Ethno-Curriculum as a Vehicle for Preserving Cultural Identity in the 21st Century

Abstract

The rapid global changes in the 21st century have brought serious challenges to the sustainability of local cultural identities. The modernization of education tends to standardize curricula, 
thereby displacing local values, knowledge, and practices that form the foundation of community life. This article examines the concept of the Ethno-Curriculum as a means of preserving cultural identity through the integration of indigenous knowledge and ethnopedagogy in the design and implementation of the curriculum. This research was conducted in the multicultural Dalaynese community (Dayak, Malay, Chinese) at school level using a qualitative literacy-exploration approach. The qualitative literacy 
approach was used for conceptual-critical purposes by reviewing recent literature on curriculum studies, ethnopedagogy, and cultural sustainability. Exploratory data were collected through participant observation and in-depth interviews. Both approaches position local culture as a source of learning, values, and meaning in the formal education process of schools. Analysis shows that the ethno curriculum not only functions as a context-based educational instrument but also as a strategy for 
decolonizing knowledge that strengthens students' identities. In the multicultural context of Indonesia, the development of the ethno-curriculum can serve as a means of revitalizing, among others, Dalaynese local values at the practical level of education. The findings of this study emphasize that the preservation of cultural identity in the 21st century must be carried out through a transformation of the curriculum paradigm from merely transferring knowledge to imparting local values and wisdom. Thus, the ethnocurriculum plays an important role in building education that is rooted in culture while remaining adaptive 
to global challenges.