James Brooke’s role in the Battle of Marudu Bay 1845

Culture

by Patricia Hului - March 26, 2020March 27, 2020

“The Battle of Marudu Bay sees James Brooke enlisting the help of the British Royal Navy in Singapore to defeat Sherif Osman, a pirate leader from North Borneo, effectively ending his piracy,” this is

Remembering an old Iban ceremony called ‘Gawai padi datai’

Culture

by Patricia Hului - March 16, 2020March 16, 2020

The Iban community is known for having different kinds of gawai celebrations. Even though we associate the word 'gawai' with partying today, the feasting and festivities are actually secondary to the main event

Cultural similarities between Naga people of India and Myanmar regions, and the people of Borneo

Culture

by Patricia Hului - March 6, 2020March 6, 2020

The Naga people are tribes who live in northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar. They make the majority of the population in the Indian state of Nagaland and Naga Self-Administered zone of Myanmar. The Naga

Mandi Rumah, an old Iban housewarming ceremony

Culture

by Patricia Hului - March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

An example of an Iban Longhouse. Dusun Kedungkang, an Iban longhouse located near Danau Sentarum, West Kalimantan. Different cultures have different housewarming traditions as people embark on the next step of their lives, which is

What you need to know about the first Sarawak Chamber of Commerce

Culture

by Patricia Hului - February 27, 2020February 27, 2020

This is part of Sarawak that no longer exists, which is the first Sarawak Chamber of Commerce: After 30 years of Brooke rule in Sarawak, the end of 1871 saw how vastly the import and

How Raja Simpulang Gana became the Iban God of Agriculture

Culture

by Patricia Hului - February 26, 2020February 26, 2020

Who said only the Greek or Germanic peoples had interesting mythology? Here in Sarawak, we too have plenty of intriguing stories of deities and gods. Before we know how Raja Simpulang Gana became the God

Tungu Rubi, a Bidayuh reconciliation ceremony

Culture

by Patricia Hului - February 24, 2020February 24, 2020

Tungu Rubi is a traditional ceremony organised to reconcile two parties who are in dispute. Here is an example of how a Tungu Rubi took place in 1953 at Kampung Tapuh in Serian as

#KajoAsks: Ropuhan Di Tanak Wagu, the online cooking class for those who struggle in the kitchen

Culture

by Terong Dayak - February 19, 2020February 19, 2020

When it comes to cooking traditional dishes, for most millennials, the struggle is real. From struggling to identify the right ingredients and cooking traditional dishes a certain way, when cooking in the kitchen, there seems

The Brooke battle against the Iban from Gaat river at Nanga Pila in 1916

Culture

by Patricia Hului - February 18, 2020February 18, 2020

About a century ago, the Iban from Gaat river, a tributary of the Baleh river, had been a cause of serious concern for the Brooke government. They caused mayhem in the area with their

Melanau inheritance laws, and a case from the 19th century

Culture

by Patricia Hului - February 17, 2020February 17, 2020

When it comes to inheritance, the deceased usually leaves behind a written will to detail how their property is divided. If there is no will, then the matter will go to court. Even if