehensive approach involving various parties,

this issue can be resolved gradually and sustainably.

The main objective of this effort is to ensure

economic security for the descendants of plantation

workers and to achieve social justice.

The presence of former contract laborers in

Saentis Village, Deli Serdang Regency, North

Sumatra, not only reflects the journey of social and

economic adaptation of the community from the

colonial era to the modern era but also serves as an

important historical witness to the dynamics of the

Deli tobacco plantations. This discussion will outline

strategic steps in preserving the historical and cultural

heritage of former contract laborers and efforts to

improve the socio-economic welfare of this

community through community-based approaches

and informative policies. In the anthropological

perspective, the adaptation process undertaken by

ICHELS 2024 - The International Conference on Humanities Education, Law, and Social Science

these contract laborers reflects how humans utilize

their cultural and social capital to survive amidst

exploitative conditions. The ethnographic approach

in this research allows for the revelation of detailed

experiences of the former contract labor community,

both in historical and contemporary contexts, which

were previously overlooked in formal studies.

3.4 Documentation and Preservation

of History

Documenting the stories of adaptation and struggle

of former contract laborers is not only important

for maintaining historical significance but also as a

form of cultural preservation. In anthropological

studies, this narrative heritage is a "collective

memory" that helps the community understand

their identity amidst the dynamics of globalization.

Ethnographic findings show that the community in

Saentis Village maintains the values of solidarity,

perseverance, and hard work inherited from

previous generations. The ethnographic approach

allows researchers to record firsthand experiences

and authentically represent the voices of this

community.

3.5 Cultural-Based Economic

Resilience

From the perspective of economic anthropology,

culture-based economic empowerment programs can

play a strategic role in improving the welfare of the

descendants of former contract laborers. Programs

such as entrepreneurship training based on local

products or the establishment of cooperatives not only

enhance economic resilience but also strengthen the

community's connection with their historical heritage.

The historical foundation of the Deli tobacco

plantations, where contract laborers once worked, can

serve as an inspiration to create relevant economic

opportunities today.

3.6 Involving the Community in Local

Initiatives

Involving the community of Saentis Village in

creating initiatives that celebrate their heritage is an

important step to enhance cultural ownership. In the

perspective of cultural anthropology, material

heritage such as former plantation buildings and

tobacco drying sheds, as well as intangible heritage

like folklore and work traditions, can be revived

through cultural festivals or community-based

tourism programs. This approach is also in line with

the concept of "participatory anthropology," where

the local community becomes the main actor in

preserving their culture.

3.7 Ethnography-Based Policies

The ethnographic findings from this research can be

used to inform public policies aimed at improving the

living standards of the Saentis Village community.

For example, the development of land redistribution

policies or the legalization of land for former contract

laborers' residences not only provides legal certainty

but also economic stability for their families. In

addition, educational policies such as providing

scholarships and vocational training can help the

younger generation achieve better social mobility.

Social Harmony and Inter-Ethnic Dialogue In the

context of multiculturalism, the ethnic diversity in

Saentis Village, which consists of Javanese, Tamil,

Chinese, and other communities, reflects complex

cultural interactions. Social anthropology highlights

the importance of inter-community dialogue to

maintain social harmony. Inter-ethnic dialogue

programs, multicultural education in schools, or other

collaborative activities can help foster mutual

understanding and solidarity amidst diversity.

Figure 1: Javanese Contract Coolies.

Figure 2: Chinese Contract Coolies in the past.

3.8 Anthropology in the Context of

Sustainable Development

The improvement of infrastructure in Saentis Village,

Revealing the Social Life and Local Knowledge of the Descendants of Contract Workers on the Deli Tobacco Plantation

such as road access, healthcare facilities, and

education, not only supports the well-being of the

community but also reflects the approach of

development anthropology. Development

anthropology emphasizes that sustainability must be

based on a deep understanding of the needs and

values of local communities. Thus, physical

development must.

Figure 3: Ward as a place for drying tobacco.

Figure 4: Fingerprints (Dactyloscopic).

4 CONCLUSIONS

During the Dutch colonial period, the North Sumatra

region, formerly known as Tanah Deli, had fertile soil

that could grow tobacco plants that were very famous

in Europe because of their distinctive aroma and good

quality. The development of Deli tobacco plantations

required the Dutch to bring in workers from Java,

China and Tamil to be able to manage the

increasingly expansive plantation land. The life of

contract laborers while working on Deli tobacco

plantations was far from prosperous because their

superiors were arbitrary and tended to torture

workers. Small salaries that did not match the initial

work agreement and strict work regulations also

added to the suffering of the laborers. The suffering

experienced by the laborers caused many laborers to

want to escape, but this desire seemed in vain because

the laborers would be forced to return to work.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Gratitude is expressed to the Directorate of Learning

and Student Affairs of the Directorate General of

Higher Education, Research, and Technology of the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and

Technology as the funder of the research, gratitude to

the head of Saentis village, community leaders and

informants as research subjects, and the supervising

lecturers who helped and assisted in the research

activities.

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