Unveiling the Cultural Wonders of Mahakam River

The Sei Mahakam Festival, sponsored by French oil company Total, highlighted the artistic elements of East Kalimantan’s Dayak culture. (JG Photos/Tunggul Wirajuda)

The Dayak artisans focused on weaving their plaited arts and crafts in the same intent manner their ancestors have applied for hundreds of years.

Their practiced hands intricately wove the bamboo and rattan into wide brimmed cahung, or solar hats, baskets to hold paddy seeds, anyaman weave mats and ulap doyo cloth from the fibers of curculigo leaves. Their deft touch came from constant practice and hundreds of years’ worth of tradition, turning everyday objects into works of art. 

 “The craftsmanship on this rice paddy basket can be seen by its weaving. Up close, the weave is indistinguishable; but look at it from a distance, and you can discern distinctive shapes from its cross patterning” said Cecil Mariani, a representative of the Total Foundation who brought the artisans to Jakarta. 

“The colors used to dye each item come from natural sources. The red coloring is from the fruit of the rattan tree, while black is from charcoal. Both use beeswax as an adhesive to make the colors stick to the rattan or bamboo.”

The artisans are among the indigenous peoples of East Kalimantan who enlivened the Sei Mahakam Festival, which is held at the Bentara Budaya cultural center in Jakarta. Sponsored by  French oil giant Total, the festival highlights the subcultures and peoples of East Kalimantan’s Kutai Kertanagara district, many of whom depend on the Mahakam river for trade, travel and livelihood. 

(JG Photo/Tunggul Wirajuda)

These include the Melayu ethnic group who are part of the Kutai Kertanagara sultanate, which dates back to the fourth century AD. It includes the Dayak tribes of Kenyah or Aoheng that live inland, as well as the Bugis and Banjar ethnic groups that live on the coasts. 

In a statement, Total said the festival is shares its mission of “raising public awareness about Kutai Kartanegara’s culture to the public and its standing as an Indonesian cultural heritage that has to be preserved.” 

Cecil echoed the company’s sentiments: “The Sei Mahakam Festival is one of a number of annual events in Kutai. They are usually held to mark the agricultural calendar, such as planting the rice paddies or other crops and harvesting them.”

“[The festivals] are also opened by the chiefs, as the preeminent member of the Dayak tribes, or the kings of Kutai Kertanegara, depending on the area. So this festival is our way of sharing our traditions with the Indonesian public.”

True to its name, the Mahakam river’s bounty of fish is a major theme of the exhibition, as shown in an array of items like the rectangular hempang, a bamboo net tied with rattan that’s used to store fish, and the hinjap, or net used to store fishing gear. Others include fish traps like the bubu, which are designed to capture or trawl fish in the swamps or mangroves. 

While the other items epitomize the Dayak’s ability to make art out of everyday items, none are as eye catching as the ketinting canoe. Its bold blues and reds instantly catch the eye, as do the simple aesthetics of its lines. 

(JG Photo/Tunggul Wirajuda)

The exhibition also acknowledged the Mahakam’s darker side by showcasing the stuffed and preserved bodies of a male and female crocodile. Measuring about six and five meters respectively, the predators were shot and killed after they preyed on locals by its shores.  

The splendor of the Kutai Kartanegara sultanate rounded out the exhibition. The mythical lenbuswana, which is similar to the chimera, perhaps reflects it best. 

A fanciful figure with the body and face of a cow, the tusks and proboscis of an elephant, the wings of a bird and the spurs and claws of a rooster, the lenbuswana has been a symbol of the sultanate for hundreds of years, its gold color setting the tone for the Kutai Kartanegara part of the exhibition. 

In one corner, a gold headdress reminiscent of those worn in other ancient Indonesian kingdoms like the Majapahit or Sriwijaya sat enclosed in a glass case. In another part of the room, a baby rocker stood by a number of ritual items, giving a glimpse of how spiritual ceremonies and personal touches intertwine. 

The Sei Mahakam Festival was also enlivened by cooking demonstrations of Kutai cuisine and an array of performance arts. In addition to the more common Dayak dances, the festival showcased the Jepen dance, a traditional Kutai dance that has Melayu and Islamic influences, and the Mamanda theatrical performance by the Mamanda Panji Berseri Troupe. 

The latter, which derives its name from the Kutai language term for “uncle,” features a play called “Jangan Nodai Perjuangan Kami” or “Don’t Taint Our Struggles.” Based on a centuries old tale of a local hero who married into royalty, the play features lively banter and the ritualized yet fluid movements of silat, an Indonesian form martial arts. But whichever traditional art form visitors prefer, they were not short of choices at the Sei Mahakam Festival.

By Tunggul Wirajuda on 06:10 am Nov 18, 2014