Dayak Benawan Indigenous Futures: Tropical Rainforest Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia

This article examines the cosmology of the Indigenous Dayak Benawan people in the tropical rainforests of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, as an alternative framework for negotiating the future. Through an Indigenous ethnographic approach, this research examines how Dayak Benawan cosmological knowledge, deeply rooted in a spiritual connection with nature, serves as a guiding system for navigating social and ecological changes. Rapid development has significantly transformed our way of life, traditions, and ecological landscape. For the Dayak Benawan community, the forest is not merely a source of material sustenance but a spiritual entity that must be respected and protected. This study specifically investigates the local knowledge embedded in Dayak Benawan rituals, which carry symbolic meanings related to maintaining cosmic balance. These practices reflect the community’s efforts to sustain harmony between humans, nature, and ancestral spirits while functioning as a mechanism for ecological sustainability and development (SDGs), and futurity.