Being Me: A Bidayuh Girl

Bidayuh is the collective name for several indigenous groups found in southern Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. The name "Bidayuh" means 'inhabitants of land'. Originally from the western part of Borneo, the collective name Land Dayaks was first used during the period of Rajah James Brooke, White Rajah of Sarawak.

The Bidayuh constitute one of the main indigenous groups in Sarawak and live in towns and villages around Kuching and Samarahan division. They are the second largest Dayak ethnic group in Sarawak after the Iban.

Predominantly Bidayuh areas are Lundu, Bau, Penrissen, Padawan, and Serian. The area in which they live is mainly of the Sarawak River and hilly to mountainous forest, traditionally worked by rotational agriculture and well known for its paddy hill plantation and hunting based around farms populated from parent villages situated on the hills for protection. These were common during my ancestors’ days… Nowadays, most bidayuh are leading modern lifestyle.

Nowadays, almost all the traditional long house villages have been replaced by individual houses. The distinctive architectural and cultural feature of the Bidayuh is the headhouse, now adopted as a symbol.