Prevention of Calamity with the Muda'i Laman Ritual

By cleansing the village, the village community and the village area could be kept safe from both disaster and conflict.

KOMPAS/DIONISIUS REYNALDO TRIWIBOWO

Figures from Benakitan Village, in a traditional event, wanted to cut wood across as a sign of their good intentions to come to Kinipan, Lamandau Regency, Central Kalimantan, on Tuesday (6/12/2022).

"Our village is dirty. There are many disasters and conflicts, so it must be cleansed," said the head of the Laman Kinipan Indigenous Community, Effendi Buhing, during the Muda'i Laman traditional event, a ritual to cleanse the village from all disasters.

The village was dirty, as told by Buhing, not because of plastic waste or other garbage. Kotor or dirty symbolizes the calamities, conflicts and disasters that the Laman Kinipan indigenous people have faced for at least the last 10 years; to be precise, since they opposed the opening of oil palm plantations in 2012. The village was plagued by prolonged conflict, because the customary forest they own has been massively converted into oil palm plantations. In addition, for the last two years, floods have also hit the village.