Dayak
people or Daya or Dyak are the indigenous people of Borneo Island, Indonesia.
They live in groups in mountains, outbacks and they are such a terrestrial
group, a group who live in land, not in marine zone. Dayak people are divided
into some sub-ethnics that have different language and even different way of
living. Shortly, Dayak is referred to the 6 tribes of Dayak, they are Kenyah
Kayan Bahau, Ot Danum, Iban, Murut, Klemantan and Punan. Those six clusters
were subdivided into approximately 405 sub-clusters. Although devided into hundreds
of sub-clusters, Dayak group have similar cultural, traits in particular ways.
These characteristics become the deciding factor if a sub-tribe in Borneo which
can be incoperated into the group of Dayak.
Dates
back to the history, in the year 1977-1978, the Asian continent and the island
of Borneo, which is part of the archipelago are still together, allowing the
mongoloid races of the Asian mainland to wander through and up through the
mountains of Borneo to the mountains which is now called “Muller-Schwaner
Mountain”. Dayak people was true the Borneo indigenous. However, after the
Malays from Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula came, they increasingly retreated
back inside. Moreover arrival of the Bugis, Makassar and Javanese in time of
Majapahit Empire. Dayak people was living scattered through out the territory
of Kalimantan in the span of time, they have spread through the rivers to
downstream and then in habit the coast of Borneo Island.
It
was analyzed that Dayak people had to build
In
the past the Dayak people were the tribe who practicing th ancient tradition of
headhunting. After conversion to Islam or Christianity and unheadhunting
legislation by the colonial powers, the practice was banned and disappeared.
Nevertheless, some said that Dayak people practicing canibalsmonly when the war
is occur and their life is in danger. In other word, practicing canibalsm is
not the term of the way of living or part of culture, but it is just the
consequences that Dayak people have for someone’s disturbance within their
groups.
Dayak
people have various types of weapon which commonly used for hunting and war in
ancient time, or for everyday use such as in the fields. For example
blowpipe(sipet), Saber, Lonjo (spear), Shield (Telawang ) and Spurs.
Originally, the main icon from Dayak wapon is Sumpitan and Mandau. Mandau was
being used to cup the enemies head in ancient time, when the war was occur.
While sumpitan is still exist until present time, and there is no antidote from
the poison in sumpitan. Sumpitan is such a bamboo wooden stick along the 1,9
meters to 2,1 meters. Sumpitan should be made of hard wood such us ironwoo,
tampang, lanan, etc.
More
about Dayak people, they also use tattoo in their culture.
For
the Dayak tribes who lived around Borneo and Sarawak in Malaysia, the tattoo
around the fingers indicate the person who likes to help the tribe as healers.
The more tattoos on his arms showing him more and more help and more wise in
the science of medicine. For the Dayak Kayan in Kenya and East Kalimantan, many
people describe the tattoo is already strong wender. Each village has a
different motif tattoo, tattoo indicating the numberof owners have visited many
villages.
For
everyday living, Dayak people nowadays are depend their life in agricultural
things like planting the rice field, plnting bananas or palm oil. Following the
modernity that come up nowadays, Dayak people are more to be modern society,
but still hold the heritage to be the real dayak.
Some
women at dayak tribe also have tradition unique. Having long ear. Much longer
than woman’s ear generally. Having long ear is one of characteristics of Dayak
Tribe. At ancient time, centuries ago having long ear is not only done by
women, but men too. But now only some dayak women that have it. Process to make
long ear take time for years. To make ear long, the ear must be give burden.
The burden is bracelet from metal, usually copper.the burden will be always
added every year as ear accessories. That’s why the ear become long. Much
longer.
Long
ear is symbol beauty of Dayak Woman. More longer the ear, more beautiful the
woman. Long ear also symbolizes social status of woman.only certain women that
can have acccessories from copper that
expensive enough. Besides long ear is symbol that the woman is not slave
because of lost the war or can not pay deb. Long ear with the accessories also
sign how old a Dayak Woman. We can know a Dayak woman’s age by counting total
accessories in her ear. If total accessories are 60, it means she is 60 years
old. It can be understood because plercing was done when she was baby. Then
baby’s ear is given bead as accessories. Then a bead is added every year. After
rather adult, accessories that added havier from copper.
Unfortunately,
dayak women start to leave the tradition. Only less defend the tradition. Their
age rate more than 50 years old. They usually live in Rurai Kalimantan. Even
the women that have long ear before cut their ear because of shy. And the young
doesn’t want to do it. They assume that having long ear us out of date.
