The Dayak Tribe's Bonum Commune Crisis: Farming Tradition Versus Modern Economic Activities
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Abstrak: Penelitian ini mengangkat kearifan lokal masyarakat Dayak Kalimantan dalam membuka lahan pertanian. Tradisi berladang ratusan tahun telah membangun bonum commune dan menjadi indeks kebahagiaan masyarakat Dayak. Namun, kearifan lokal tersisih oleh program pembangunan nasional yang sangat progresif, berkat dukungan kemajuan teknologi dan kebutuhan pasar. Penelitian ini mengkonfrontasikan cara tradisional masyarakat Dayak dengan industri perkebunan modern dalam mengelola hutan. Dua cara tersebut dievaluasi secara etis-moral, dengan menggunakan studi literatur dalam perspektif etika ekologis. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa adat berladang masyarakat Dayak, yang penuh dengan nilai-nilai sosio-religius, dilakukan dengan cara membakar areal hutan dalam luasan yang terbatas dan terukur. Setelah panen, area ladang dihutankan kembali. Sebaliknya, penggundulan hutan secara luas dan agresif, tanpa prospek penghutanan kembali, dilakukan oleh perusahaan perkebunan sawit, baik milik pemerintah maupun swasta. Program pembangunan sekarang lebih mengutamakan perkebunan sawit, dan melarang tradisi berladang suku Dayak. Hal ini menghancurkan sendi-sendi kehidupan sosiokultur masyarakat Dayak yang telah dihidupi selama ratusan tahun. Penelitian ini mengusulkan agar dalam melakukan aktivitas ekonomis makro di Kalimantan perusahaan pemerintah atau swasta tetap mengakomodasi kearifan lokal, dan melakukan strategi pembangunan berbasis lokalitas. Sedangkan masyarakat Dayak perlu beradaptasi dengan melakukan aktivitas ekonomis mikro sesuai UU yang berlaku dengan menggunakan teknologi yang ekologis, sambil tetap memelihara nilai-nilai sosio-religiusnya. Abstract This research clearly underscores the invaluable local wisdom of the Dayak people of Kalimantan in their approach to clearing agricultural land. Their centuries-old farming tradition has not only cultivated the Bonum Commune but also serves as a vital index of happiness for the Dayak population. Unfortunately, this local wisdom has been unjustly marginalized by a progressive national development program that prioritizes technological advances and market demands over cultural heritage. This study decisively confronts the traditional methods employed by the Dayak communities for forest management against the practices of the modern plantation industry. Both approaches are evaluated through a rigorous ethical and moral lens, grounded in ecological ethics. The findings reveal that the Dayak farming practice, deeply embedded with socio-religious values, involves the controlled burning of a limited forest area, followed by diligent reforestation efforts. In stark contrast, the oil palm plantation companies – both government and private – engage in widespread and aggressive deforestation without any plans for reforestation. The current development agenda audaciously prioritizes oil palm plantations while effectively prohibiting the traditional farming practices of the Dayak people. This not only threatens their way of life but also erodes a sociocultural identity that has been nurtured for centuries. This research firmly advocates for the integration of local wisdom into macroeconomic activities in Kalimantan, urging both government and private sectors to embrace locality-based development strategies. Simultaneously, Dayak communities must adapt by pursuing microeconomic activities that comply with applicable laws and incorporate ecological technology while steadfastly maintaining their socio-religious values.
Language: Indonesian
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4409907503