Looking back at a punitive expedition to upper Batang Lupar in 1875

Culture

by Patricia Hului - March 19, 2020March 19, 2020

Headhunting was rampant in 19th century Sarawak. In an effort to control the death toll brought on by headhunting, the-then Brooke government sent out punitive expeditions to suppress this activity. Here is an account

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

Legend of a two-tailed monster and how poison came about in Borneo

Culture

by Patricia Hului - February 10, 2020February 10, 2020

Poison always plays a role in a legend or fairy tale. The most famous example is in Snow White where the evil queen gave the princess a poisoned apple. Here in Borneo, we have

Sarawak once exported over 60 tonnes of pangolin scales in the 1950s

by Patricia Hului - February 4, 2020February 4, 2020

Did you know that it was legal to export pangolin scales in Sarawak back in the 1950s? Pangolin (Manis javanica) was hunted for its scales and then exported through Kuching. This unique animal has large,

How Dayak peacemaking ceremonies were carried out during the 19th century?

Culture

by Patricia Hului - December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

Modern day peacemaking usually has some hand-shaking gesture and official announcement in front of the media if it has gathered public interest. In 19th century Sarawak, peacemaking ceremonies back then were somehow more interesting.

10 reasons you should visit Krayan Highlands in the Heart of Borneo

Travel

by Patricia Hului - December 12, 2019December 12, 2019

The Krayan Highlands in the Heart of Borneo is an enchanting place located at an altitude between 760 and 1200 meters. Unlike the lowlands of Borneo which is known for its hot and humid

12 Indonesia-Malaysia combats during Konfrontasi you should know

Culture

by Patricia Hului - November 22, 2019November 22, 2019

Also known as Konfrontasi, the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation was an undeclared war with most of the battles happening between Kalimantan (Indonesia) and East Malaysia. The confrontation was a result from Indonesia’s opposition to the creation

7 types of mental illness according to Murut traditional beliefs

Culture

by Patricia Hului - November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

In January 1968, the Psychiatric Specialist-in-Charge of Sarawak Mental Hospital K.E. Schmidt published a paper called ‘Some Murut Concepts of Mental Illness’ in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry. The Murut people are an indigenous

How Dayak climbers helped in foreign expeditions

Culture

by Patricia Hului - October 10, 2019October 10, 2019

We have often heard of Sherpas and Nepalese mountain climbers, but did you know that Dayak climbers from Borneo were often recruited by westerners during scientific expeditions? These adventures took these Dayak climbers out of

Enjoying the Traditional Food Festival in Lanjak, West Kalimantan

by Terong Dayak - September 25, 2019September 25, 2019

Food has always been the best way to become familiar with a place, culture and its people, so I tried to sample every dish during the Traditional Food Festival held in Lanjak, West