When the Kayans are naming a child, or engaged in any special ceremony, such as going on the war-path, matches may not be used and fire must be made by drawing rattan backwards and forwards on a piece of soft, dry wood. Credit: Public Domain. When speaking about Kayan migration, many
Tag: Borneo
5 stories about the Sihan people you should know about
With less than 300 Sihan people in Sarawak (as of 2012), any stories about their legends, customs and histories are very precious and important.As recorded by Benedict Sandin in "Notes on the Sian (Sihan) of Belaga" for the Sarawak Museum journal, the Sihan speak the same language with Punan Bushang
The Brunei Civil War and how it led to Sulu’s claim over Sabah
Mangkok Merah 1967, the Dayak-Chinese conflict in Kalimantan
Mangkok Merah 1967, the conflict between the Dayak and Chinese in West Kalimantan Slogan proclaiming that Chinese and Indonesians stand together. Circa 1946. Credit: Berita Film Indonesia / Public domain The New Order in Indonesia is the term coined by the second Indonesian President Suharto to describe his administrative era when he
How a liar caused the war between Luju, a Kayan warrior, and the Taman
How did the Ibans near Kalimantan border cope with Konfrontasi
People have been living along the border of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia with Kalimantan, Indonesia for centuries. When there was a conflict such as the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation which broke out between the two countries, it was unfortunate that they found themselves caught in between. So how did the Sarawakians near Kalimantan border
Why did Indonesia give guerrilla training to Sarawak Chinese youths during Konfrontasi?
During Konfrontasi or the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, Indonesia lent their support to Sarawak Chinese. But why? When the formation of Malaysia was proposed, President Sukarno-led Indonesia was not the only who opposed the idea. The Sarawak Communist movement was also against the idea of Malaysia. Instead, the Sarawak Communists supported the idea of unification of
How thousands of Dayak Taman people died due to a poisonous tree
Was the first contact between James Brooke and the Kanowits a peaceful one?
The name of Kanowit town comes from the earliest ethnic group who settled in the area, the Kanowits. Today, they are often referred to as Melanau Kanowit. Their first contact with the British took place in 1846 when the steamer, the Phlegethon, commanded by James Brooke and Captain Rodney Mundy sailed
The Lun Bawang legend of a giant man named Temueng
Long time ago, there was a giant man named Temueng and his friend named Pengiran who first lived at Kemaloh in Kalimantan, Indonesia. According to legends, these people were believed to be the ancestors of Lun Bawang people. Benedict Sandin in his paper The Bisayah and Indigenous Peoples of Limbang, Sandin recorded