When the Traditional Farmland of the Dayak is Challenged

The farmland of the Dayak is filled with fertile, lush, and bountiful rice. Unfortunately, their farming practices are often misunderstood by outsiders. Photo credit: Masri Sareb Putra..

PONTIANAK- dayaktoday.com: The traditional rights of Dayak farmers are crucial and must be recognized. 

During an oration in 2019 in Sintang, Yakobus Kumis, the Sekretaris Jenderal Majelis Adat Dayak Nasional (MADN) -- Secretary-General of the National Dayak Customary Council-- emphasized this point emphatically. 

Kumis stated, “If farming is deemed to harm the environment and faces legal penalties, then it means our ancestors were wrong too! We, the Dayak people, will not accept this!”

Dayak land: cultural essence, misunderstood practices

For the Dayak, land is not merely a place for agriculture; it is the essence of their life and culture. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Kalimantan experienced no thick haze or forest fires, even though the Dayak continued their farming practices. This indicates that their methods of cultivation are often misunderstood and politicized.

Read The Dayak Today: The First Nation of Borneo in All Its Glory!

One striking example occurred when a farmer was burning his land. Suddenly, a helicopter swooped in, spraying a liquid that disrupted his work. Local residents complained, “The fire goes out too quickly; we don’t know what that liquid is. It’s strange—our land remains wet and won’t dry out.”

In Sanggau, a farmer became furious when a helicopter doused his field. He fired at the helicopter in frustration, but ironically, he faced punishment while the helicopter returned without a care in the world.

For the Dayak, farming is not just about harvesting crops; it is intertwined with rituals that honor the land as a source of life. The practice of burning land to create fertile soil is often wrongly labeled as environmental destruction, yet it is a method of adapting to nature.

Their struggle bore fruit with the issuance of a gubernatorial regulation allowing communities to farm, including the practice of burning land. Governor Tarmiji recognized the importance of farmland in the Dayak way of life.

Read Longhouses of the Dayak People: An Intriguing and Meaningful Tourist Attraction

Historically, the Dayak have been wise stewards of their environment. Their practices have maintained ecological balance over generations. Environmental degradation in Kalimantan is primarily due to the activities of logging companies and mining. This damage is largely unrelated to the Dayak’s farming methods.

Dr. Yansen TP, M.Si. demonstrated during an international seminar at Bappenas in 2019 that areas inhabited by the Dayak remain green. Yansen highlighted the contrast between their environment and the degradation occurring elsewhere. This finding underscores the sustainability of Dayak practices.

For the Dayak, land is sacred and integral to their rituals and identity

For the Dayak, land is sacred, accompanied by rituals at every stage, from preparation to harvest. Respecting the land equates to honoring their relationship with nature and the divine.

Read Unpacking the Labeling of the Dayak in the Past

The Dayak’s farming practices do not harm the environment. They understand the cycles of nature, and by burning land, they produce ash that nourishes the soil. During this process, they take great care to prevent the fire from spreading, as doing so would violate customary laws.

When considering how the Dayak approach farming, it’s clear that the deforestation in Kalimantan is not the result of their actions, but rather the exploitation by large corporations. The traditional rights of Dayak farmers deserve respect because the land is an inseparable part of their identity and way of life.

Read Long Midang dan Misteri Era Megalitikum

According to renowned Indonesian cultural expert Moctar Lubis (1980, p. 9), the indigenous people of Borneo have been practicing shifting cultivation for 10,000 years. The Dayak way of farming is environmentally sustainable. 

Up until the 1970s, Borneo’s nature was still pristine, with a well-balanced ecosystem. Then came large-scale logging for timber, followed by mining, and finally, palm oil plantations. These industries are the ones responsible for destroying Borneo’s forests—not traditional Dayak farming. 

Just look at a map of Borneo: wherever you see patches of green, that’s where the Dayak live. The real culprits behind deforestation are outsiders, corporations, mining operations, and industrial expansion.

Large-scale industries and corporations are the true forces behind Kalimantan’s deforestation

The destruction of Kalimantan’s forests is not caused by traditional shifting cultivation (ladang), which the Dayak have practiced sustainably for thousands of years, but by large-scale industries and corporations. Logging companies were the first to strip the land, cutting down centuries-old trees for timber exports without concern for regeneration. 

Next came mining operations, which scarred the land, polluted rivers with toxic waste, and left once-fertile areas barren. Finally, palm oil plantations took over, clearing massive areas through deforestation and burning, replacing rich ecosystems with monoculture crops that permanently alter the environment. 

Unlike Dayak farmers, who allow forests to regenerate through rotational farming, these industries exploit the land for profit, leaving behind environmental destruction, biodiversity loss, and displacement of indigenous communities. 

Read Dayak: Klasifikasi Kelompok Etnis Dayak Menurut Para Pakar

Blaming Dayak farmers for deforestation is not only misleading but also diverts attention from the real culprits—corporations and industries that prioritize economic gain over ecological sustainability.

- Rangkaya Bada