Borneo Express

Ethnic People of Borneo    Bajau  |   Bidayuh  |   Iban |   Kadazandusun  |   Kayan  |   Kelabit  |   Kenyah  |   Melanau  |   Muruts  |    Orang Ulu  |   Penan  |   Rungus  |   Suluk |

Kadazandusun		The largest ethnic group in Sabah, is the Kadazandusun (or Dusun/Kadazan) which comprise about one third of the population of Sabah. They are traditionally farmers practising wet rice or hill rice cultivation with some hunting and riverine fishing. The various subgroups within the Kadazandusun group which include the Kadazan of Penampang and Papar, the Lotud, the Rungus and other subgroups from the Tempasuk, Tambunan, Ranau and other districts, share a common belief system with variations in customs and practice. This ethnic group uses the Kadazandusun language as their mother tongue. Their language belongs to the Dusunic family and shares a common animistic belief system with various customs and practices. Their ancient beliefs on the verity that everything has life - the rocks, trees, and rivers are all living things. They have souls and spirits that must be appeased from time to time through specific rituals. In these modern times, some of the rituals are less performed accept during certain festivities. Customs & Beliefs Pesta Kaamatan or Harvest Festival is a unique celebration of Kadazandusun society. It's a celebration to honour the Rice Spirit - Bambaazon or Bambarayon and giving thanks for yet another bountiful year. The festival begins on the first of May at many district levels. The rites and customs of the Pesta Kaamatan is a tribal practice of Kadazandusun and also Murut peoples. The Bobohizan or Bobolian who are the High Priests or Priestesses (depending on the district/area undertaking the preservation) will conduct the ritual. In different districts, the priests or priestesses may be addressed to differently, for instance in Tambunan district they are known as Bobolian, in Tuaran as Tantagas and in Penampang as Bobohizan. It is believed that rice in whatever form embodies Bambaazon that must be protected from harm. The homecoming of Babaazon is an integral part of the Harvest Festival. Ancient folklore tells of the ultimate deed of Kinoingan or Minamagun - The Almighty God or Creator, who sacrificed his only beloved daughter, Huminodun so that his people would have food. Various parts of her body were planted from which plants grew. During the Magavau ceremony, the Bobohizan will select some stalks of rice that are left undistributed until the harvest is over. In some districts, the chosen stalks are cut before the field is harvested and are then brought into the owner's house. The task of Bobohizan is to search and salvage the lost Bambaazon who are hurt or separated from the main mystical body. In the old days, this ceremony was often performed in freshly harvested fields during the first full moon after the harvest to invoke the rice spirit. The language used by Bobohizan is archaic whose meanings have been buried in time and known only to the few remaining Bobohizan these days. The vital aspect of Magavau is the paraphernalia used to summon Bambaazon. The sacrament of Magavau may vary according to district practices but the ceremony always ends with food offerings to Bambaazon and merry making for the village folks. The highlight of Pesta Kaamatan is the selection of the pageant queen or "Unduk Ngadau" which can be literally translated as "Zenith of the Sun". It conceptually derives from the sacrifice of Huminodun. The maiden who has the honour of being selected should bear semblance to Huminodun and will represent all that is virtuous in the revered Huminodun.
Murut		The Muruts comprise of subgroups such as Baukan, Gana', Kalabakan, Okolod, Paluan, Sulangai, Serudung, Tagal, Timugon and the Beaufort and Keningau Murut. Literally "Murut" means "hill people". They inhibit the interior and southeastern parts of Sabah and the territory straddling the Kalimantan and Sarawak borders. They are mostly shifting cultivators and hunters with some riverine fishing. Those of Murut origin speak 15 languages and 21 dialects. The language commonly used and understood by the large majority is Tanggal. Their language is also related to the Kadazandusun languages. Once feared as fearless headhunters and longhouse dwellers, the Murut these days have abandoned much of their age-old traditions especially headhunting. They are also very skilled in hunting with blowpipe. Customs & Beliefs In the by-gone era, collecting heads of enemies served a very precise function in Murut society. A man can only get married after he has presented at least one head that he has hunted to the family of the desired girl. Heads also play a very important role in spiritual beliefs. The essence of Murut tradition of feasts is distinctive. No merrymaking will end at least until sunrise and can last up to seven days later. This is especially the case with weddings or funerals. Through modernization, no more heads must be furnished for weddings but jars along with cloth, beads, gold and ivory bracelets have taken its place. All these dowry items will be proudly displayed at the ceremony. Jars or "sampa" holds a prominent status in their customs. The Murut know the age of sampa and treat them will due respect. Jars are also a place of spirits. Beads play an integral role in Murut life. Wedding beads must be presented in the form of belts, necklaces, headgear and decoration. The wedding ceremony must be held in the bride's longhouse, tapai or rice wine must be served and all the meat has to be pickled. The Murut keep the bodies of their deceased in a jar and place them in colourful and elaborately decorated grave-huts along with the deceased's belongings. The body will be placed in the foetal position inside the jar and a gong will be placed over the mouth of the jar to close it. However this custom of burial is becoming rare with the availability of wooden coffins.
Rungus		The Rungus living in the Kudat district are known to have maintained their ancient traditions to this day. Even the traditional ladies costume has not many changes made to it. Some of the women still wear costumes made from cloth processed form hand-grown and hand-spun cotton. The design of the Rungus costume is simple. A black cloth with little hand-stitched patterns worn from the chest to the waist becomes the blouse (banat tondu) and the skirt is a knee-length sarong (tapi rinugading) of the same material. Another length of black cloth, about 28-30 cms. Wide is slipped over the head and it rests on the shoulders draped over the arms like sleeves. What makes this outfit very interesting is the belts and necklaces that go with it. Little brass rings and antique beads looped through thin strands of stripped bark (togung) becomes a wide and colourful hipband called orot. To wear this, the orot is slowly and carefully coiled around the hip. Then a last string of beads (lobokon) is hung loosely from the coil. The orot is hand made by the Rungus men as the technique is known only to them. The Rungus are also well-known for their beadwork and the costume shows off some of their finest. Two shoulders bands (pinakol), about 6 to 8 cms wide are aworn diagonally over each shoulder and cross over in front. The bead-work often tell a story and this one in particular tells of a man going spear-hunting for a riverine creature. Usually the pattern must follow ancient designs when worn with this costume. Long antique bed necklace (sandang) are also worn diagonally over the shoulders. These necklaces often include ivory-white discs, obtained from the shell of the kima (tridachna gigas) as well as animal bones. Several necklaces of reddish-brown glass beads and the chocker-like suldau with the white kima as the centre-piece further adorn this costume. The large burambun and the smaller giring are antique brass bells that sound with the slightest movement. The Rungus lady's hair is combed into a bun and a multi-coloured floral head-piece (titimbok) is worn. A thin band of beads strung together (sisingal) is tied around the forehead and then pieces of cloth sewn together in rows to form colorful pigtails (rampai) are tided at the nape. This costume, with all the beads and belts, is worn during festivals. Rungus ritual specialist also wear the complete outfit when conducting rituals.
Bajau		The Bajau have settled on Sabah's coasts for several hundred years and have been classified as part of the indigenous population. On the west coast, they are farmers as well as fishermen, and are well known for their expert horsemanship. On the east coast, they are traditionally fishermen. The Kota Belud Bajau Horseman are the famous Cowboys of the East. During special occasions, the Bajau Horseman wears a black, sometimes white, long-sleeved shirt called badu sampit. Smart, gold buttons betawi run down the front opening and the shirt is also decorated with silver flowers called intiras. The trousers are more tight-fitting than the bajau bridegroom's seluar sama. The horseman's seluar sampit is black, and both the shirt and trousers have gold lace trimmings sewn on. He also wears a headpiece podong similar to the Bajau bridegroom's. The Bajau horseman wears a silver-hilted dagger karis at his side. The sheath is made of wood and silver. He also carries a spear bujak and a shipping crop pasut. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Bajau horseman is his horse, or rather pony. It has its own costume and is more gaily dressed than the rider. The ourfit kain kuda almost completely covers the pony except for holes for the eyes and nose. This cloth is tied around the pony's legs to keep it in place. The saddle sila-sila is not like the cowboy saddles of the West but rather a smaller piece of buffalo hide so shaped to fit the pony's back. A thick piece of cloth lapik is placed under the sila-sila. Antique brass bells seriau, colourful reins tingalu and bridle kakang all make for a very festive pony costume. In all their finery, both ride and pony become quite an attraction.
Other indigenous of Sabah		The Suluks. The Suluk, also known as Tao Sug, originated from the island of Sulu in the Philippines. The Tao Sug people are the eleventh largest Filipino ethnic group. The term tao sug means 'people of the current', referring to their homelands in the Sulu Archipelago. Tau Sugs are called Suluk in Sabah, Malaysia.
Iban		The largest ethnic group in Sarawak, the Iban makes up about 30% of the population. In the past, the Iban were infamous as headhunters and fierce warriors. The Ibans have been known to be pirates and as such, they are often referred to as the Sea Dayaks. The Ibans traditional settlements are located in the river valleys of Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, and the Rajang River. The Ibans are well known for their intricately-built longhouses normally located near a river, which are made up of a longhouse that are compartmentalised into individual units. These longhouses may have anywhere between six to nearly a hundred units! Longhouses located in newly opened areas are typically made of bamboo and tree bark, but more established and prosperous longhouses can be made of precious and long-lasting hardwoods. Primarily a communal group, the Ibans community practices their own brand of democracy, with the elders having an important role in major decisions. The decisions affect the entire community and a tuai or headman who is appointed by the entire community heads each longhouse. Today, the Ibans are known to be a hospitable and friendly people. Nowadays many Ibans grow cash crops such as pepper, rubber, cocoa and oil palm, as well as hill rice. Many others live in Sarawak's town and cities, but maintain strong ties to their ancestral longhouses.
Bidayuh		The Bidayuh (formerly known as Land Dayak) is one of the main indigenous ethnic groups now settled in areas of southwest Sarawak and the adjacent areas of west Kalimantan. In Sarawak, most of the Bidayuh population are found within 40 km of the geographical area known as Greater Kuching, within the Kuching and Samarahan division. Today more and more Bidayuh have migrated, and live in Kuching, which is the capital city of Sarawak. Predominantly Bidayuh areas are: Lundu, Bau, Penrissen, Padawan, and Serian. Most of the Bidayuh villages can be found in the rural areas of Lundu, Bau, Padawan, Penrissen and Serian district. The area in which they live is mainly in the basin of the Sarawak River and hilly to mountainous forest, traditionally worked by shifting agriculture and hunting based around farms populated from parent villages situated on the hills for protection. Today, almost all the traditional longhouse-villages have been replaced by individual houses, by roads and there is some plantation agriculture and a reduced emphasis on the growing of hill-padi. Fruit trees, especially durian, remain important property markers. The distinctive architectural and cultural feature of the Bidayuh was the headhouse, now adapted as a symbol.
Melanau		Considered to be the original settlers in Sarawak, Melanau settled mainly around the coast and rivers. They are traditionally fishermen and sago growers but today play a substantial role in business and government. Their lifestyle is influenced by Malays, yet still retains its distinct culture. They are famous for their exquisite wooden "sickness figures" used in traditional healing rituals. Every year, a kaul festival is celebrated at Mukah beach to bless the fishing season. Although the Melanaus speak their own dialect, the language is not too far different from that spoken by the Sarawakian Malays. The Melanau people are well known for their massive longhouses, some of which can reach up to 40 feet high. These diverse people, related by their use of dialects of the same language group. Majority of them are Muslims but some are Christian or practice their traditional religion. The Melanaus used to practice a custom of flattening the head by applying a wooden device to the forehead of infants.
Orang Ulu		Literally 'upriver people', Orang Ulu is the name collectively refers to all the people of the interior regions of Sarawak, a total of 21 groups. The main groups are the Kayans, Kenyahs and Kelabits. Others include the Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, Penan, Lun Bawang, Lun Dayeh, Murut, Berawan, Bisaya, Sekapan, Lahanan, Ukit and Sihan. Orang Ulus are the most artistic people and gifted musicians, they are famous for their highly ornamented wood carving and the haunting melody of the mandolin-like sape.
Kayan		The Kayan tribe, who build their longhouses in the northern interiors of Sarawak midway on the Baram River, the upper Rejang River and the lower Tubau River, were traditionally headhunters and fine artists. They are well known for their boat-making skills, which they carve from a single block of belian, the strongest of the tropical hardwoods. The Kayan women are also skillful in beadwork. A close neighbour of the Kayans is the Kenyah tribe who live in Long San, along the Baram River. See The Kenyah-Kayan Tradition
Kenyah		The Kenyah culture is similar to that of their neighbours, the Kayans, and both tribes are believed to have come from the Kayan River valley in eastern Borneo. The Kenyah and Kayans are primarily farmers, cultivating rice in cleared forest areas. Typically, a Kenyah village is made of just a single longhouse. A common aspect of the Kayan and Kenyah tribes is the singing the parap, a folklore song relating expressions of love, happiness, loneliness and anger while singing praises for the beauty of nature and all living things.
Kelabit		Residents of the mysterious, cloud-covered highlands of Sarawak are the Kelabits. Making their home in Bario, the Kelabits is a tight-knit community that practices the traditional form of agriculture. Mainly rice farmers; the Bario Highland rice is a famous product of the Kelabits. In recent years, the Kelabits have also cultivated various temperate-climate fruits including apples and grapes. The Kelabits are predominantly Christians and they celebrate Christmas day.
Penan		Penan numbered around 10,000. Penans are a distinct sub-group of Orang Ulu. They are traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers, inhabiting the deep jungles of central and northern Sarawak, roaming the forest with their blowpipes and hunting dogs in search of wild sago, their staple diet. Penans produced superb rattan mats and baskets and best blowpipes in Sarawak. Their knowledge of plant life, animal behaviour and jungle survival is second to none. Of the entire Penan population, about 400 of them are nomadic. 65,700 hectares of primary forests have been specially set aside for them so that they can continue to follow their nomadic lifestyles. This includes the Gunung Mulu National Park (52,900 ha), Sungai Magoh (5,600 ha), Ulu Sungai Tutoh (2,200 ha) and Sungai Adang (5,000 ha). For Penans who have settled in longhouses, but wish to pursue their traditions, the government has set aside Melana Protected Forest (22,000 ha) and an area in Ulu Seridan (1,400 ha). The places listed are not the only places where the Penans can practice their traditional way of life for they could also do so in the existing forest areas where they live as provided by Section 65 of the State Forest ordinance.

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