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| Dayak swidden systems reveal humans’ sustainable relationship with Borneo forests. |
By: Prof. Dr. Suriansyah Murhaini, S.H., M.H. & R. Masri Sareb Putra, M.A.
ISBN: 978-602-6381-93-4
For centuries, the swidden, or peladangan, system of the Dayak people has been widely misunderstood. Outsiders often oversimplify it as slash-and-burn farming, blaming the Dayak for deforestation. This book decisively challenges that narrative.
Mochtar Lubis (1990, p. 9) notes that swidden agriculture has been practiced on Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, for over 10,000 years without causing any harm to the forests.
True large-scale destruction began in the 1980s when logging, mining, and palm oil corporations expanded. The Dayak are stewards, not destroyers, of their land.
This narrative correction is vital because for decades the Dayak have been unfairly scapegoated.
Empirical evidence shows that traditional practices maintained ecological balance while supporting cultural and social structures.
Eco-Friendly Agriculture
Dayak land clearing is carefully controlled: grass is cut, trees chopped selectively, and materials dried and burned only on designated fields. Ash and charcoal naturally fertilize the soil, regenerating biodiversity.
Unlike industrial monocultures, swidden plots produce rice, vegetables, mushrooms, medicinal plants, and spices. Fires are contained and regulated by customary law. Any negligence is sanctioned, ensuring the practice is sustainable and safe.Swidden fields also function as ecological rejuvenation areas. Previously fallow lands return to a mosaic of life, proving that Dayak perladangan is inherently environmentally friendly, long before corporate activities devastated Borneo’s forests.
Cultural and Communal Life
Perladangan is more than agriculture; it is a living culture. Communal work strengthens cooperation, preserves knowledge, and connects people to traditional festivals like gawai and naik dango.
These fields are canvases for art, ritual, and collective memory. The Dayak integrate agriculture, culture, and spirituality, demonstrating how humans and nature can thrive together.
Through these cycles, the community teaches values of mutual respect, discipline, and responsibility. Such integration of work, celebration, and ethics is a hallmark of Dayak society that outsiders rarely understand.
Experiencing the Dayak Swidden Cycle
Outsiders can participate in swidden cycles, helping menugal or planting rice with ceremonial rituals on seeds. They may taste tuak or sarii, a fermented glutinous rice drink, and enjoy traditional call-and-response songs.
Visitors also sample authentic Dayak cuisine and observe wiracerita sembaru bejerja, storytelling performed while working the fields. These immersive experiences allow outsiders to witness the deep connection between ecology, culture, and social life.
Through participation, visitors understand that swidden farming is not just a method of cultivation, but a comprehensive system of ecological stewardship, cultural preservation, and communal solidarity. It offers a living model of sustainable, community-centered agriculture that contrasts sharply with destructive corporate practices.
Critique of Corporate Exploitation
The book condemns oligarchs and corporations profiting from Borneo’s forests while displacing indigenous communities. Logging, mining, and palm oil plantations create environmental and social crises wrongly attributed to the Dayak.
The Dayak swidden system, or peladangan, is more than just a method of farming. It represents centuries of ecological knowledge, cultural practice, and sustainable living in Borneo.
Through carefully managed cycles of clearing, burning, and cultivation, the Dayak have maintained soil fertility and biodiversity for thousands of years. Their relationship with the forest is one of stewardship, not exploitation.
Today, this delicate balance faces unprecedented threats. Large-scale deforestation driven by oligarchic interests and corporate ventures has begun to erase centuries of ecological wisdom.
Logging operations, mining concessions, and palm oil plantations are encroaching on lands traditionally managed by the Dayak, destroying habitats, polluting rivers, and displacing communities. These industrial activities create environmental crises that did not exist under traditional swidden systems.
Despite widespread misconceptions, the Dayak are not responsible for deforestation. Swidden fields naturally regenerate, foster biodiversity, and support multiple crops, including rice, vegetables, mushrooms, and medicinal plants.
By contrast, corporate plantations create monocultures, degrade soils, and disrupt water systems, exposing the destructive impact of profit-driven land use.
By documenting swidden agriculture, this book defends indigenous rights and environmental stewardship. It shows that protecting Dayak land and practices is both ethical and practical for sustainable development.
The cultural and social dimensions of swidden farming further distinguish it from industrial exploitation. Swidden work is communal, linking agriculture to traditional festivals, oral traditions, and cooperative ethics.
Call-and-response songs, storytelling, and ceremonial rituals accompany the work, reinforcing shared values while sustaining the ecosystem. These practices exemplify a society in harmony with the land, unlike corporate operations that prioritize profit over ecological and social well-being.
Sistem Peladangan Suku Dayak is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the true relationship between humans and forests in Borneo. It challenges harmful stereotypes, exposes corporate exploitation, and celebrates the ingenuity and resilience of the Dayak, whose knowledge has allowed them to live in harmony with the land for thousands of years.
Protecting Dayak lands and practices is not only a matter of justice but also a practical path toward sustainable development, demonstrating that local wisdom can guide ecological preservation in the modern era.
Dayak Resistance: Defending Their Ancestral Lands
In Sintang, several Dayak swidden farmers were arrested by state authorities for practicing their traditional farming. The detentions immediately sparked outrage among the local communities.
Fellow Dayak and nearby villagers rallied in support, attending court hearings in large numbers to protest the criminalization of their cultural practices. Their presence sent a strong message of solidarity.
Yakobus Kumis, Secretary General of the Majelis Adat Dayak Nasional (MADN), stated, "We will not allow the Dayak swidden system to be blamed; this is to blame our ancestors who have handed down this land to us for thousands of years." His words captured the collective determination of the community.
Faced with overwhelming public support and protest, the detained farmers were ultimately released unconditionally. This episode highlighted the Dayak’s unwavering commitment to defending their ancestral lands and preserving their traditional way of life.
Reviewer: Jelayan Kaki Kuta
Price: Rp120.000.
