<![CDATA[This study analyzes the Bekenjong ritual within the intercultural space of migrant communities in Long Mesangat District, East Kutai, focusing on how this traditional healing practice operates as a vehicle for social integration and tolerance negotiation. Utilizing a qualitative ethnographic design, data were gathered over five months (July–November 2025) through in-depth interviews with 18 key informants (customary leaders, transmigrants, and local authorities), participatory observation of three Bekenjong ceremonies, and document analysis. The structural-functional analysis reveals that the Bekenjong ritual has transcended its primary function as a spiritual healing medium to become an inclusive sacred space where indigenous Kutai people and transmigrants (Java, Bali, NTT) interact. Social boundaries dissolve through collective physical participation in preparing ritual elements and cultural familiarity stimulated by the resonance of Kelentangan music. The novelty of this research lies in demonstrating how migrant communities actively engage in indigenous ritual spaces without converting to the local cosmological belief system. Furthermore, the ritual acts as a "safety valve" and informal conflict resolution mechanism within a heterogeneous plantation ecosystem. This study offers a conceptual framework for local wisdom-based intercultural communication to foster social cohesion in post-transmigration regions.]]>
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