Bidayuh is the collective name for several indigenous groups found in southern Sarawak, Malaysia and northern West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on the island of Borneo, which are broadly similar in language and culture (see also issues below). The name Bidayuh means 'inhabitants of land'. Originally from the western part of Borneo, the collective name Land Dayak was first used during the period of Rajah James Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak. At times, they were also lesser referred to as Klemantan people.
Settlement areas
Predominantly Bidayuh areas in Sarawak are in the suburban areas of the state capital city of Kuching (Penrissen as well as Padawan areas), Lundu, Siburan, Bau and Serian. Most Bidayuh villages can be found in the rural areas of Padawan, Lundu, Penrissen, Bau and Serian. The area continues up to the adjacent West Kalimantan border, where they reside in Kembayan, Noyan, Sekayam, and Jangkang district in Sanggau Regency. The area in which they live is mainly in the basin of the
Sarawak River and hilly to a mountainous forest, traditionally worked by rotational 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longhouse villages have been replaced by individual houses, by roads and there are some plantation agriculture and a reduced emphasis on the growing of hill padi.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 is the head-house, now adopted as a symbol.
Languages
There are approximately 25 dialects of Bidayuh (Land Dayak) spoken in Sarawak, Malaysia, which can be grouped into four clusters of dialects: Eastern, Central, Highland, and Western.
In Sarawak, there are generally said to be three main linguistic groupings (
Biatah language,
Jagoi language, and Bukar–Sadong), but these can be broken down even beyond the list referenced below as most people can be distinguished by locals down to village level through smaller differences in vocabulary and intonation.
Each area speaks its own dialect:
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Lundu speaks Jagoi language, Selako language and Lara language.
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Bratak, Singai, Krokong, and Jagoi speak Jagoi language.
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Penrissen speaks Bisitang while people in Kampung Bunuk speak Bunuk (Segu-Benuk).
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Siburan vicinity speaks Biatah language.
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Bidayuhs who live around Serian such as Tebakang, Mongkos, Tebedu to Tanjung Amo near the border of Kalimantan, Indonesia speak Sadong(Similar To Bukar but different dialects and accent).
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Bidayuhs who live around Serian such as Baki, Baru, Taee, and Tarat speaks the Bukar language.
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Bidayuhs in Padawan speak several but related dialects like Bi-Annah, Pinyawa, Braang, Bia', Bisepug, and Emperoh/Bipuruh.
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Bidayuh Moden speaks mixed languages, mixed languages between Padawan and Jagoi language (Semeba, Tematu, Bumbok, and Sudad).
The dialects are not mutually intelligible and Malaysian English or Malay are often used as commonly spoken languages within the community.
Linguistic issues
The Serian Bidayuhs have a distinct dialect known as
Bukar–Sadong, which is not intelligible to Bidayuhs from other Districts. Here are some examples of the differences in the various dialects spoken in Serian, with their English and Malay equivalents. Also included are two Philippine languages, Kapampangan and
Tagalog language:
|
| Father | Bapa | Amang | Sama | Sama | Sama' | Sama' | Apak, Bapak | Ibpâ, (Bapa – Uncle) | Amang, Ama |
| Mother | Ibu | Andĕ/ayang/a'nek
| Sino | Sendo | Sin(d)ū' | Sin(d)o | Inuk, Indok, Umak, | Indû | Inang, Ina |
| Food | makanan | pima-an | pinguman | pimaan | Pinguman | Pinguman | Pamakanan | Pamangan | Pagkain |
| Rice | nasi | songkoi/sungkoi | tubi | tubi | Tubi' | Tubi | nasik | nasi | kanin |
| I | aku | aku | oku | Ěku | Aku' | Ěku | aku | aku/I-aku | ako |
| You/thee | kamu/anda/engkau/kau | amu/akam | mu-u/ingan | ku-u/kaam | Ku'u/Ka'am(ng)/Angan | (K)u'u/ ka'am | kau | ika (sing.)/ikayu (pl.) | ikaw |
Religion and beliefs
Bidayuhs are traditionally
animism or pagans, and vestiges of these beliefs remain.
The
White Rajahs era saw the arrival of
Christians missionaries from 1848, bringing education and modern medicine, while a similar process also took place in Dutch Borneo on the Dutch controlled side. The great majority of Bidayuh are now Christians,
majority of them being Roman Catholic. Almost 70% of the people of Bidayuh have changed their traditional name to English name since they converted to Christianity and many young indigenous Bidayuh in Sarawak do not practice their traditional ceremonies anymore, weakening their culture as indigenous peoples of Sarawak. The Bidayuh people are the closest relative of the Melanau people and are said to have the same ancestor before splitting into different tribes. The original Bidayuhs are mainly pagans or animists, however 50% already converted to Christianity. They have big festivals like
Gawai Dayak, which is a celebration to please the padi spirit for a good harvest.
Most Bidayuh villages have either a Roman Catholic or Anglican church, or a mosque. The Biatah people, who live in the Kuching area (Padawan/Lundu), are mostly Anglican with Catholic minorities. Meanwhile, the people who live in Bau or Serian are mostly Catholic. Catholicism was first introduced to people in Kampung Taee by the Mill Hill Missionaries in the early 1920s.
Some renowned churches were also being established in some villages such as SIB (Sidang Injil Borneo) also known as the Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) church, Baptist as well as other denominations like Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA), Assemblies of God, Methodist, Latter Rain, etc.
The Bidayuh of Bukar had a unique tradition of hanging the bodies of the dead on trees and leaving them to rot away. The skeletons are left on trees as a reminder of the dead. The tradition is rarely practiced nowadays.
The Bidayuh or Klemantan celebrate Gawai Padi (Paddy Festival)
The Nyobeng/Nyobong was an ancient headhunting ritual that was performed to show gratitude for peace and good harvests.[ Nyobeng dayak kull bathing ritual] The ritual involved bathing or cleaning the skulls of sacrificed humans.
Salako and Lara people
Although classified as "Bidayuh" by the Malaysian government, the Salako and Lara culture have little resemblance to other Bidayuh groups and their oral tradition claims different descent and migration histories. Linguistically, the Salako belong to another language family tree which is of the Malayic Dayak family (the same family as the
Iban people).
The Lara, although said to be more related to the Bidayuh (Jagoi-Singai), speak a language almost not mutually intelligible at all with the Bidayuh but belonged to the same language family tree which is the
Land Dayak.
Even their customary rituals and rites differ from the other Bidayuhs (all Bidayuhs share almost the same ritual and customary rites).
Culture
Musical heritage
The Bidayuh have a musical heritage consisting of various types of agung ensembles - ensembles composed of large hanging, suspended or held, bossed/knobbed
which act as a drone without any accompanying melodic instrument.
They also use a bamboo
idiochord tube zither called
pratuokng.
Traditional dance
Traditional cuisine
Several traditional Bidayuh dishes are:
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Kasam Dihan goreng, fried fermented durian with pork and Cymbopogon condiment
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Rotung, sago cooked in bamboo
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Kubar, sweet sago pancakes
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Linut, sticky sago paste
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Assam, chicken and tapioca leaves cooked and served in a bamboo stalk
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Tobah / Kasam Pengak, preserved wild animal meat or pork, and fish
Standard of Living
According to Professor Dr Peter Songan (graduate from Cornell University, in Year 2004 the Bidayuh Graduate community by category of qualificationA majority of the graduates holds a diploma degree (45.1%), followed by bachelor (44.2%), masters (5.2%), Ph.D. (0.9%) and others (4.7%).
Table 2. Distribution of Graduates by Degree Frequency Percent
Diploma 743 holders 45.06%
Bachelor 729 holders 44.21%
Masters 85 holders 5.16%
Ph.D. 15 holders 0.91%
Others 77 holders 4.67%
Total 1649 holders 100.00%
Notable Bidayuhs
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Cornelis, former governor of West Kalimantan.
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Anding Indrawani Zaini, an Akademi Fantasia star, model, actor and singer. He is of mixed Melanau people-Bidayuh parentage.
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Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, national powerlifter who won Malaysia's first ever gold medal in the sport in the men's 72 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, breaking the Paralympic record in the process.
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Bryan Nickson Lomas, former Malaysian national diving athlete. He was the youngest Malaysian athlete to qualify for 2004 Summer Olympics when he was 14.
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Dewi Liana Seriestha, Miss World 2014 Top 25 and Miss Talent for Miss World Beauty Pageant. She is of mixed Bidayuh-Indonesian parentage.
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James Dawos Mamit, former Malaysian cabinet deputy minister.
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Made Katib, former Anglican bishop of the Diocese of Kuching.
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Malcolm Sim Mejin, author of contemporary adult novels and children's books. She is of mixed Bidayuh-Malaysian Chinese parentage.
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Michael Manyin Jawong, former Sarawak cabinet minister.
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Pandelela Rinong, Malaysian national diving athlete.
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Richard Riot Jaem, first ethnic Bidayuh to be appointed as a minister in the Malaysian cabinet.
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Tony Eusoff, actor and model.
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Venice Elphi, Malaysian football player, played for ATM FA.
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Willie Mongin, former Malaysian cabinet deputy minister.
Notations
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Baruk Dayak
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Patrick Rigep Nuek (2002). The Dayak Bidayuh Community: Rituals, Ceremonies, and Festivals.
External links
