Dayak Indigenous Peoples in Kalumpang, Central Kalimantan Push Back Through Community-led Research and Solidarity
by Carlo Manalansan
“There is no clear mechanism for community members to take part in discussions or decision-making processes. We are often left out of conversations that directly affect our lives as Indigenous Peoples.”
In Kalumpang Village, located in the Mantangai Subdistrict of Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan, the Dayak Indigenous community is once again grappling with the impacts of a large-scale development under Indonesia’s national strategic project. Branded as a national effort to boost food security, the Cetak Sawah Rakyat (CSR) is the latest reincarnation of the failed Peatland Development Project (PLG) from the 1990s.
Launched in 1995, the PLG aimed to convert one million hectares of peat swamp forest in Central Kalimantan into rice paddies to fulfill the nation’s food security. However, the project ultimately failed, leading to abandoned degraded peatlands prone to annual wildfires. To date, this circumstance is still impacting the lives of Dayak Indigenous communities residing in the area, disrupting the community’s food sovereignty.
While the government promoted CSR as a solution to the country’s food needs, the reality on the ground tells a different story. For many Dayak families, the CSR project will bring new layers of challenges, potentially affecting customary agricultural practices, land rights, traditional livelihood, and Indigenous socio-cultural cohesion.
Building knowledge from the ground up
Faced with these growing threats against Indigenous communities, twenty-three participants, 14 community members and 9 volunteers, took part in a four-day training on community-led research on January 22–25, 2025. In total, fourteen participants were women — the majority of which is youth — and nine men. This community gathering, supported by WALHI Central Kalimantan and IAP, aimed to strengthen the capacity of Dayak communities by equipping them with skills, tools, and confidence for community-led research, assessing the potential impacts of CSR on the food systems and environment, and mobilizing collective action to advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination and self-determined development.
Held in the Kalumpang Village Hall, the training was designed not just to teach basic research tools, but to cultivate awareness and collective reflection. Through participatory activities and storytelling, community members explored their shared experiences in relation to community farming and traditional seeds, potential impacts of CSR on their land rights and livelihood, and their aspirations as Indigenous Dayak people.
In this training, participants learned how to develop their own research agendas, form research teams, choose relevant topics, draft and implement community-led survey, and identify respondents. On the last day, the participants formed four research teams and prepared to conduct fieldwork in their own village.
Findings at a glance
From February 18 to 21, the members of the research teams carried out their data collection through the survey tool. But before going into the field, they conducted interview simulations to ensure clarity and accessibility of questions. These practice runs were especially important given the varying knowledge among both research team members and respondents.
The research team surveyed a total of 100 respondents — 52 women and 48 men — most of whom had direct and indirect experience with CSR project, food estate program, and the earlier Peatland Development Project (PLG). While the research teams encountered some challenges during data collection, including a few community members who were hesitant or declined to participate, the overall experience was positive and impactful. According to one of the respondents, having community members lead the survey interviews made them feel more at ease, resulting in a more open and honest process.
“We had to train our patience to truly understand the lives of our respondents. We could not force them to answer our questions. I realized that many of them did not even know about the development project happening in the village. Through this process, I learned how to gather information and collect data. In fact, at the beginning, I did not know much about the CSR project myself,” shared by one of the research team members
After completing the surveys, the research team organized the data using Excel and created visuals such as charts and tables to highlight key patterns. Last May 22–24, 2025, the research team convened a community gathering to facilitate collective data analysis. One of the most striking findings pointed out by villagers was the community’s limited knowledge about the CSR project, particularly regarding the companies and funders involved. The research team attributed this gap to the lack or absence of meaningful community engagement and consultation. There had been no genuine efforts to inform and involve the community, undermining the rights of Indigenous Peoples to free, prior, and informed consent. Even in the few informal discussions held by village officials, no clear information was provided about the potential benefits and risks of the project, nor its implications on the land rights of Indigenous Dayak people. Information about the project, if available at all, was mostly limited to village officials, landowners, and certain groups in the community.
According to one research team member, data collection and analysis were not just technical, but rather transformative. For many participants, seeing the data they had gathered presented as graphs and tables was empowering because it validated their lived experiences and sharpened their understanding of the structural nature and challenges presented by CSR.
From uncertainty to realizing collective strength
The process of community-led research in Kalumpang has become more than a project. It is an act of resistance, a reclaiming of voice and agency in the face of government-led development programs that rarely consult those most affected. It has fostered a stronger sense of solidarity among residents, inspired confidence in local leadership, and laid the groundwork for further advocacy. Equipped with evidence and strengthened by collective action, Kalumpang’s Dayak community is now better prepared to engage in dialogues with authorities, assert their rights to land and resources, and promote a development path that respects their identity while sustaining their environment.
“I never imagined that, as one community, we could come together to openly discuss CSR and other issues in the village. I am grateful we had this opportunity to talk. This process and space helped us understand each other and reflect on our collective aspirations as Dayak people,” expressed by one of the villagers.
As the Indonesian government continues to push CSR and other agricultural megaprojects in the name of national interest, Kalumpang’s experience reminds us that genuine development must start from the ground up. When communities lead the research and development, they also begin to shape their own and sustainable future.
