Wehea Dayak Cultural Exploration

Wehea Dayak
Surrounded by forest, the Wehea Dayak communities live in five small villages in the East Kutai regency of East Kalimantan. The community is so small that some studies of Dayak ethnic groups leave them out entirely and little has been documented about their unique cultural identity. The Wehea Dayak used their traditional practices for conservation in 2004, by declaring a 38,000 hectare abandoned timber concession “protected land” under traditional law. This forest is protected by fifty local young people, called the Petkuq Mehuey, or forest guardians. Bolstered by the success of this conservation project, including receiving Indonesia’s highest environmental honor, Wehea tribal leaders are committed to leading their community in efforts to preserve their cultural and ecological traditions. At the same time, community members are seeking initiatives to bring income to the community, balancing traditions with “modern” development.

Project Summary
Working with a cultural anthropologist and building on the experiences of other indigenous communities in Indonesia, Ethical Expeditions aims to help the Wehea Dayak document their cultural and ecological heritage. This pilot ethnoecological study, beginning in April 2011, will assess potential components of a long term collaborative community project by meeting with community members to determine biocultural diversity conservation goals. Study preparations will be timed to coincide with the traditional rice harvest festival Lom Plai, an important traditional event for the Wehea Dayak. An Ethical Expeditions expert and a research partner will spend approximately one month in Wehea preparing for the pilot study. They will train a translator, introduce study components and conduct an initial census and initial ethnoecological interviews.

Keeping in line with the mission of Ethical Expeditions, a small group of approximately five to seven university students will join the team in Wehea village from mid-May through end-June 2011 to participate in the ethnoecological study. The students will put theory into practice by assisting with a community background survey, village census and ethnoecological surveys. The study will culminate in a field trip to Wehea Forest with village elders and children. The field trip’s intention is to help instill a conservation ethic within the children, by drawing on the knowledge of village elders.

Objectives
Primary Objective:
To assist the Wehea Dayak in preserving their cultural and ecological heritage.
Long-term Objectives:
1. Survey community members to ascertain who retains cultural and ecological knowledge and how it has been maintained
2. Create a database of Wehea cultural and ecological knowledge and a system for updating and retaining this information within the community
3. Work with elders to design and implement an education program aimed at sharing traditional ecological knowledge
4. Create an ethnobiological map to identify significant natural and cultural resources for the Wehea Dayak
5. Document the role of traditional language in preserving the Wehea culture

Expected Results (by the end of June, 2011)
1. Complete the community survey (first objective) and begin designing database of cultural and ecological knowledge (second objective)
2. Hold first environmental education classes connecting community youth and elders, culminating with a field trip to the forest (third objective)

Funding
Ethical Expeditions will use grant monies awarded by the Dudley T Dougherty Foundation to cover costs associated with the Wehea Dayak Cultural Exploration. Please find a budget detail included with this proposal. Ethical Expeditions is also seeking other grants and private donors for this Exploration and welcomes any portion of funds requested if the Foundation is unable to provide the full amount.