This study examines the psychosocial resilience narratives of the Indigenous Kajang tribe as a collective response to the hegemony of modernization. Using a multi-layered phenomenological approach, data were gathered through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and literature review. The findings reveal that resilience is rooted in collective knowledge of the first Ammatoa, who foresaw modernization’s impact. Resilience manifests across three interwoven layers: personal (inner meaning-making and inner state), spiritual (belief in the sacredness of ancestral land), and communal (shared identity and values grounded in the Tallasa Kamase-Masea philosophy). The integration of these three layers serves as a reflective element that strengthens the Kajang tribe’s awareness and efforts to preserve their cultural heritage by decelerating value shifts amid the pressures of modernization.

Muhammad Rafli Anugrah is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) as a recipient of the Beasiswa Unggulan awarded by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of the Republic of Indonesia. His research interests lie at the intersection of Indigenous Psychology and Clinical Psychology, with a particular focus on mental health, lived experiences of suffering, and psychosocial processes within indigenous communities. He is actively engaged in multiple research projects and manuscript preparations addressing indigenous communities, clinical psychology, and mental health research. To date, one of his manuscripts has been accepted for publication in a nationally accredited journal indexed in SINTA 2, while six additional manuscripts are currently under peer review.