RELIGION AND CULTURE: LOCAL WISDOM PLANTING RICE IN THE MERATUS DAYAK COMMUNITY

Abstract

The Dayak Meratus community, located in Kabupaten Tapin, Kecamatan Piani, Desa Harakit, is a resident of the Meratus mountain range that has existed for generations. The community lives dependent on nature so that the relationships that are built are very thick. Dayak Meratus survives in various ways, one of which is planting rice. The rice they get twice a year uses rainwater to irrigate their rice fields. The process of cultivating land as a paddy field in the Meratus Dayak Community is famous for its nomadic, shifting cultivation method. After completing utilizing a certain land, they will then move again to open new land. They believe that the process will maintain soil fertility, and produce good quality rice. The Dayak Meratus community also believes in the existence of spirits that inhabit things in nature. This belief arises in religious rituals from the initial process of planting rice to harvest. They combine the traditions of local wisdom with the religion of the forefathers and do not over-exploit nature for personal gain.