Medicinal leaf knowledge of the five Dayak Ethnic Groups in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

BackgroundCommunity-based approaches to conservation of natural resources, in particular medicinal plants, have attracted attention of governments, non governmental organizations and international funding agencies. This paper highlights the community-based approaches used by an Indian NGO, the Rural Communes Medicinal Plant Conservation Centre (RCMPCC). The RCMPCC recognized and legitimized the role of local medicinal knowledge along with other knowledge systems to a wider audience, i.e. higher levels of government.MethodsBesides a review of relevant literature, the research used a variety of qualitative techniques, such as semi-structured, in-depth interviews and participant observations in one of the project sites of RCMPCC.ResultsThe review of local medicinal plant knowledge systems reveals that even though medicinal plants and associated knowledge systems (particularly local knowledge) are gaining wider recognition at the global level, the efforts to recognize and promote the un-codified folk systems of medicinal knowledge are still inadequate. In country like India, such neglect is evident through the lack of legal recognition and supporting policies. On the other hand, community-based approaches like local healers' workshops or village biologist programs implemented by RCMPCC are useful in combining both local (folk and codified) and formal systems of medicine.ConclusionDespite the high reliance on the local medicinal knowledge systems for health needs in India, the formal policies and national support structures are inadequate for traditional systems of medicine and almost absent for folk medicine. On the other hand, NGOs like the RCMPCC have demonstrated that community-based and local approaches such as local healer's workshops and village biologist program can synergistically forge linkages between local knowledge with the formal sciences (in this case botany and ecology) and generate positive impacts at various levels.

BackgroundMedicinal plants used by the local people in Xizang (Tibet) have been investigated since the 1960s. The others out of Xizang, however, have been less understood, although they may be easily and strongly influenced by the various local herbal practices, diverse environments, local religious beliefs and different prevalent types of diseases. In 2006, two ethnobotanical surveys were organized in the county of Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, SW China, to document the traditional medicinal plants used by the Tibetan people.MethodsAfter literature surveying, four local townships were selected to carry out the field investigation. Three local healers were interviewed as key informants. The methods of ethnobotany, anthropology and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) were used in the field surveys. Plant taxonomic approach was adopted for voucher specimen identification.ResultsSixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation.ConclusionAs a part of the cultural diversity of Tibetan community, these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences may provide data and information basis for the sustainable utilization and development of Tibetan medicine, and may contribute to the local economic development. However, for many reasons, they are disappearing gradually as time goes by. Our study showed that there were abundant traditional Tibetan medicinal prescriptions and using methods. It implies that more Tibetan medicinal plants and traditional knowledge can be discovered. Further research should be done to save the wealth of these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences before they are dying out.

Identity is a fluid and adaptive phenomenon that suits the needs of its users. Identity is often used as a tool by certain groups for certain purposes, for example as a form of resistance or as a means to show the existence of a group. In West Kalimantan, the Kaharingan religion reveals its existence in the Dayak identity. This paper aims to explore the existence of the Kaharingan religion in the Dayak community in West Kalimantan, especially when there is a rift between ethnic groups. The rifts between ethnic groups in West Kalimantan are commonly referred to as social conflicts that occurred around the 1990s. This paper was based on literature research data using historical and phenomenological approaches. The historical approach was used to describe the history of the Dayak ethnicity, the Kaharingan religion and the history of social conflicts between 1997 and 1999 in West Kalimantan, while the phenomenological approach is used to analyze the phenomenon of the existence of the Kaharingan religion when social conflicts occurred. The results showed that the existence of the Kaharingan religion was on the rise during the 1997-1999 social conflicts among the Dayaks. The emergence of the Kaharingan religion could be seen in the rituals, such as the Nyaru Tariu, Mangkok Merah, and Tiwah ceremonies. Despite the fact that some of the Dayaks at that time were already Catholics and Protestants, they performed the rituals of the Kaharingan religion. After the 1997-1999 social conflicts, the Kaharingan Religion was institutionally declared on May 16, 2019 in Bengkayang Regency under the name of the Indonesian Kaharingan Religious Council (MAKI) West Kalimantan.

The nugal tradition is a traditional rice planting practice that the Dayak community in West Kalimantan has long preserved. Although it embodies strong cultural values, farming activities are still conducted without the support of digital technology, resulting in limited access to weather information, inefficient planting schedule management, and inadequate agricultural record-keeping. This community service program aimed to introduce simple and culturally appropriate digital technologies to improve the efficiency of local rice farming in Entabuk Village while maintaining the cultural integrity of the nugal tradition. The program employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, involving community socialization, training on online agricultural information access, and the introduction of land mapping using Google Maps. The results indicate an improvement in farmers’ digital literacy, increased accuracy in determining planting schedules, and enhanced capability in utilizing basic digital applications to support farming activities. These findings demonstrate that simple digital interventions can effectively enhance the efficiency of traditional agricultural practices and encourage positive behavioral changes toward sustainable technology adoption.

This chapter examines conditions prevailing prior to independence in the region that later became West Kalimantan. Those conditions prevented the emergence of Dayaks in the colonial-era government and contributed to the challenges that they faced after independence. West Kalimantan's post-independence history has seen considerable conflict between Dayaks and Madurese, as well as outbreaks involving Chinese and the Malay communities. The chapter focuses on the origins and development of distinctive ethnic identities within the indigenous Dayak and Malay populations of the province. The Dayak peoples were the original inhabitants of the island of Kalimantan. The existence of Senganan as a new identity was usually acknowledged by both the sending Dayak community and the accepting Malay community. Under Dutch rule, most parts of West Kalimantan were ruled through the Malay sultanates, and more than half of the regions outside Java were also indirectly ruled.Keywords: Dayak community; Dutch rule; Malay sultanates; West Kalimantan

Abstract. Roslinda E, Siswoyo A, Nantah N. 2022. Assessing the potential of tembawang, a traditional forest management in Sanggau, West Kalimantan, Indonesia for ecotourism. Biodiversitas 23: 2184-2192. Tembawang is a traditional land management system practiced by the Dayak community in Kalimantan, Indonesia. It resembles a miniature tropical forest that can be developed as an ecotourism alternative. This study aimed to assess the potential of Tembawang Kampung Lama in Sanggau District, West Kalimantan, as a natural tourist attraction. The research used a survey method and data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires to respondents, in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions, direct observation, and document analysis. Assessment and analysis of data followed guidelines from the government. The results showed that Tembawang Kampung Lama has a moderate potential to be developed as an ecotourism destination. The elements of tourist attractions, supporting infrastructure and availability of clean water were in a good category, while the accessibility was in the moderate category, and the socio-economic conditions and accommodation were in the bad category. The development of tembawang as a tourist attraction must be supported by improving accessibility and accommodation facilities. In addition, tour packages can be developed by integrating landscape tours consisting of rice fields, tembawang, secondary forests in the hills and cascades around the tembawang to attract more tourists to visit.

BackgroundThe Shui are a small Chinese sociolinguistic group living in Sandu Shui Autonomous County, south of Guizhou Province. The Shui people have accumulated and developed rich traditional medicinal knowledge, which has played a significant role in their healthcare. Traditional ethnic herbal medicines, like Shui ethnomedicine, have become an important resource of rural development in Guizhou Province. However, not much research has been conducted to document the medicinal plants traditionally used by the Shui people. This study’s aims are (1) to record the current use of medicinal plants in Sandu County and associated traditional knowledge, including the medicinal plant species used and the types of diseases treated by local healers and any unique aspects of their preparations; (2) to analyze the most important medicinal plant species using relative frequency of citation (RFC); and (3) to provide useful information and data for possible future development and application of ethnomedicine and promote the conservation and preservation of Shui traditional medicinal knowledge.MethodsField surveys were conducted between July 2015 and August 2022 in Sandu County. A total of 15 local healers as key informants were interviewed. An additional 132 informants from villages and local markets were also interviewed through semistructured interviews and focal group discussions. Local Shui healers were followed during their collection of medicinal plants in the fields and recorded the medicinal plants’ names, uses, and parts used. An ANOVA was used to evaluate the number of medicinal plants recognized by local healers across age-groups and townships, and relative frequencies of citation values were determined for the recorded medicinal plants.ResultsIn this study, data collected from 15 Shui healers and 132 other informants were analyzed. The healers used fresh or dried parts of 505 plant species as medicine to treat a wide range of conditions and diseases. These plants belong to 405 genera from 156 families, with Fabaceae being the highest represented plant family. The Jiuqian township had the highest distribution of per capita healers (pch); only one local healer was in Zhonghe. Of the 15 local healers, only two were younger than 40 years of age. There is a major concern that traditional medicinal knowledge may be lost if there are not sufficient trainees or suitable successors. Among the common medicinal plants, most are herbaceous and the Shui typically use the whole plant in their medicines. There are 85 different recorded diseases treated by Shui medicinal plants, and among them, rheumatism and bone fractures have the largest number of species used. Three medicinal plant species, Isodon amethystoides, Asarum insigne, and Acorus tatarinowii, are the most commonly used ethnomedicines by the Shui people.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that Shui people have extensive knowledge of a diverse range of medicinal plants, many of which had not been systematically recorded before the current study. Further research on the chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of Shui medicinal plants will be useful for developing functional foods or pharmaceutical products, particularly those of Isodon amethystoides, Asarum insigne, and Acorus tatarinowii. Additionally, as a result of rapid economic growth, fewer young people in Shui communities pursue traditional medicinal studies. Only 15 traditional Shui healers remain in the county, and only two of them are below the age of 40 years. Therefore, to conserve Shui’s traditional medicinal knowledge, initiatives and policies are required to regenerate, strengthen, and promote Shui medicinal knowledge.

This study is motivated by the challenges of Islamic proselytization (dakwah) among the Dayak communities in Kalimantan, who possess a distinct cultural identity and linguistic diversity. The use of the Indonesian language in dakwah is often perceived as “foreign” by 62% of rural populations, hindering both comprehension and acceptance of Islamic teachings. Consequently, there is a need for dakwah strategies that integrate local languages and cultural wisdom to foster closer connections with the community. This study aims to explore the role of local language and cultural approaches as effective strategies for spreading Islam among the Dayak people. A qualitative research method was employed, with fieldwork conducted in Central and West Kalimantan. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation. The findings reveal that: 1) The use of mother tongues enhances community understanding and engagement. Although dialect diversity presents challenges, this strategy proves more effective than neutral approaches such as using the Indonesian language in remote areas. 2) Local wisdom, including Dayak rituals such as Gawai and Tiwah, is adapted in dakwah to reinforce Islamic acceptance. Collaboration with traditional leaders broadens the reach of Islamic messages. However, ritual modifications must be approached carefully to avoid deviating from the core tenets of monotheism (tauhid). The Sarasehan Budaya serves as a notable example of integrating religious teachings with cultural expression.

The Dayak community in Sejiram Village, Seberuang District, Kapuas Hulu Regency have their tradition of Beuma and Menugal. The tradition of Beuma and Menugal has been carried out from the time of the ancestors, right through up until the present. This tradition, which aims to preserve nature, is carried out by the Suaid Dayak community, by utilizing their existing local knowledge. This study aims to describe and analyse these traditions, with their stages, their meanings and their customs of forest conservation. The researcher used a phenomenological analysis methodology according to Valentinus Saeng's thoughts, as seen in Valentinus’s presentation about the wisdom of the Mualang Dayak tribe. The researcher saw how the Dayak people cared for the jungle and rivers, and so he take took these observations and applied them to forest conservation. Then the study was based on my personal experience as a native of West Kalimantan. The study used qualitative and descriptive-analytic research methods. The data collection techniques used were interview, participation observation, and documentation. The study focuses on the Suaid Dayak community at the Sejiram Village, the Seberuang District, the Kapuas Hulu Regency, and how they were in conserving forests through the Beuma and Menugal traditions. The findings in of this study were that the Suaid Dayak people in West Kalimantan upheld their customs of forest conservation, as well as their togetherness and brotherhood qualities. Farming is the root and source of life for the Suaid Dayak people. As conclusion, the Beuma and Nugal traditions in the Suaid Dayak community are strongly rooted into their local wisdom.

This study explores the potential of the development of the National Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan as a catalyst for the development of the sharia economy in West Kalimantan (Kalbar) in order to expand access to the international market. As a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has a great opportunity to optimize the sharia economy, which continues to grow significantly at the global and national levels. West Kalimantan, with its rich natural resources and strategic geographical position, has strong potential to become a regional center for the sharia economy. However, challenges such as low sharia financial literacy and limited connecting infrastructure still hinder the optimization of this potential. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method with a phenomenological approach to understand the perspectives of key stakeholders, including local governments, sharia entrepreneurs, and sharia finance practitioners in West Kalimantan, regarding the impact of the development of the IKN on the sharia economy. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and analysis of related documents. The results of the study show that the development of the IKN opens wider access for West Kalimantan's sharia products and services to enter the international market, especially through increasing infrastructure connectivity and synergy with neighboring countries that have a strong sharia economic base, such as Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. This study makes an important contribution in filling the knowledge gap regarding the relationship between infrastructure development and the internationalization of the sharia economy. In addition, the results of this study can be a reference for policy makers in designing effective strategies to make West Kalimantan a leading center for the sharia economy in Southeast Asia, utilizing the momentum of the IKN development to open up new opportunities in the global market

The object of this study is Islam in Dayak communities; a subject that is rarely being studied. It tries to expose some interesting facts about Islam in these isolated communities. Many have hitherto thought that the Dayak communities are primitive with no particular affiliation to any formal religion. This paper tries to show the reverse. The truth is that these communities do even have reasonably developed view of Islam especially that which has to do the problem of tolerance and social life. The basic premise that this paper adopts is that a practice is form of paradigm; the way a particular society performs social life reflects their orientation of religious understanding. Hence, although the Dayak communities do not have paradigmatic understanding of Islam—in the strictest sense of the word—they do nonetheless have a practical discourse that emerge out of their unique and perhaps simple understanding of their religion. Relevant to the study of this object is the issue of community identity and how this issue is related to the religious identity. Hence, the paper is interested in exposing the tension between the two identities in the context of the Dayak communities in West Kalimantan.

Roslinda E. 2016. Dayak Desa forest land use system as social capital to acquire forest management rights in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 17: 177-184. People communities have an important role to play in biodiversity conservation. The ownership of land has often become a constraint on sustainable management of forest. The aim of this study was to explore the management system of forest land use in Dayak Desa in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data collection was undertaken through field observation, focus group discussion (FGD, and interviews with the community members. Dayak Desa has a several forest land use systems including tawang semilas, tawang sebesai, tawang mersibung, tawang sepayan, tawang serimbak and bukit rentap protection forest, which each system has its own function and utilization. Regardless of the system’s differences, the forest land use systems have been supporting species diversity such as flora, fauna, and environmental services in Dayak Desa. This species diversity can support Dayak Desa community daily needs, regarding food, clothing, housing and other secondary needs. Forest utilization by Dayak Desa community is suitably paired to what can be produced by the land, which is equipped with their own rules. The role and the rule in managing, utilizing and protecting forest land use are Dayak Desa social capital. These are capital to acquire their rights to manage the forest.

Since the opening of oil palm plantations in 1980 in West Kalimantan, which since 1982 has been managed under the People’s Nucleus Plantation (PIR-Bun) pattern, slowly but surely changing the mindset of indigenous Dayak people towards jungle forests or ulayat lands. Its influence is increasingly felt in the behavior and social life of the local community. The Dayak community has experienced a change in their “world view” of the forest. Those who have been friendly with nature since ancient times and uphold traditional principles, now in their lives, on the one hand, are leaving their ancestral traditions and following the trend of oil palm plantations, but on the other hand, their lives are increasingly cornered by the existence of oil palm plantations. The permissive attitude and pragmatism of those in power have resulted in a change in the “world view” of the local community. They no longer respect nature or forests as “sacred lands”. Society is also increasingly pragmatic, hedonic and consumptive. Local customs and wisdom in the form of family values, mutual cooperation, loyalty to the community, humility, sincerity, respect for nature and each other are increasingly fading. The jungle forest and “tembawang forest” as customary rights have mostly been just stories.

Tembawang is a land management carried out by the Dayak communities in West Kalimantan. One of the many in West Kalimantan is Tembawang Payut in Malo Jelayan Village, Teriak District, Bengkayang Regency. Most of the societies of Malo Jelayan Village use Tembawang to fulfill their daily needs by taking various types of results from the Tembawang such as fruits, vegetables, bamboo and so forth. This research examines the community's efforts in sustaining Tembawang in Malo Jelayan Village, Teriak District, Bengkayang Regency. The study was conducted for four weeks in the field. The technique used is a survey method with interview techniques and direct observation in the field. The sample was taken using a purposive sampling technique. Respondent participated comprised 30 people, including 17 men and 13 women. Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. The results showed the community's efforts in preserving Tembawang in Malo Jelayan Village such as weeding by cleaning around Tembawang, works carried out in a traditional method (traditional ceremonies), replanting dead trees, as well as making an agreement between the people and the Village administrator to issue a permission for the outside community who wish to enter the Tembawang area.Keywords: Community, efforts, Malo Jelayan Village, Preservation, Tembawang.

The purpose of this study is to determine the history of the forest and its potential as a learning material for disaster mitigation education.The research method uses a qualitative approach. The research time was in June–September 2021 on the grounds that it coincided with the cycle of people cultivating agricultural land. Sources of research data consisted of key informants, namely elders and community leaders of the Dayak Gado and documents in the form of letters, archives both regional and national, as well as documentation (photos) and recordings. Researchers made observations in several forests and conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with traditional leaders, school principals and several Dayak community assistance institutions. The validation technique uses triangulation techniques from traditional institutions, community leaders (elders), and the Village Government. While the analysis technique uses the flow developed by Miles Huberman, namely the interactive flow which includes data collection, data reduction, data presentation and verification/getting conclusions.The results show that the existence of forests in West Kalimantan is a former village or field of the Dayak community which has one of the functions of plant and animal conservation. Forests, in this case tembawang in the Dayak community, can prevent hydrological disasters such as floods. Environmental history of forests can be used as learning materials for disaster mitigation education. Implementation in history subjects in schools requires 3 pillars, namely teachers, learning strategies and supporting aspects. Teachers are very important in an effort to give students understanding about the knowledge of forest history as disaster mitigation education. The success of disaster mitigation education lies in the ability of teachers to master environmental history and provide students with an understanding of the importance of awareness of tradition and history, awareness of position and awareness of action in students.