Sharing the borders with the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam and
the Malaysian stated of Sarawak and Sabah, Kalimantan occupies two-thirds
of Borneo, the world's third largest island ( after Greenland and
New Guinea ). It is the land of the Dayak people who long ago were
famous as courageous warriors. Over 200 tribes live in the island,
but most well-known groups are the Kenyah and Kayan in the east,
the Ngaju in the central region, and the Iban in the west. Kalimantan,
with an area 540,00 km2, represents nearly 30% of the nation's land
area, but with less than 5% of the population. The centre of Kalimantan
is made up of mountain ranges, whose summits rarely top 1,500 metres
above sea level. Great rivers flow down from the highlands, and
are often navigable for hundred of kilometres, serving as essential
channels of communication between the coast and the island's interior.
Travel down the Mahakam and Kahayan River into the Dayak country.
On the southeast coast of Kalimantan, Banjarmasin is a busy trading
city crisscrossing with many waterways fed by the Barito River.
Down-stream on the Barito, you will reach Kaget and Kembang Islands,
home of Kalimantan's unusual primate, the proboscis monkey and a
variety of birds. Like other ethnic groups in Indonesia, the Dayaks
have traditions, such as Manjat Tana, a ceremony requesting land
productiveness before opening a new farming area; Pandau, for blessing
from the Gods; Bungan Panyelong, Bunut and the Hudog Dance which
are performed to ask for rain or thank the Gods after a good crop.
In South Central Kalimantan, the Kaharingan religion of several
of the more traditional and remote Dayaks is still practised. The
tiwah or funerary ceremony is a spectacular series of rites that
involve cleaning the bones of dead for their smooth journey to heaven,
and animal sacrifices that ensure wealth and good health for the
living. The impenetrable, tropical lowland rainforest of Kalimantan
hold a diverse variety of exotic flora and fauna; 600 species of
birds ( including the hornbills that sacred to the Dayaks ), orangutans,
proboscis monkey, clouded leopard, leaf monkey, crab eating macaques
and ant-eating pangolins. Tanjung Putting National Park and its
three camos, Tanjung Harapan, Pondok Tanggul and Camp Leakey are
where tamed orangutans are rehabilitated and taught to readapt to
their natural environment. In the Makassar Strait between Borneo
and Sulawesi, the tiny archipelago of Derawan, Sangalaki and Maratua
shelters a diverse ecosystem that creates a paradise for divers.
Surrounded by a shallow lagoon and the reefs, Maratua and Sangalaki
present over 500 species of hard and soft corals, manta rays and
turtles. The area is also the site of bountiful pearl diving. Kijing
and Temajoh Islands in West Kalimantan are also ideal for diving,
fishing and sailing.
SOUTH KALIMANTAN
South Kalimantan is full of vivid and characteristic traditional
arts and cultures which can be seen in its people's ways of life,
art, dance, music, ancestral dress, games and ceremonies. Exquisite
traditional and commercial handicrafts are all made from local raw
materials which include a variety of precious and semiprecious stones,
gold, silver, brass, iron and a wide variety of wood including bamboo
and rattan. South Kalimantan is one of the largest wood producers
in Indonesia; extensive forests with a wide variety of trees such
as iron wood, meranti, pinus and rubber have helped to make the
province a unique and rich natural resource. The southern section
of the province, however, is much flatter and is characterized by
large and powerful rivers, meandering through lowlands and depositing
enormous of silt, at vast mangrove swamps all along the coast helping
to make South Kalimantan an exceptionally fertile land. Many villages
and settlements hove been built along these rivers, particularly
the Barito river, by the indigenous majority, the Banjar. The Meratus
mountain range ( with the highest peak Puncak Besar at 1,892 metres
above sea level ) dominate in the centre of the province, effectively
dividing South Kalimantan into two distinct regions. The eastern
part of the province is mountainous and lush with dense tropical
rain forests and is home to the "Orang Gunung" or Mountain
People. Collectively called Dayak, they form the minority of the
region's population.
EAST KALIMANTAN
East Kalimantan due to huge supplies of oil, gas, wood and coal,
is the richest part of the whole Indonesia. Local tribes traditionally
live in communal longhouses called lamin or umaq daru. They are
built on wooden piles which can sometimes be as tall as 3 metres
high as protection against wild animals and flooding. The Punan,
however, are nomadic hunter-gatherers, who still move around the
jungles and only use the longhouse at the height of the rainy season.
Steeped in tradition, the interior of the longhouse is typically
divided into separate family quarters with a communal area connecting
each of the quarters and therefore each of the families. It is in
these communal areas that village gatherings are held and ceremonies
performed, in that way reinforcing the strong tribal bonds that
have kept the Dayaks active in the face of rapidly advancing technologies.
As a major producer of oil and timber, East Kalimantan is now the
most industrially advanced province of the island and the second
largest province in Indonesia. It is also the habitat of the original
people of Kalimantan, the "Orang Gunung" ( mountain people
). The tribes are collectively called Dayak, although this name
is not embraced by many tribes-people themselves, who prefer to
be known by separate tribal names such as Iban, Punan and Banuaq.
Guardian statues are normally placed in front of longhouses to guard
them against evil spirits who bring sickness and bad luck. Such
longhouses, however, are gradually vanishing and many that remain
have been converted into meeting halls or stages for dance and music
performances. The more isolated and customary tribes-people have
pierced earlobes, which over the years have become stretched by
the weight of heavy gold or brass rings, and beautifully elaborate
tattoos. Local jewellery and designs are intricate and powerful,
often giving messages to be passed down from generation to generation.
Travelling along the extensive Mahakam river, which has carved its
way through the jungles and flatlands constantly reshaping and nourishing
the land, is a fascinating adventure. River boats slide unobtrusively
through heavily silt laden waters where plants and animals feed
and drink along these nourishing shores, wild orchids drip off trees;
proboscis monkeys, orangutans, crocodiles, clouded leopards, crab
eating macaques, giant butterflies and the legendary hornbill all
live here. A 5,000 acre Orchid Reservation close to the village
of Kersil Luwai cultivates 27 different species of orchid including
the very rare Cologenia Pandurata or black orchid.
CENTRAL KALIMANTAN
Central Kalimantan is the biggest province of the island, it occupies
an area of 153,800 km2, most of it is jungle, swamps, rivers and
agriculture land. The Dayak who live there belong to the most traditional
of the island. The three big Dayak sub-tribes who inhabit this province
are the Ngaju, Ot Danum, and Ma'anyan. The Ngaju, like some other
sub-tribes, moves from one region to another. They stick to the
old Kaharingan religion, which is a form of ancestor worship, mixed
with elements of animism. The Ot Danum live in longhouses in pillars
(called betang), two to five metres above the ground, which sometimes
have as many as 50 rooms. With approximately 6,000 people, the Ot
Danum is the largest among the three sub-tribes. They are known
for their skill in plaiting rattan, palm leaves, and bamboo. Made
by the women, such products are sold in cities and towns such as
Banjamasin, Kualakapuas, and Sampit. Like other Dayaks, the men
are good hunters, using simple tools. The art of Central Kalimantan
clearly bears the marks of the Kaharingan religion, which is the
traditional belief of the Dayaks in the hinterland of Central Kalimantan.
Building styles, statues, carvings, and other products are related
to the cultural elements of the Hindus, Chinese, and Hindu-Javanese.
Aside from their aesthetic properties, such products are appreciated
for their magic value. The Ngaju belong to the best artists of Kalimantan,
this reputation is shown in the ceremonial objects for the dead,
like the wooden coffins, tombs, and sailboat and big statues.
WEST KALIMANTAN
Laying directly across the equator and the main gate way into the
province of West Kalimantan is the provincial capital of Pontianak.
This rapidly developing and surprisingly large city was founded
in 1771 by Syarif Abdul Rahman Al-Kadri of Saudi Arabia and is now
a busy business centre as well as home to a large university and
a giant indoor sports stadium. Canals crisscross the city and one
of Indonesia's longest rivers, the Kapuas 1,143 km long, divides
the town in two, providing an essential and historical communications
link. Like Java and Sumatra, West Kalimantan was once an important
cultural crossroads. Hinduism reached West Kalimantan by about the
year 400 and evidence of both early Hindu and Buddhist civilizations
in the region have been discovered. Stone carvings and ceramics
can be traced as far back as the 5th century, but it is the influence
of Islam that has had the most impact on this region. The advent
of Islam in West Kalimantan occurred at about the same time as the
rise of the first Islamic Kingdom in Aceh in the 15th century and
was introduced primarily from South Sumatra and North Kalimantan,
and the country of Brunei. Islam was rapidly embraced and various
kingdoms grew in strength and power particularly because of Kalimantan's
strategic importance along trade routes to China and the Philippines.
West Kalimantan covers an area of over 146.807 sq km, which is rich
in a variety of minerals and precious stones and remains largely
unexplored. Coastal areas are mainly swamp lands with more than
100 rivers sculpting the flat plains, but in the mountainous eastern
parts of the province, away from the city and plains, there are
many Dayak villages. The Dayaks have ancient traditions and beliefs
which are expressed in various forms; earlobes elongated by heavy
earrings, tattoos intricate paintings, designs and carvings and
wonderful dances of respect, heroism, welcome and cure. A large
Chinese population, Malays and other Indonesian ethnic groups account
for the rest of the inhabitants of the province.
