Dancing Along In a Healthy Forest

The Dayak Punan people and their forest are two inseperable parts of life. For generations, the Punan community has been dependant on the forest and it's products. Resin, gaharu (eagle wood or sandal wood), rattan and damar are used to barter for tobacco, salt, sugar, clothes and other products that cannot be found in the forest.

HOwever, their way of life is threatened by mining activities and large scale plantations approved on their native forest. The Punan community are concerned that palm oil plantations and mining will change their traditional landscpaes forever. This has occured in other parts of Indonesia.

In response of this threat, the communities have undertaken various ways to protect their forest. On of which is to cultivate eaglewood. The eaglewood cultivation effort has proven to be an inspiration for the Penan ethnic tribes in Malaysia to learn more about eaglewood cultivation because they face similiar issues as the ethnic Dayak groups in East Kalimanatan.