SUNGAI BARITO DALAM PERSEBARAN SUKU DAYAK DI KALIMANTAN BAGIAN TENGGARA

Abstract

Sungai Barito merupakan sungai besar yang berhulu di Pegunungan Schwaner Muller di bagian utara Kalimantan Tengah dan bermuara di Banjarmasin menuju Laut Jawa. Sebagai sungai terlebar di Indonesia, Barito terkenal sejak ratusan tahun silam hingga kini. Berbagai mitos dan legenda tercipta di sekitar aliran sungai ini. Situs-situs kuno tersebar dari hilir hingga hulu sungai, seperti situs Kerajaan Banjar di Banjarmasin, situs Patih Muhur di Batola, dan permukiman suku Dayak di bagian tengah hingga hulu Sungai Barito. Artikel ini akan membahas tentang keberadaan Sungai Barito (dan anak sungainya) kaitannya dengan persebaran suku Dayak di Kalimantan bagian tenggara. Tujuan dari tulisan ini adalah mengetahui persebaran suku Dayak berdasar persebaran data arkeologi, sejarah, dan tradisi di sepanjang Sungai Barito dan anak-anak sungainya di bagian tenggara Kalimantan. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif dengan penalaran induktif. Data diperoleh dari berbagai sumber terutama hasil penelitian Balai Arkeologi Kalimantan Selatan dan studi pustaka. Keberadaan sungai berpengaruh pada konsep religi dan bentuk pola hunian. Dalam konsep religi, Sungai Barito sering disebut dalam mantrabalian sebagai tempat tinggal pidara. Dari hasil analisis pemanfaatan ruang dan persebaran hunian diketahui pola hunian yang cenderung mengelompok tidak jauh dari sungai, meskipun ada juga yang memanjang di tepi sungai. Persebaran suku Dayak di Kalimantan bagian tenggara dimungkinkan melalui Sungai Barito dan anak-anak sungainya, seperti Sungai Negara dan Martapura.

Barito River is a large river which disembogues at Schwaner Muller Mountains in the northern part of Central Kalimantan, and empties in Banjarmasin towards Java Sea. As the widest river in Indonesia, Barito is famous since hundreds of years ago to the present. Various myths and legends had been created around this river. The ancient sites
scattered from downstream to upstream, such as Banjar Kingdom in Banjarmasin, Patih Muhur in Batola, and settlement of Dayak tribe along the middle to upper Barito River. This article discusses about the existence of Barito River (and its tributaries) and its connection with the Dayak dispersal in southeastern part of Kalimantan. The purpose of this paper is to determine the distribution of the Dayak based on archaeological data distribution, historical data, and tradition along the Barito River and its tributaries in the southeastern part of Kalimantan. The method used is descriptive with inductive reasoning. Data obtained from various sources specially from Balai Arkeologi Kalimantan Selatan research reports, and literature study. The river existence has affected of religion concept and occupancy patterns. In the religion concept, the Barito River often called in the balian spell as a residence of pidara. The results of spatial analysis and settlement spread is that patterns of occupancy is near the river as a cluster, although there is also linear pattern along the riverbank. The
dispersal of Dayak in the southeastern part of Kalimantan is possible through of the Barito River and its tributaries, such as the Negara River and Martapura River.