Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia

This article examines the cosmology of the Indigenous Dayak Benawan people in the tropical rainforests of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, as an alternative framework for negotiating the future. Through an Indigenous ethnographic approach, this research examines how Dayak Benawan cosmological knowledge,...

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Main Author: Nikodemus Niko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: James Cook University 2025-03-01
Series:eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.jcu.edu.au/index.php/etropic/article/view/4144
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author Nikodemus Niko
author_facet Nikodemus Niko
author_sort Nikodemus Niko
collection DOAJ
description This article examines the cosmology of the Indigenous Dayak Benawan people in the tropical rainforests of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, as an alternative framework for negotiating the future. Through an Indigenous ethnographic approach, this research examines how Dayak Benawan cosmological knowledge, deeply rooted in a spiritual connection with nature, serves as a guiding system for navigating social and ecological changes. Rapid development has significantly transformed our way of life, traditions, and ecological landscape. For the Dayak Benawan community, the forest is not merely a source of material sustenance but a spiritual entity that must be respected and protected. This study specifically investigates the local knowledge embedded in Dayak Benawan rituals, which carry symbolic meanings related to maintaining cosmic balance. These practices reflect the community’s efforts to sustain harmony between humans, nature, and ancestral spirits while functioning as a mechanism for ecological sustainability and development (SDGs), and futurity.
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series eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics
spelling doaj-art-31db30b6ebdd4fab94dc24a5fdb2dba92025-08-20T02:57:00ZengJames Cook UniversityeTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics1448-29402025-03-0124110.25120/etropic.24.1.2025.4144Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, IndonesiaNikodemus Niko0Maritime Raja Ali Haji University, Indonesia This article examines the cosmology of the Indigenous Dayak Benawan people in the tropical rainforests of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, as an alternative framework for negotiating the future. Through an Indigenous ethnographic approach, this research examines how Dayak Benawan cosmological knowledge, deeply rooted in a spiritual connection with nature, serves as a guiding system for navigating social and ecological changes. Rapid development has significantly transformed our way of life, traditions, and ecological landscape. For the Dayak Benawan community, the forest is not merely a source of material sustenance but a spiritual entity that must be respected and protected. This study specifically investigates the local knowledge embedded in Dayak Benawan rituals, which carry symbolic meanings related to maintaining cosmic balance. These practices reflect the community’s efforts to sustain harmony between humans, nature, and ancestral spirits while functioning as a mechanism for ecological sustainability and development (SDGs), and futurity. https://journals.jcu.edu.au/index.php/etropic/article/view/4144Indigenous KnowledgeDayak Benawanrainforest communityecological sustainabilitySDGsIndigenous Futures
spellingShingle Nikodemus Niko
Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia
eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics
Indigenous Knowledge
Dayak Benawan
rainforest community
ecological sustainability
SDGs
Indigenous Futures
title Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia
title_full Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia
title_fullStr Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia
title_full_unstemmed Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia
title_short Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia
title_sort dayak benawan indigenous futures tropical rainforest knowledge in kalimantan indonesia
topic Indigenous Knowledge
Dayak Benawan
rainforest community
ecological sustainability
SDGs
Indigenous Futures
url https://journals.jcu.edu.au/index.php/etropic/article/view/4144
work_keys_str_mv AT nikodemusniko dayakbenawanindigenousfuturestropicalrainforestknowledgeinkalimantanindonesia