The socio-cultural world of Kapuas riverbank communities in Pontianak

Riverine dwelling, social infrastructure, and cultural memory

Bibliographic Data

ID17801593
AuthorsYuver Kusnoto (0009-0003-0157-8541, Universitas Muhammadiyah Metro, corresponding author), Nana Supriatna (0000-0001-8510-7592, Indonesia University of Education), Erlina Wiyanarti (0000-0002-1031-8464, Indonesia University of Education), Agus Mulyana (0009-0003-3570-1800, Indonesia University of Education), Haris Firmansyah (0000-0002-3083-5821, Tanjungpura University)
Year2026
Pages1-7
Publication date2026-05-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsian Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1683-478X • E-ISSN: 2168-4227
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1683478x.2026.2663422
OpenAlexW7160258641
LanguageEN
References cited18

This article presents an ethnographic study of Kapuas riverbank communities in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. Although the Kapuas River has long been recognized as a transportation route and the backbone of settlement, existing studies have paid insufficient attention to the internal cultural logic of riverbank communities as an integrated socio-cultural world. Using a qualitative, critical ethnographic approach, fieldwork was conducted in Tambelan Sampit and Bansir Laut through participant observation, in-depth interviews, document analysis, and field notes. The findings highlight three main points. First, the Kapuas River shapes not only settlement patterns but also ecological knowledge embedded in stilt-house architecture and river-oriented ways of life. Second, gertak (wooden walkways) and water stairs function as social infrastructure that sustains intimacy and interaction among residents rather than merely serving as physical infrastructure. Third, sampan (small river boats), meriam karbit (carbide cannons), and saprahan (communal dining) work as media of historical memory and cultural identity enacted through everyday practices. This article argues that Kapuas riverbank communities should be understood as communities that continually reproduce their socio-cultural world through a living relationship with the river, rather than as passive inhabitants of the riverside amid urban transformation.

Collective memory · Cultural memory · Social memory · Social relationship · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies

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