In Landak District, the Heart of Borneo, the Cross Precedes the Crescent

 

Mass at Cornelis' residence in Ngabang, Landak. Photo credit: SanggauNews.

🌍 PONTIANAK | BORNEOTRAVEL :  If you want to see Catholic life in Indonesia with your own eyes, go to Landak Regency, a stretch of dense rainforest and winding rivers in the heart of Borneo. 

In Landak District, the church bells ring louder and more often than the call to prayer — a rare inversion in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

Christianity dominates this remote region of Indonesia

Christianity dominates this remote region of Indonesia. As of December 31, 2023, Landak is home to 409,575 people. Of them, 54.27% identify as Catholic and 29.13% as Protestant — meaning more than 8 in 10 residents are Christian. 

By contrast, Muslims make up only 15.96% of the population. The remaining sliver of religious adherence — Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, and indigenous faiths — barely register in statistical terms.

But these numbers are just the surface. Beneath them lies a story of culture, identity, and governance. Since its formation in 1999, Landak has consistently been led by Catholic regents and Protestant deputy regents — a political continuity that reflects the region’s socioreligious fabric.

Where the Church Is the Center of Village Life

Across the settlements of Landak — particularly in Dayak Kanayatn villages that dot the riverbanks and forest fringes — churches are more than places of worship. They are community hubs, schools, and social courts. In some rural churches, Mass is still conducted in the Kanayatn language. 

Customary law is alive and well, often woven into the church’s moral authority. In many disputes — over land, marriage, or inheritance — church and adat (customary law) leaders sit side by side.

Rich in Culture, Lagging in Development

Despite its deep cultural capital and ecological wealth, Landak remains underdeveloped by national standards. Its 2023 Human Development Index (HDI) stands at 68.22 — categorized as “medium.” 

That figure speaks volumes about the challenges still facing this regency: limited access to healthcare, education gaps, and underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in remote indigenous villages.

The region is abundant in natural resources — tropical forests, rivers, and biodiversity — and equally rich in cultural heritage. But these assets are yet to translate into meaningful progress for many of its communities. 

For Landak to move forward, what it needs isn’t more extractive development, but smart, inclusive planning rooted in local wisdom.

A Microcosm of an Overlooked Indonesia

Landak is one of the few places in Indonesia where religious plurality is not just tolerated — it’s practiced, lived, and respected. Muslim neighbors attend Christian feasts. Adherents of ancestral beliefs join hands with Catholics during village rituals. The politics here are rarely shaped by religion, and identity is grounded more in community than creed.

In an age where Indonesia’s national identity is often debated through the lens of religious and ethnic majorities, Landak stands quietly apart — a living example of coexistence and cultural integrity. Yet its lessons are rarely heard in Jakarta.

If national development policies continue to overlook places like Landak, the country risks missing a crucial piece of its own mosaic. But if Indonesia listens — truly listens — to the voices in the highlands of Borneo, it might just find a model for sustainable, community-led progress.

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Written by Masri Sareb Putra, a Dayak author and researcher documenting the cultural resilience and lived traditions of the Kanayatn people for over two decades.