The socio-cultural world of Kapuas riverbank communities in Pontianak: riverine dwelling, social infrastructure, and cultural memory

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.