T he Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) is an isolated indigenous community residing in the forest areas of Jambi Province. The majority of the SAD population is concentrated in the Air Hitam sub-district. SAD considers the forest their home and their lives depend on environmental elements. The forest areas have become increasingly exploited due to land conversion into palm oil plantations, making it difficult for SAD to sustain their livelihoods.The government has implemented an empowerment program to improve the welfare of SAD by establishing the Kampung Madani settlement. Despite undergoing this program, SAD returned to the forest, leaving Kampung Madani behind. The purpose of this study is to explore the settlement culture of SAD to understand the reasons behind their return to the forest. The research design utilizes interview and field observation methods.The analysis results show that the settlement culture of SAD is inherently nomadic, tied to the elements of the forest, water, and land. They have distinct practices such as melangun, hunting, and gathering, which are unique characteristics of SAD. Kampung Madani is unable to accommodate SAD’s lifestyle. By understanding SAD’s settlement culture, it is hoped that the government\\\'s efforts to improve their welfare can preserve and maintain the cultural elements of SAD’s settlement practices.