Dayak elder shares environmental messages through oral tradition

Martha Haran, a 70-year-old Dayak Kayan woman from Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, performs telimaa, a traditional Kayan oral art form.

She shares messages about environmental conservation while playing the sape, a traditional Dayak plucked instrument. Known affectionately as Ine Martha, she is a penelimaa, a storyteller who recites telimaa verses. The practice preserves Kayan literature and transmits cultural values through spoken word and music. The article notes Haran’s continued energy and clear voice despite her age.