My Perception of Sarawak

Since Sarawak is part of Malaysia, my perception of Sarawak is Muslim country and the way of life should be similar to what we see in Malaysia. I think that the country has yet to be fully developed and people living there are more relax as compared to Singaporeans.

Since Sarawak is famous for their diversity of flora and fauna, it should be a country with many interesting rainforest and beautiful geographical landscapes. The reason why Sarawak is rich and well-known for its wildlife habitat was because of the natural environment that Sarawak already has and also the efforts they have made in conserving the rainforests.

Sarawak is also famous for its multi-ethnic culture; therefore I think that the some indigenous tribes still exist in Sarawak and some of their traditions still remain.

Culture of Sarawak

The different colourful traditions and customs of each indigenous group would represent the culture of Sarawak. There are a total of 28 indigenous groups; each has its own unique form of lifestyle and arts, ranging from weaving, to woodcarving to tattooing. The Iban, Bidayuh, Penan, Orang Ulu and Melanau are some of the larger indigenous tribes in Sarawak. Iban is the largest group in Sarawak, which take up about 30.1% of the whole population, followed by the Chinese, Orang Ulu (includes Bidayuh, Melanau and other native tribes of Sarawak) and then the Malays.

Most tribes live in longhouses, which Sarawak is famous for, and they can be located near a river and rainforest. The historical longhouses are popular among the tourist as they can stay in the longhouse together with a tribe and experience the way of life in the past.

The variety of old but unique culture and craftsmanship has also contributed to the natural beauty and wonders in Sarawak; especially the legends of head-hunter and blowpipes which explains the history of Sarawak and the detailed handcrafts of each equipment which shows their talents in decorative arts.

Culture & Traditions of Iban

Overview
Theyare the dominant tribal group in Sarawak as almost one-third of the population are Ibans. Due to their history as pirates and fishermen, they are also known as the “Sea Dayaks”. The physical appearance of Iban culture may look fearful, but they are actually very friendly and hospitable.

Beliefs
Ibans practice Christianity now, but they still believe in their traditions and the spiritual connection to the rainforest. The presence of their tribal identity and heritage still remain strong till now

Traditional Costumes & Dances
The traditional costume for woman consist of a vest-like top beaded with multiple colours, accessorize with silver necklace, bracelets and anklets , and a silver headdress called sugu
tinggi. The traditional costumes for male consist of just a piece of long cloth wrapped around their waist, and a headdress decorated with colourful feathers. They will wear these traditional
costume and dance during festive seasons.

Their dance is called “Ngajat dance”, which emphasize on their body movements and they uses their tribal musical instruments to give music and rhythm to their dance moves. The dance moves might seem easy but it is actually very difficult to coordinate the movements of your body with the music. This dance is traditionally performed by males only during their return from battles but not anymore.

Craftsmanship
The Iban are recognised for their traditional weaving skills, called “Pua Kumbu”, as well as their beadwork, silver and wood carvings.

The tattoos are also a unique form of art that Iban has as it symbolises the bravery of the Iban warriors.

Longhouse
Majority of the Ibans still preferred longhouses to towns or individual houses. These
longhouses are mainly located near a main river surrounded by the rainforest. It is a house made from bamboo and tree bark, comprising many rooms which can accommodate quite a few numbers of families.

An interior of a longhouse:

Traditions
Few centuries ago, Iban used to practice head hunting - having the enemy’s head taken down. The skulls of the enemy will be cleaned and hanged in their houses to prove their braveness. If an Iban do not have this courage, he is not considered eligible for marriage. However this tradition has extinct because itis illegal to kill.
Iban are also renowned for its blowpipe, which is a weapon for them to hunt animals from far. The blowpiping requires skills and accuracy which is trained for many years.

The Authenticity of the Culture

I think that the longhouse is the trademark of the Iban. The tourist had referred them as the “longhouse folks”, which shows that the longhouse is an inseparable element whenever we thought of the Iban. The traditional longhouse has more than a thousand years of history and this tradition house is still kept until now by the Iban. Even though there is no privacy among the families, most Iban still chose to stay in long houses. This shows that they still enjoy the way of life as a traditional Iban and the longhouse gives them the comfort of being in their homeland. I think that the idea of many families living in one longhouse is the reason to the friendliness of Iban. They are able to live in harmony with so many people under one house.

They would still protect their customs even thought there are visitors to their house. Tauk, which is made from rice wine, will always be served to the guest as part of their customs and it will be impolite for the guest to reject the offer. The Ibans should know that some Muslims cannot take alcohol, but they still serve them with the rice wine graciously as to represent their warmest welcome. Therefore it proves that they would still keep their traditional customs no matter what and kindly accept the rejection of their custom by some tourist.

Tourism Impact

Socio-Cultural:

Tourism as a form of peace

The visiting to Iban tribe village had allowed the foreigners to understand the cultures and people who live in the rural, therefore it increases mutual sympathy and understanding of the Iban culture. The Ibans had also accepted the peace of living together with other community as they used to kill people in the past decades.

Encourage civic involvement and pride

The Ibans are proud of sharing their authentic culture with the visitors as they allow thevisitors to try on their traditional costumes and get the visitors involve in their dances. The increase in visitors’ interest and curiosity also stimulates the feeling of pride of the Ibans’ culture. The Iban will also realise the financial value of their culture and they will be able to earn money from it.

Change indigenous identity and values

The traditional dance, Ngajat dance, was only perform as a celebration for important events such as wedding and other festivals, but now they will also perform for everyday for the tourist in order to satisfy what the tourist wants. The dance is no longer performed only on special occasions but had become a dance that everyone can see whenever they want.

Environmental:

Conservation of rainforest

The Iban tribe village are located in a rainforest and theIban is inseparable from the natural habitat, so in order to conserve the Ibanculture and heritage, the rainforest cannot be removed. Thus it helped preservedthe environment and reduces deforestation in Sarawak.·

Increase public’s appreciation of the natural environment

Thevisitation to Iban village will educate the visitors about the values of the natural environment as the visitors will learn about the connection of theIbans with the nature. Visitors will become more environmentally conscious ofactivities and behaviour as they gain more knowledge about the environment.

Economic:

Generates income for the locals

The locals are able to earn extra income byguiding the visitors around their village and selling their handcrafts andhome-made rice wine. The incomes earned can improve their standard of living

Calendar of Events

Source from Rodger

CLICK TO ENLARGE

The Ibans has many festivals called “Gawai”; festivals such as 'Gawai Dayak' (harvesting festival). ‘Gawai Kenyalang’ (hornbill festival), and 'Gawai Antu' (festival for the dead).

'Gawai Dayak' (Also celebrated among other tribes)

It is the most significant festival celebrated by the Ibans on the evening of 31^st May. It marks the end of rice harvest and is considered a New Year celebration. A row of procession will be conducted; a basket of household item will be dumped on the ground as a “sacrifice” to chase evil spirits away, then a chicken will be sacrificed to show their gratitude for good harvest and request for good harvest the following year. After these processions, dinner will be served and another procession will be done just before midnight to welcome the gods to the festival. Tourists are invited to the join this celebration the next day and there are several activities that visitors can entertainment themselves with, such as cock fighting and trying out the traditional blowpiping. Tuak will be served to them as well. Visitors can indulge themselves with the delicious treats while watching the traditional dances during this festive celebration.

Disneyization

Disneyization can be seen in Sarawak as it is a considered a hot tourist attraction.

Theming:
Sarawak is rich in their natural habitat and a diversity of culture, which is what Sarawak is famous for. Therefore Sarawak had made use of these two elements to theme and develop their place to attract tourist. Sarawak is themed based on its nature world and multi-ethnic culture, which includes themed restaurant, attractions and many more. An example of a themed attraction will be Sarawak Cultural Village, which is themed as a cultural destination that explains the history of each indigenous group; another example based on nature themed will be the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre where visitors will be able to watch the wild orang utans in a close distance.

Hybrid consumption:
As Sarawak aims to be a hotspot tourist destination for its natural habitat and culture, many forms of nature and cultural consumptions are created. In Sarawak, you will have the opportunity to do home visits to some of the existing indigenous group in Sarawak to learn about their culture and really feel how it is like to be inside the longhouses; these are some things that cannot be explained in pictures. Another example would be visits to some of the protected national parks and ancient rainforests to keep in touch with the nature and some of the natural wonders.

Merchandising:
The most popular souvenirs that tourist would want to buy in Sarawak would be their handicrafts which is designed by the various indigenous groups. The designs of the merchandises differ according to the colours or symbol that represents the indigenous culture of each tribe. The designs are so detailed and unique that tourist will find it hard to resist. These designs reflects the history and culture of Sarawak, therefore tourist are likely to purchase these handicrafts as a
souvenir to commemorate their Sarawak trip. From a travellers’ review about his trip to Sarawak, “It was apparent that the longhouse folks were used to having tourists around judging from the many intricate handicrafts being offered on sale such as ornamental jewellery and wooden sculptures. It’s hard to resist getting one as souvenir” (WorldBeach, 2009). The handicrafts had attracted much attention of the tourist as the tourist is able to recall the souvenirs that are on sales. Therefore it shows that the handicrafts are a “must-buy” souvenir from Sarawak.

Performative labour:

The locals or employees working in the hospitability industry in Sarawak play an important role in making the tourist feel like their “home”. The place has to be comfortable and entertaining so
that tourist is able to experience a different way of life in that particular place. Interaction with the tourist is crucial as the tourist can have in-depth learning experience which can be shared throughout the world. One example would be the home-visit to the Iban longhouses, where tourist can interact with the locals and really feel how it is like to be inside the longhouses; this is a thing that cannot be explained in pictures. Another example would be the culture performance by various indigenous groups, which the performers have to put on their traditional costume and perform their traditional dances to the tourist. These interactions with, and performances by the locals are taught in order to make the tourists happy so that there will be repeated visits by these tourists.

Reflections

I think that society, culture and tourism are inter-linked. The society of the people that had shaped the culture of the country, and it in turn boost tourism as tourist are attracted to the unique culture of the country and they want to learn and experience the culture they the people lived in.

I personally had visited to a longhouse in Sarawak before; it was a organised school education trip to learn about the different aspect of Sarawak’s tourism, mainly about nature and culture. The day of my visit was a few days after the 'Gawai Dayak'. The Iban village is located uphill; therefore we have to take a long ride to reach the village. When we first arrived in the village, we are welcomed by the performers in their traditional clothes. Then a traditional dance was performed and followed by home visit to various families; to my surprise they can speak fluent English. We were offered with rice wine and small treats. The host started explaining about the 'Gawai Dayak'. However due to limited time that we have, we were unable to ask more in-depth questions about the celebration. If I were given a chance to visit Sarawak again, I will be glad to the Iban village again even though the journey uphill is torturous is quite uncomfortable.

The unique culture and institution of this indigenous group is something that we cannot really understand from just reading it from a book. Thus tourism is the only way which we can really feel it and truly understands the similarities and differences of that particular culture from our own culture.

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