Forging resilience: Sustaining traditional blacksmithing in the Barito watershed, Central Kalimantan

Abstract

The creation of iron tools emerged in response to human needs for cultivating agricultural land and making weapons. Iron-making sites along the upper Barito River in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, indicate iron manufacturing from the 16th to the late 19th century. The historic iron industry, while still existing through blacksmithing, has markedly diminished in both quantity and quality. This study seeks to examine the determinants affecting the sustainability of blacksmithing and to develop suitable conservation solutions. Data were gathered by observation and interviews, and thereafter analysed descriptively with SWOT analysis. The results demonstrate that the accessibility of tools, the blacksmiths' commitment to preserving the heritage, and the farmers' position as consumers are essential elements in the continuation of blacksmithing traditions. Robust documentation and preservation techniques are crucial to guarantee the continuity of this endangered cultural legacy. Such initiatives must incorporate indigenous agricultural knowledge in marshy regions where farmers till the soil using tajaks crafted by local blacksmiths. The tajak, a farming implement utilised in wetlands, has become an essential component of the Dayak people's identity in Kalimantan.