Rituals in Sarawak
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THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL |
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Title :
Rituals in Sarawak. |
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Author :
Awang Hasmadi Awang Mois |
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Abstract:
The Selako are one of the Dayak groups who inhabit the Lundu district of Kuching Division, Sarawak, East Malaysia. They are part of the larger Selako Dayak community who occupies the southwestern part of Borneo, especially along the border areas between Sarawak and Kalimantan Indonesia. Adelaar (1991: 1) estimates that the total population of the Selako Dayak in both areas number about 15,000 persons. Kaboy and Sandin (1968) givea total figure of 14 Selako settlements in Sarawak viz., Kampung (henceforth abbreviated to Kg.) Sebat, Siru, Pueh, Paon, Serayan, Semapu, Keranji, Sebako, Biawak, Pasir Ulu, Jangkar, Rukam, Sebiris and Titiakar. The list provided by Kaboy and Sandin refers to the major Selako villages that are found in Lundu district today. Among these villages, Kg. Pueh is reckoned to be the biggest of all Selako settlements with a population of approximately 630 people (Awang Hasmadi 1979). Hudson (1978) describes the Selako language as Malayic-Dayak; it is a language which is closely related to Malay and Iban. Most of the Selako villages are located on the eastern side of Pueh range, a small group of mountains which stretch some fifteen miles from Mount Pueh in the north to Mount Kliau in the south (Schneider 1974: 7). However, unlike some other Selako villages Kg. Pueh and its sister village Kg. Siru are situated closer to the coast. Their proximity to the coast not only allow the two areas to have access to the produce of the sea but also enable the Selako in the area to make use of the swamps for wet or swamp padi cultivation. At present a large number of the Selako in the area own motor boats for fishing. For some, fishing serves as an important source of additional income. The other Selako villages are scattered along the Lundu-Sematan trunk road as well as the Lundu-Biawak road. Because of its hilly topography, hill padi is the main agricultural activity in the area of Kg. Biawak apart from rubber and pepper cultivation. Nevertheless, for Kg. Pueh and Kg. Biawak Mount Pueh provides an imposing backdrop and its ritual significance may be noted in one Selako myth. It is on the slopes of Mount Pueh that the Selako normally cultivate their hill padi.
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| DOI: XXXX |
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How to cite:
Awang Hasmadi Awan Mois. (1994). Rituals in Sarawak. The Sarawak Museum Journal, XLVII (68): 37-56 |
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References
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