Dayak and Tembawang: Writing from the Heart of Borneo

 

The atmosphere and participants of the book launch Tembawang and the Pre-Congress of Dayak Literacy and Dayak Book Fair 2026.

On October 31, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the campus of the Institute of Keling Kumang Technology (ITKK) in Sekadau came alive with colors, music, and laughter on a warm October afternoon.

The occasion: the launching and discussion of Dayak and Tembawang, an anthology of short stories born from the Dayak Ethnic Short Story Contest held in July–August 2025.

A Celebration of Stories and Roots

Writers and storytellers from both sides of Borneo gathered that day, among them Jaya Ramba, Patricia Ganing, and Paul Nanggang from Sarawak, along with Clemens Joy, a well-known singer from Sarawak. They were not merely guests; they were contributors, supporters, and believers in a shared dream, that the Dayak voice must be written, heard, and celebrated by the Dayak themselves.

“Tembawang is a declaration of Dayak identity,” said Masri Sareb Putra, Director of the Dayak Research Center under ITKK. “The Dayak are the native people of the world’s third-largest island. A great people with ancient stories – and those stories must now be told from within.”

The word tembawang itself refers to a traditional Dayak forest-garden – a living archive of community wisdom, where fruit trees, medicinal plants, and ancestral memories thrive together. It is both ecological heritage and cultural identity. Naming the anthology Dayak and Tembawang was thus more than symbolic; it was a statement about belonging, resilience, and continuity. 

Literature, Culture, and Tourism Intertwined

The event became more than a literary celebration; it was also a cultural showcase. Traditional dances and songs from local Dayak communities opened the evening, blending poetry with rhythm, storytelling with ritual. Visitors from Sintang, Sanggau, and even across the border in Sarawak filled the campus courtyard.

Among the participants was an indigenous school from Sintang, pioneered by Daniel Banai, which brought students to share their own stories and perform traditional chants. Their presence reminded everyone that cultural literacy begins early – nurtured in communities where learning is rooted in nature, language, and lived experience.

Rektor ITKK, Masiun, in his speech, emphasized the power of literacy as the foundation of civilization. “Writing keeps our culture alive. It bridges our past to the future,” he said.
Deputy Regent of Sanggau, Susana Herpena, echoed that sentiment: “Dayak people should not only preserve, but also develop their culture. It’s a legacy we must renew.”

The local government, represented by the Regent of Sekadau, Aron, also sent a message of high appreciation. The event, they said, marks a “renaissance of Dayak literacy.”

Beyond the campus walls, the spirit of Dayak and Tembawang connects deeply with cultural tourism. Sekadau – nestled between Sintang and Sanggau – is emerging as a cultural destination, offering not just natural beauty but living traditions. Visitors can stay at longhouses, learn traditional weaving, taste ampyang (a local delicacy made from the rare ikan belida), and walk through tembawang forests – each telling stories of sustainability long before the word became a global trend.

For travelers and readers alike, the anthology offers an authentic entry point to Dayak culture – its humor, struggles, wisdom, and intimacy with the land. 

Writing the Future, Preserving the Past

What makes Dayak and Tembawang special is not only the stories it tells but also the movement it represents. It is part of a larger vision by the Dayak Research Center and ITKK to transform tacit knowledge – the unspoken wisdom of elders – into explicit knowledge through writing, recording, and publication.

At the heart of this movement lies a conviction: literacy is cultural sovereignty. To write is to reclaim one’s narrative. As Masri Sareb Putra noted, “Dayak literature is not just art; it’s survival. It’s how a people remember who they are.”

Indeed, the anthology’s stories – some set in tembawang, others in riverside villages or bustling towns – weave together the old and the new. They tell of migration, family, faith, and the delicate balance between modernity and tradition.

For visitors to Borneo, these stories open windows into an unseen world: where forests are more than scenery, where rivers are storytellers, and where culture lives not in museums but in the everyday language of the people.

As night fell over the ITKK campus, torches flickered and laughter filled the air. Writers signed books, readers exchanged thoughts, and traditional melodies lingered like a blessing.

In that moment, Dayak and Tembawang was no longer just a book – it was a bridge: between past and present, between Dayak and the world.

by: Rangkaya Bada