NATURAL DYE EXPLORATION IN MALINAU WITH ASRI WELAS
Have you ever heard of Malinau?
A regency in North Kalimantan that may be unfamiliar to some of us but is rich in culture and resources. But what do Malinau, WWF, and Asri Welas have to do with each other?
In early June 2024, WWF-Indonesia in collaboration with public figure Asri Welas and Forum Musyawarah Masyarakat Adat (FOMMA) Malinau, North Kalimantan held a workshop attended by Dayak women from around the Malinau region to explore the application of using natural dyes into the responsible fashion industry.
The main reason for choosing Malinau is the custom of Dayak women there to make natural dyes from leaves, roots, tree bark, and other natural materials as color binders such as lime, alum, and clay. However, this craft is usually done only on a small scale and with limited objects such as rattan crafts and woven mats. This is very interesting because WWF believes that the provision of their local knowledge and strong mentoring, it can benefit indigenous Dayak women in benefiting from their nature.
Malinau is the district with the largest area of customary territory in Indonesia that has been recognized through 3 Bupati Decrees in 2020 on the Recognition of Customary Law Communities. Reaching more than 1 million hectares 311,456 ha of which have been included in the indicative map of customary forests at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). This achievement is the result of collaboration between WWF-Indonesia through the Leading the Change 1 program, FOMMA, the Customary Territory Registration Agency (BRWA), the District Government, and the full support of the community.