Exploring Indigenous Knowledge Through Virtual Reality: A Co-Design Approach with the Penan Community of Long Lamai

This study aims to explore the design process of a virtual reality (VR) application to preserve indigenous knowledge (IK). Leveraging the community's preference for visual means of communication, a VR application was designed. The process involved working with the local Penan community in the forests of Borneo to co-design a VR application for a traditional hunting game called Nelikit and the mythological origin story associated with the game. Our methodology ensures that the application accurately represents the traditional game by community-led ownership of the design process and the final result. The findings of this study confirms that the use of VR can be an effective tool for cultural preservation and education, and that collaboration with the local indigenous community and designers is essential in the design process. Future research will further investigate the development, deployment and testing of the VR application.