The Fascinating Culture of “Dayak” and The Influence of Globalization

Indonesia is one of the South East Asian countries which have diverse of culture that is spread in more than 70 thousand of islands. The various and diverse ethnic groups have spread in each beautiful islands especially in its big islands. Kalimantan (Borneo) is one of the biggest islands in Indonesia which has 7 ethnic groups such as Melayu, Banjar, Kutai, Paser, Berau, Tidung, and especially Dayak. Dayak is the most well-known ethnic group from Kalimantan; even most of people in the world mentioned that Dayak is Indian race from Indonesia because they have unique and ancient culture. Dayak’s ethnic group can also be found in Malaysian Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak). Moreover Kenyah, Punan, Benuaq, and Bentian are the kinds of Dayak’s ethnic group. The term “Dayak” is usually used to distinguish from Malay people who usually live near the coast.

It cannot be denied that Dayak has unique and fascinating traditions. Tiwah and burial are the part of their custom ceremonials. Tiwah ceremony is a sacred custom ritual which is held to deliver human corpse’s bones into the sandung. Sandung is a specific small house made for human who have died. Usually the ritual is accompanied by music instrument such as gong; moreover it is accompanied by Dayak special dance. The other ritual is when one of Dayak’s ethnic was stated die, they chime gong for many times, and then it will be held a burial ceremony. At that time, Dayak people do nindrai, it means that they are coming by bringing their contributions such as rice, pig, chicken, money, and coconut to hold the ceremony.

Furthermore, Dayak has strong belief in supernatural which has been a special thing and has been being used to protect them from the wickedness of other ethnics. Hence, foreign people have stated them as a strange, ethnocentric, and cannibal ethnic group; in actually, Dayak is a peace community as long as they are not disturbed. Moreover, if other ethnic disturb them, they would not be reluctant to use their supernatural power by asking help to their ancient’s soul to hurt them. They have many supernatural powers; one of them is Manajah Antang. It means that they ask for their ancient’s soul to help them using Antang bird as the mediator. Almost all of Dayak’s culture is related with the supernatural beliefs. Mangkok merah( the red bowl) is one of the traditions which is used as communication media for each of Dayak communities and used as communication media to communicate with their ancient soul, however only their custom commander who has authority to communicate with the soul and their deities. The term mangkok merah comes from the red jaranang root which is dabbed on the base of bowl. This tradition is only held when other ethnics hurt their prestige, then their leader used these bowls to ask for their ancient soul’s help. Usually, the tradition is accompanied by “Tariu” dance (which means asking help to their ancient souls).

Tattoo art and long ears are the most leading culture identity of Dayak. How can their ears become longer? It can happen because they put in more than ten earrings to their ears, no wonder that their ear can become longer than usual. Beside long ears, one of Dayak’s traditions is making tattoo. The uniqueness of Dayak’s tattoo is they use the orange sharp stem to make colorful tattoos. It refers to how many places they have visited, then they add one tattoo on their body every have visited a place. However, because of the globalization and modernization, the tradition of lengthening ear and making tattoo are getting fade nowadays and almost become extinct.

Before well education has been coming into Dayak’s life, their main livelihoods were farming and go hunting. Because they have less humus of soil, they took long enough time to get harvest. However, they are good in go hunting to the forest and fishing, whether pigs, chicken, or birds are delicious food for them. Nowadays, because well education has been coming, then the term of going hunt has been changed become breed. Pigs and chicken are the most of their livestock. However nowadays, their young generations have been accepting good education until bachelor degree, and then they have better other jobs.  Laborer until employees of government instances are the most job their young generations have nowadays. It has changed the education and social of Dayak community better than before.

Besides, the government of East Kalimantan has built pampang village as a tourism place to reserve their culture which was legalized in June 1991. Moreover, Betang house is another Dayak’s custom house where they live collectively which has been a tourism place. It is a big house with the length until 30-150 meters and the width is about 10-30 meters, and have long poles about 3-5 meters. It is built for the realization of the principal of solidarity in Dayak’s social stratum.

By the time, globalization and modernization eras changed the character of Dayak community who were always holding solidarity principal. The individualism character of modern society has infected some of Dayak community until some of them didn’t want to live together in Betang house anymore. Dayak’s vernacular has been becoming minority, because most of mothers in Dayak prefer to teach their children with Indonesian or English. Kaharingan is a belief to the ancient soul as their God, previously the most embraced by Dayak people. Since other religions such as Muslim and Christian have been coming, they were getting leave kaharingan.

The globalization and modernization has faded the fascinating culture of Dayak slowly. However, it can’t be denied that some of cultures have to be left in order to better life. In other hands, some of cultures have to be maintained in order to not lose the identity of the culture. Thus, we must not judge Dayak as a strange ethnic after we knew about its fascinating culture and it is our obligate to support, appreciate, and perpetuate their culture in this globalization era.

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