An Indigenous community in Indonesia has found a way to protect one of the world’s rarest cockatoos without abandoning a centuries-old sacred tradition.

According to new research led by The Australian National University, Universitas Gadjah Mada, and Perkumpulan Konservasi Kakatua Indonesia.

The study documents how the Huaulu people of Seram Island, Indonesia, worked with conservation researchers and government authorities to adapt their sacred Cidaku initiation ceremony.

Instead of hunting the endangered salmon-crested cockatoo, the ceremony now uses naturally moulted feathers collected from wildlife rescue centres.

The co-designed solution has been formally recognised by the Indonesian Government and offers a model for conservation efforts that work with Indigenous communities rather than against them.

Senior author Dr George Olah from the Fenner School of Environment and Society said the research challenges the idea that traditional cultural practices and wildlife conservation are inherently at odds.

“We found that for the contemporary Huaulu, the spiritual potency of the Cidaku ritual relies less on the violence of the hunt and more on the inherent spiritual integrity of the species itself,” Dr Olah said.

“Through a series of participatory focus group discussions, the community co-designed a solution that respects their oral customary law and practices, while ensuring the survival of the wild cockatoo population.”

The research also found the Huaulu community views the use of authentic moulted feathers as preserving the ceremony’s spiritual integrity while ensuring the survival of wild cockatoos.

The study is published in the Journal of Ethnobiology.