Dayak Tribe in East Kalimantan

Dayak is a name of tribes that identifies the various indigenous peoples on the island of Borneo by the Indonesian part known as Kalimantan. They are divided into about 450 ethno-linguistic groups, like Belian, Kenyah, Benuaq, Sengai, Tunjung, Putuk,Bahau, and so on. Despite some differences, these group share physical features, architecture, language, an oral tradition, customs, social structure, weapons, agricultural technology and a similar outlook on life. They live with fishing, huntering, or make handicrafts. But not all do that, some dayaks go to cities or towns to work as like a city people.

Dayak’s Daily Living

Dayak live in a longhouse, a house that can take in more than one family. Every night, before going to bed, the children relaxes in the soah (open area) to listen their parents tell stories. Meanwhile, at noon they help their parents fishing, hunting, or farming. Most of Dayak people is a great hunters. They catch animals with trap or kill it with poison arrow and spear.

Dayak’s Handicraft

Dayak was a great art-worker. Their weaving product is among the best in Indonesia, also their Mandau sword. and their famed for their beadwork. Another handicraft of Dayak is carved furniture, sometimes they insert their legends or myth on the object. The art of the Dayak had a strong ritual meaning. An artist which carved a dragon out of wood, created a place for the dragon spirit which he made real, while he placed himself under protection of the most mighty protectional spirit: the goddess of the dragon or water snake.

The Kenyah Dayak Tribe

One of many groups of Dayak is Kenyah.The Kenyah form a kind of heterogene population from a diverse background. They speak different languages. Some originally were forest nomads, which settled in Apokayan, where they slowly overruled the Kayan. Later on, many of them followed the trails of the Kayan by moving to Sarawak and the Mahakam beaken. Just like the Kayan they grew rice and their society was built up from layers. Their villages usually have more than one longhouse and over 2000 residents. The Kenyah are famous because of their remarkable, colorfull woodcarvings and costumes and their music and dances.