Exploration of Religion in Dayak Society

1. Dayak religion/Kaharingan
Dayak is “a term refers generically to the indigenous inhabitants of
Borneo (Baier 2007)” in both Indonesia and Malaysia. This powerpoint
focuses specifically on the Indonesian Dayak religion and
custom(especially the Ngaju Dayaks).

2. Dayak Kaharingan is an original Indonesian
religion/agama lokal
• In the Ngaju community they are
led by a high God named Hatalla
or Ranying Hatalla Langit who
worked with his equal in the sea
Jata.
• In Indonesia today there are still
some animist religions or agama
local held under the category
kepercayaan or belief.

3. Faith in One God and Religious Status
• To become an official religion in
Indonesia the first point is to
incorporate the first principle of
Pancasila (the five principles of the
nation).
• That is to have belief in Almighty God
which was recognised as Hatalla for
the Dayaks
• Secondly religious status is being
recognised as an organised religion
• The Dayaks fit this now by having a
sacred text, weekly rituals and other
structures similar to organised
religions(Beier 2007).

4. Separation of adat (custom) and agama
(religion)
• Originally, for the Dayaks adat and
agama were part of one complete
system (Schiller 1987) but during
the Dutch colonial period there
was a fundamental split between
the two of them as Indonesia was
run to emphasise customary law
during the Dutch period.
• This split in Dayak society has led
to a debate between Dayak
Christians, Muslims and Hindu-
Kaharingans about the state of
adat.

5. The funerary procession as an example of
negotiating adat across religions
• Schiller (1987) discusses the
importance of a second funeral
in the advancement of the souls
to heaven.
• Among Christian Ngaju Dayaks
this has been replaced by an
alternative tiwah of “cementing
the graves”. (Schiller 1987)

6. Islam and Christianity among Dayaks
• Most Dayaks converted to
Christianity and some to Islam.
• Originally the Dayaks who
converted to Islam would be
considered Malay or Banjar
Malay; now there are those
who’ve kept their Dayak identity
while being Muslims.

7. Bibliography
• Martin BAIER (2007) The Development of a New Religion in Kalimantan,
Central Borneo, Asian Anthropology, 6:1, 169-182, DOI:
10.1080/1683478X.2007.10552574
• Schiller, A 1993, ‘Small Sacrifices: Cultural Change and Cultural Identity
among the Ngaju of Indonesia’, Oxford University Press: New York, USA.
• SCHILLER, A. L. (1987). DYNAMICS OF DEATH: RITUAL, IDENTITY, AND
RELIGIOUS CHANGE AMONG THE KALIMANTAN NGAJU (BORNEO,
INDONESIA) (Order No. 8725754). Available from ProQuest Dissertations &
Theses Global. (303558516). Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/303558516?accountid=12528
• Kipp, R & Rodgers S (eds), 1987, ‘Indonesian Religions in Transition’. The
University of Arizona Press: US