Dayak resilience: culture, language, art, economic innovation. Photo Documentation: Patih Jaga Pati
Researcher : Masri Sareb Putra, M.A.
Release Date: June 5, 2025
1. Introduction
Dayak culture represents a vital pillar within the mosaic of Indonesia's national identity. Rooted in the indigenous belief system of the Dayak people since primordial (autochthonous) times, the Dayak people continue to practice religious rituals such as Tiwah, which honors ancestors and strengthens intergenerational ties.
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Although the majority have now embraced Christianity, particularly Catholicism in West Kalimantan, traditional values endure. The Rumah Betang (longhouse) serves as a symbol of communal unity and cooperation, marking an essential part of Dayak social identity.
Amid the pressures of globalization, the Dayak community has demonstrated resilience by preserving local wisdom, art, language, and through creative economic innovation. This study explores the strategies underpinning this resilience, drawing comparative inspiration from the Chinese (Tionghoa) diaspora, which has successfully preserved cultural identity across global contexts.
2. Methodology
This research uses a qualitative approach involving literature review and field observation among Dayak communities in Kalimantan. Data was collected through interviews with customary leaders, analysis of cultural documents, and observation of social and economic practices.
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A comparative framework was used to examine cultural preservation strategies among Chinese communities, focusing on three key aspects: cultural education, community organization, and cultural promotion.
3. Findings and Discussion
3.1 Dayak Cultural Resilience
Using Van Peursen's cultural strategy theory as a conceptual framework, the Dayak community is seen to navigate the mythic, ontological, and functional phases of cultural development. They maintain a dynamic balance between tradition and modernity.
In alignment with Van Peursen's dialogical approach and inspired by Chinese community strategies, the Dayak people can reinforce cultural preservation through education, communal organization, and cultural promotion. These approaches help ensure the sustained relevance and strength of Dayak identity in an increasingly globalized world.
Three core pillars support Dayak cultural endurance:
Religion: Rituals like Tiwah foster spiritual continuity and cultural pride.
Communal Solidarity: Rumah Betang embodies the principles of cooperation and collective decision-making.
Local Knowledge: Practices such as medicinal plant use and sustainable agriculture are transmitted across generations.
Traditional arts—including Tari Hudoq (mask dance), wood carving, and rattan weaving—have evolved into viable creative industries. The Dayak language, although endangered, continues to be preserved through informal education and community documentation.
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3.2 Economic and Social Progress
The Dayak community has made significant strides:
Families have diversified from traditional farming to include palm oil cultivation.
Increasing representation in civil service roles—from bureaucrats to regents.
Expansion of local businesses, including hotels, universities, retail stores, and cafés.
These advancements demonstrate the Dayak community’s capacity to adapt to modern economic structures without losing their cultural roots.
3.3 Lessons from the Chinese Community
The Chinese diaspora offers practical insights, aligning with Van Peursen’s dialogical model for engaging with modernity. By maintaining cultural identity through education, community organizations, and artistic promotion, they serve as a useful model for the Dayak community.
Specific strategies include:
Incorporating Dayak culture into local education curricula, such as Dayak language and customary history.
Establishing Dayak cultural centers to archive and promote traditional knowledge.
Promoting the Dayak language through media and encouraging its daily use.
Hosting regular cultural festivals to boost public awareness and appreciation.
3.3.1 Integrate Dayak culture into local school curricula
Introducing Dayak culture into formal education ensures that younger generations grow up with a sense of identity and pride in their heritage. This step institutionalizes cultural knowledge, preserving oral traditions, customs, and values within an academic framework. It also creates early exposure that can combat cultural erosion caused by modern influences.
This foundational integration sustains cultural awareness amid modernization (top), helping cultivate a generation that can represent and uphold Dayak identity on global platforms (bottom).
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3.3.2 Establish Dayak cultural centers
Cultural centers act as hubs for preservation, research, performance, and community gathering. These institutions provide continuity, archiving cultural artifacts, supporting artisans, and hosting educational programs. They also serve as symbolic spaces that legitimize and elevate Dayak heritage within the national and global cultural landscape.
These centers reinforce cultural resilience (top) by providing structured support, while also projecting Dayak culture beyond its geographic confines, paving the way for international recognition (bottom).
3.3.3. Promote the Dayak language through media and everyday use
Language is a core pillar of identity. Promoting the Dayak language in everyday interactions and modern media — such as social platforms, radio, television, and public signage — normalizes its usage and revitalizes linguistic traditions. It makes the language a living part of daily life rather than a relic of the past.
Preserving language counters the pressures of linguistic homogenization (top), and its visibility in digital and public spaces signals cultural vitality to the global community (bottom).
3.3.4 Organize regular cultural festivals
Festivals serve as both celebrations and educational platforms. They showcase music, dance, crafts, cuisine, and rituals, not only to Dayak communities but also to national and international audiences. They create tourism potential and economic empowerment while reinforcing communal identity.
Festivals affirm resilience by affirming identity through celebration (top), and position Dayak culture as a vibrant, attractive element of Indonesia's multicultural narrative to the world (bottom).
These recommendations are visualized in the cultural strategy flowchart developed by Rmsp.
4. Conclusion and Recommendations
Dayak culture has proven resilient in the face of modernity through the preservation of values, arts, language, and creative economies. Inspired by the Chinese community's approach, the following strategies are recommended:
Integrating Dayak culture into local educational curricula.
Establishing dedicated Dayak cultural centers.
Promoting the Dayak language in media and daily life.
Regularly organizing cultural festivals.
With these strategies, Dayak culture can continue to serve as a strong pillar of Indonesia’s cultural diversity in an increasingly globalized world.
References
Etika, Tiwi, et al. (2025). Filsafat Dayak: Kajian Komprehensif Atas Manusia, Alam, dan Sang Ada. Jakarta: Penerbit Lembaga Literasi Dayak.
Van Peursen, C.A. (1976). Strategi Kebudayaan. Yogyakarta: Kanisius.
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