Daung Lauk Kejoa Folksong: Non-human agency, and ecological ethics of Long Gelaat People from East Kalimantan

Abstract

This study examines Daung Lauk Kejoa (DLK), a nearly forgotten folksong of the Long Gelaat/Lung Gliit Tribe in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, which faces endangerment due to the decline of native speakers and its restricted performance during the quinquennial Nemlaai ceremony. We address the oversight in contemporary ecocritical studies that often prioritize written narratives over indigenous oral traditions, thus neglecting the unique ways folksongs embody ecological ethics. Employing a qualitative communicative framework and hybrid ethnography during visits in June 2019 and June 2024, this research analyzes DLK's prosodic, thematic, and performative elements, utilizing lyrics, ceremonial texts, and interviews with tribal chiefs. The findings reveal how DLK, through repetition, rhyme, and the prominent depiction of hornbills as active agents, articulates a profound ecological consciousness. Unlike conventional narratives, the folksong actively performs environmental ethics, emphasizing human-nature interdependence and challenging anthropocentric views by foregrounding non-human agency. Furthermore, the research highlights the often-underrecognized role of indigenous women, particularly mothers, within the Nemlaai ceremony, underscoring their vital contributions to environmental sustainability and the intergenerational transmission of Indigenous ecological knowledge and practices. This research offers a novel analytical framework for indigenous folksongs, underscoring their role as living archives and ethical blueprints that resist textual staticity and colonial conservation models, thereby enriching our understanding of indigenous epistemologies and their contributions to environmental sustainability.