Haunting the Factory: Indonesian Modernity and the Spiritual Landscape of Central Kalimantan

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores enchantments accompanying industrial development and the national discourse of modernity in the ecologically fragile swamp landscape of Central Kalimantan, situated in the southern part of Indonesian Borneo. Focusing on the experiences of the Ngaju Dayak, a local indigenous group, and mass-mediated narratives on enchantments of (national) development, we explore the promises and anxieties of the modern industrial schemes that become part of their everyday lives. By bringing together the discussions of animate spiritual landscapes and Indonesian modernity, we explore the politics and capacity of the Dayak and the spirits to invite, deny or resist the effects of modern infrastructure projects. We examine the landscape of collaborations, dreams and anxieties influenced by capitalist industrial development (Ong 2010; Taussig 2010; Tsing 2005; Bubandt 2015; Duile 2020). We argue that a plurality of enchantments exists and local indigenous groups must navigate between these enchantments and national modernity projects.