LOU, BAWIN DAYAK, AND CULTURAL TOURISM IN WEST KUTAI, EAST KALIMANTAN
Laksmi Kusuma Wardani, Ronald Hasudungan Irianto Sitindjak, Poppy F. Nilasari

Interior Design Department, Petra Christian University

Abstract

Lou is a traditional house of the Dayak Benuaq tribe that contains Dayak human cultural values regarding family and community life. At present, some of these houses have been abandoned by their residents and are only used for traditional ritual activities. Lou Dayak Benuaq has been designated as a cultural heritage building by the local government. In the past, lou, which was used by the women (Bawin Dayak) for domestic activities, has now changed in function to become a touristic object. For the Bawin Dayak, lou was a place of protection and security as well as a place to work. The working activities of Bawin Dayak such as making doyo woven cloth and bamboo are part of the cultural activities that are currently used as a touristic promotion media. Tourists are often brought to the lou as the first attraction, and the Bawin Dayak domestic activities are performed as an art to satisfy the visual aesthetics of the tourists are inside. This research study is a critical analysis of the changes that have taken place in the traditional house in terms of function and gender roles in cultural tourism. Lou Dayak Benuaq has become a tourist art media that places the Bawin Dayak as a tourist art service to support regional tourism. Based on the results of the analysis, it was found that the cultural artifacts of lou have undergone de-sacredness to become a pseudo-traditional art that is contained with commercial values.

Keywords: Bawin Dayak, Lou, Culture, Tourism

Topic: Social Sciences