The Dayak (also Dyak) are indigenous occupants of Borneo. The name, meaning 'upstream' or 'inland', was applied by the mainly Islamic coastal population as a blanket term for over 200 tribal groups, each with its own language and culture. Traditionally, each group lives in a communal longhouse. There are about 3 million Dayaks (est. 2003) on Borneo. See also the entry on the Iban, a more commonly used name for the main Dayak people of Sarawak on the northwest coast of Borneo.

History

It is believed that the indigenous peoples on Borneo, including the Dayaks, are descendants of Austronesian peoples from Asia who are believed to have arrived about 3000 years ago, displacing or assimilating the previous population. The immigrants spoke Austronesian languages from which the Dayak languages are descended. About 2400 years ago, the inhabitants learned metalworking skills from the Asian Dongson culture. In the 1950s, the Dayaks were still using metal and stone tools.

The Iban 'Sea-Dayaks' have a good record of their history, partly in writing. For more on the Iban history see Iban.

Economy

The Dayak practice slash and burn agriculture. The jungle is burnt down to produce rice paddies. Each farm plot is the property of a family-group (Iban: 'bilek') who live together in a longhouse. To be the first to cultivate a plot of primary jungle is the source of enormous prestige. After the

To prevent over-exploitation through slash and burn, a patch of land is only worked for a few years and then left fallow for preferably at least ten years. However, overpopulation in the Apo Kayan highlands has brought the Kenyah to break this rule, thus empoverishing the land to the extent that only a tall grass (alang alang) can grow there.

Religion

The Dayaks believe in a dragon goddess named Aso. They believe that Aso is guardian of the dead and that Aso would oversee all journeys of the dead from one world to the next.

The Dayak indigeneous religion is called Kaharingan, which is a form of animism, although for official purposes it is categorized as a form of Hinduism. Some Dayaks have converted to Christianity , Islam and other religions. Although Dayaks live in two mainly religious countries (Indonesia and Malaysia), these religions have never really gained a foothold with them, largely because of certain taboos (e.g. the consumption of alcohol and pork) and the prohibition of several traditional practices.

In the past, Orientalists mistakenly categorized the Traditionalist Dayaks, and Dayaks who has converted to Christianity, as 'Dayaks'. In recent years, many Dayaks who had joined Islam and other religions returned to their heritage and categorized themselves as Dayaks, since many major tribes consist of up 60% Muslims.

Society

Kinship is traced in both the male and female line. The existence of famous ancestors increases prestige and can increase the bride-price asked for a woman. Teknonymy (calling the father or mother after the child) is common practice.

Headhunting was an important part of Dayak culture. In contrast with South American

Dayaks like to party. Not only during festive occasions like weddings, but also impromptu, such as for the arrival of a guest (with the advent of tourism this is, however, either not done for every visitor or made into a tourist attraction). A very potent liquor is 'served' on such occasions and one is supposed to get severely inebrieted. Ceremonial dances are performed in very colourful dresses and feather headdresses with elaborate parangs.

Another popular drug beside alcohol is tobacco, which is grown locally and can be of high quality. The use of sirih (betelnut) is also fairly widespread.

Metal-working is quite elaborate and especially used for making parangs (machetes). The blade is made of a softer iron for strength with a narrow strip of a harder iron wedged into a slot in the cutting edge for sharpness (the rest of the blade is softer to avoid breakage). The headhunting necessitated being able to draw the parang quickly. For this purpose, the parang is fairly short (which also makes more sense for trailcutting in a dense forest). It is holstered with the cutting edge facing upwards and at that side there is an upward protrusion on the handle, so the parang can be drawn with the side of the hand without having to reach over and grasp the handle first. The combination of these three factors makes for an extremely fast drawing-action. The ceremonial parangs used for dances are as beautifully adorned with feathers as the dresses are.

"La-kia" is a name given to the Dayak by Sarawakian Chinese. This is however regarded as an insult by the Dayak themselves.

Politics

In 2001 the Indonesian government ended the colonisation of Kalimantan that began under Dutch rule in 1905. Under Indonesia's transmigration programme, settlers from densely-populated Java and Madura were encouraged to settle in Kalimantan, but their presence was, and still is, resented by the Dayaks. Economic development of the region, particularly logging, is also damaging the Dayaks' land and sacred sites. It can be argued that the Dutch colonisation has been replaced by an Indonesian one.

From 1996 to 2003 there were violent attacks on Madurese settlers, including a resurgence of the beheading practises and cannibalism, though not done in the traditional way (partly because the Madurese didn't play by the Dayak rules ; "there has not been one conflict out of many between the Dayak and the Madurese that did not involve the killing of a Dayak person by a Madurese, and then the refusal of the Madurese to submit to Dayak adat"), so this can not be seen as a resurgence of the practises.

Further reading

• Victor T King, Essays on Bornean Societies (Hull/Oxford, 1978).
• Benedict Sandin, The Sea-Dayaks of Borneo before White Rajah Rule (London 1967).
• Eric Hansen , Stranger in the Forest: On Foot Across Borneo, (Penguin, 1988), ISBN 0375724958 - a thrilling travel log by an informed traveller.

See also

• Krio Dayak people and their language

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