Dayak history is richly intertwined with nature. Many plants found in the Bornean rainforest have traditional uses, including as medicines, tools, and ritual items. Knowledge of these plants has been passed down orally from generation to generation, with very limited formal documentation.
The Dayak communities in Borneo’s Sebangau landscape have a strong connection to their ancestral forests. Hendri, a member of BNF’s Senior Field Staff, was born and raised in Kereng Bangkirai village, right on the edge of the Sebangau National Park. Like many Dayaks, Hendri was imbued with traditional knowledge of the rainforest by his elders. He then assisted an independent researcher, Siddarth ‘Sidd’ Badri, to document the plants used by Dayak communities in Sebangau.
Sidd conducts ethnobotanical studies to gather oral tradition on human and plant interactions. His admiration of Dayak culture motivated him to write a book: ‘People and Plants of Sebangau’.
Read also: Protecting Dayak medicinal knowledge amidst modernization
“Apart from formulating a standard scientific report, I wanted to do something more interesting with these findings and reach a wider audience- including members of the Dayak community in Kereng Bangkirai and Sabaru villages,” Sidd said of his motivation to write the book.
Sidd began writing this book during the pandemic, once he had completed his field research and compiled and analysed all the data. It took him longer than expected to finish, but the publication date finally arrived.
“We had documented about 200 plants from the forest and in nearby villages,” Hendri recollected.
The process taught Sidd and his field assistants some important lessons. As a foreigner, Sidd strived to fully immerse himself in Dayak culture and learn all about the ancient Kaharingan faith. For Hendri and the other field assistants, this gave them the chance to re-experience and reconnect with their traditions.
Read also: Using Dayak knowledge to understand traditional plant uses in Borneo
The book’s contributors hope that it will prove a useful guide for younger Dayaks, as well as exposing a more global audience to Dayak culture through its botanical practices. There are 21 plants featured in the book which have historical significance to Dayak communities.
“This book will help to educate the younger generation, showcasing the wide variety of plants that are known to and understood by Dayak people,” Hendri concluded.
You can read Sidd’s book here.
Written by Desi Natalia (Communications Manager)
