The government of East Kalimantan held the ‘Explore Indonesian Borneo Expo 2021’ on 15-19 March, to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the province. The event, which took place at Big Mall Samarinda, helped promote the products and services of local businesses and vendors affected by the pandemic. The expo also highlighted developments made by the provincial and regional governments, and introduced the arts and cultures of East Kalimantan’s local communities.

The BOS Foundation, in collaboration with official partner organisation Save the Orangutan (StO) and with financial support from CISU (Civilsamfund i Udvikling/Civil Society in Development), participated in the expo to introduce the art and culture of the Wehea Dayak tribe. Representatives of the Wehea Dayak tribe performed the ‘Nemdoh Nemkay Wehea’ dance during the expo’s opening ceremony, and the ‘Klang Tegai-Tebin Sah Tes’ dance at the closing ceremony. Both performances attracted the attention of expo visitors, who took photographs and videos.

During the five-day event, the Wehea Dayak community representatives and the BOSF-RHO (Orangutan Habitat Restoration) program presented and promoted Wehea Dayak culture and the work of BOSF-RHO. Traditional Wehea Dayak clothing, orangutan merchandise, and videos on traditional Wehea Dayak activities and culture were on display at the BOS Foundation booth. The BOSF-RHO program has long worked with the Wehea Dayak community to conserve and protect Bornean orangutans and their habitat around the Kehje Sewen Forest in East Kalimantan.

A talk show was also held on the third day, titled ‘The Role of Orangutan Conservation within the Framework of Sovereign East Kalimantan’. A number of speakers participated in the talk show, including Ir. Sunandar Trigunajasa N, MM, Head of BKSDA East Kalimantan; Shahar Al Haqq, S.P, M.Si, Head of KPHP (Production Forest Management Unit, a governmental agency) Kelinjau; Dr. Agus Irwanto, Program Manager of the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre; Dr. Aldrianto Priadjati, Conservation Director of RHOI; and Febri, Ambassador of the Wehea Dayak Youth Group. The event was hosted by Yovanda, a contributor of Mongabay Indonesia news platform.

As with the 2020 Kaltim Expo, visitors to the event were predominantly residents of Samarinda city, but there were also visitors from other cities and surrounding areas. The general public showed a lot of interest in Wehea Dayak culture and our booth received a consistent flow of visitors, who were invited to join daily games and quizzes. A prize drawing was held daily and winners were awarded BOS Foundation merchandise and Wehea Dayak t-shirts.

Visitors to the booth were eager to learn more about the Wehea Dayak tribe, their culture and traditions. This curiosity is exactly what we sought by participating in the expo as we hope that interest in the Wehea Dayak tribe could open up opportunities for sustainable cultural tourism in Wehea Dayak villages. This level of public interest has also given the Dayak Wehea representatives renewed confidence to continue to preserve and promote their culture. 
We are very pleased with the public’s response to the Explore Indonesian Borneo Expo 2021. It is our hope that the art and culture of the Wehea Dayak community continue to receive the recognition and appreciation they deserve!  

Text by: BOSF-RHO Community Development Team