Journal of Borneo-Kalimantan

Ethnomathematics of Betang Damang Batu: Exploration of Traditional Dayak Ngaju Housing in Tumbang Anoi, Central Kalimantan, in Geometry Materials

2024-12-02T13:54:21+08:00

Mathematics and culture are often considered unrelated, even though mathematics is an important part of culture that emerges from daily activities. This research is intended to explore the ethnomathematics of Betang Damang Batu Dayak Ngaju Tumbang Anoi Central Kalimantan towards the concept of geometry. The approach taken is qualitative with ethnography design. The subjects of this research were Betang Damang Batu itself and two interviewers. Data collection was done by collecting documents and interview results. The results of this study, Betang Damang Batu contains a variety of significant cultural values and can be used as teaching materials in learning mathematics. The concepts of geometry such as volume, surface area, distance of certain objects, length of line segments and angles in Betang Damang Batu can be applied to school math materials. Every part and history of Betang Damang Batu has a moral value. The large central space represents harmonious relations between families, despite the potential for conflict they managed to maintain peace. The ancestors of the Dayak tribe preserved the forest to obtain quality wood material, which also emphasizes the importance of environmental conservation and avoiding deforestation in order to obtain quality wood. In addition, the shape and structure of the betang has a spiritual meaning, where ancestors always started important activities with traditional ceremonies as an expression of gratitude. There are still many things or buildings in Indonesia, especially Central Kalimantan, that contain ethnomathematics and have never been discussed. It is hoped that this research can be the beginning of further ethnomathematics research.

A Brief Linguistic Outline of the Hobongan Language

2024-05-02T10:17:25+08:00

Hobongan, an Austronesian language spoken by approximately two thousands people in the Indonesian parts of Borneo, is an as yet undescribed language. This outline is a brief report on the major typological, social, discourse, sentential, morphological, and phonological structures of Hobongan. The Hobongan language is spoken by a community that is under typical pressures toward attrition: political, economic, educational, generational. Within discourse, it tends to prioritize spatial information (location, navigation) over other types of information (information about character, temporality). Hobongan is a strongly subject-verb-object language, with adjectival verbs. Morphologically, Hobongan is primarily analytic and uses exclusively prefixes to make morphological distinctions currently, and there is some evidence of other morphological processes in the language. There is some lexical flexibility in the language, but prefixes clarify lexical category for many uses of terms. Hobongan is phonologically typical of the languages spoken in that part of the world, being non-tonal, having five vowels, and using a typologically expected inventory of consonants. Allophonic nasalization is common, and vowel length is phonemic. This outline should not be considered comprehensive, and analysis of materials collected during field visits continues.

Revisiting the Bario Rice Project in 2024

2024-12-02T13:51:40+08:00

The Bario Rice Project, initiated by the Malaysian government under the National Key Economic Area (NKEA) initiative, aimed to modernize rice farming in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia, to boost agricultural productivity and improve farmers' livelihoods. The project sought to address challenges such as labour shortages, declining rice yields, and competition from misrepresented rice products, while introducing mechanized farming methods to increase efficiency. This paper provides an evaluation of the project based on field research conducted in 2017 that culminated in a brief report, and focusses on that report’s original objectives, implementation challenges, and the socio-economic implications for the local Kelabit community. Despite significant investment, including approximately RM30 million in government funding, and a joint venture with a private company, the project faced considerable obstacles. These included, critically, a lack of transparency regarding key performance indicators (KPIs) and failed engagement with the local Kelabit community. The 2017 report recorded farmers concerns over the quality of rice produced, as well as the economic viability of the new farming methods. The project's failure to achieve its ambitious goals, coupled with limited community involvement in decision-making processes, raises questions about the sustainability of such initiatives in traditional communities. The fact that there has been no detailed follow up case study of this six year project, which involved government, community and private sector interests, is further indication of a regrettable attitude of neglect that side-steps important learnings.

Meninjau Perspektif Masyarakat Kajang Tentang Pelantikan Pemimpin di Daerah Belaga, Sarawak: Antara Kebangsawanan dan Demokrasi

2024-12-24T16:54:27+08:00

Kajian ini meneroka pandangan masyarakat Kajang terhadap kaedah pelantikan pemimpin di daerah Belaga, memfokuskan kepada tiga objektif utama: kepentingan kepimpinan aristokrasi dalam budaya politik masyarakat Kajang, budaya politik masyarakat Kajang yang menyokong nilai-nilai demokrasi, dan kesan budaya politik terhadap penyertaan dalam kalangan kumpulan sosial dalam kalangan kumpulan aristokratik Maren, Paren, atau Laja, dan kumpulan bukan aristokratik. Penyelidikan ini mengetengahkan perdebatan dan ketegangan di antara kaedah kepimpinan tradisional melalui institusi Adet Maren, Paren, atau Laja dan kaedah kepimpinan berasaskan prinsip demokrasi. Timbul kebimbangan terhadap pengekalan status quo dan institusi tradisional dalam konteks demokrasi moden serta kepentingan budaya politik dalam memelihara adat warisan. Sebahagian masyarakat Kajang melihat demokrasi sebagai lebih adil dan berkesan, manakala sebahagian lagi percaya tentang kepentingan institusi tradisional untuk kesinambungan budaya dan keharmonian sosial. Dengan menggunakan reka bentuk kajian kualitatif deskriptif, kajian tertumpu kepada masyarakat Kajang di Belaga termasuk kumpulan Punan, Sekapan, Kejaman, Lahanan, Tanjung, dan Kanowit. Data pula dikumpul melalui temu bual, pemerhatian, dan analisis kajian lepas. Oleh itu, penyelidikan ini menawarkan pandangan berharga ke arah mengimbangi pemeliharaan warisan budaya dan pembaharuan demokrasi, dengan implikasi untuk pembangunan dasar dan komuniti.

Budaya Politik Berteraskan Nilai di Kalangan Masyarakat Kayan di Sungai Asap, Belaga

2024-12-24T16:58:35+08:00

Kajian ini memfokuskan kepada pengaruh agama Kristian terhadap nilai budaya dan politik dalam kalangan masyarakat Kayan di Belaga. Kajian ini melibatkan 15 orang peserta dari perkampungan Kayan. Objektif utama adalah untuk memahami bagaimana agama membentuk nilai budaya politik dalam masyarakat Kayan. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk meneroka bagaimana pengaruh agama ini nyata dalam norma dan tindakan politik mereka. Masyarakat Kayan, dengan amalan budaya yang unik dan pemeliharaan agama, menyediakan konteks yang kaya untuk memahami interaksi antara agama dan budaya politik. menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif melibatkan temu bual dan pemerhatian berstruktur. Kaedah persampelan bersasar telah digunakan bagi melibatkan kumpulan peserta yang pelbagai, termasuk pastor, maren uma, pelayan gereja, jemaah dan pemuda-pemudi. Dapatan kajian mendapati agama Kristian memainkan peranan penting dalam membentuk nilai budaya dan politik masyarakat Kayan. Ia mempengaruhi norma politik dan tindakan politik yang menggalakkan masyarakat yang harmoni dan beretika. Kajian itu menekankan kepentingan nilai agama dalam membimbing tingkah laku politik dan penglibatan masyarakat, menekankan keperluan untuk pemeliharaan agama dan budaya yang berterusan.