“Preserving the Cultural Heritage and Rights of the Dayak Indigenous Peoples”

Borneo, the island that the Dayaks call home, is an intriguing blend of three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), and Brunei Darussalam. Within Indonesian Borneo, or Kalimantan as it is known today, we find four provinces: West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan. This diverse landscape is home to an estimated 450 ethnolinguistic Dayak groups, each with their own fascinating languages, living styles, and customary laws known as ‘adat’. When it comes to religion, the majority of Dayaks practice Christianity or Kaharingan, a native religious belief system. Interestingly, the Indonesian government recognizes Kaharingan as a form of Hinduism, but it’s important to note that Western standards would classify it as an animist religion due to its shamanic rituals. However, there is a growing number of Dayaks who have embraced Islam. Within Indonesia, it is estimated that there are between 2 million and 4 million Dayaks, including notable groups like the Ngaju Dayak, Penan, Murut, Maanyan, and Lawangan. <a href="https://medium.com/@fynleyroy888/preserving-the-cultural-heritage-and-rights-of-the-dayak-indigenous-peoples-739a53153754">Read More</a>