Bidayuh

Concentrated mainly on the west end of Bornoe, the Bidayuh's make up 8% of the population in Sarawak are now most numerous in the hill counties of Lundu, Bau, Penrissen, Padawan, Siburan and Serian, within an hour's drive from Kuching. Historically, as other tribes were migrating into Sarawak and forming settlement the Malays from the neighbouring archipelagos, the Bidayuh's retreated further inland, hence earning them the name of "Land dayaks" or "Land owners". The word Bidayuh in itself literally means "land People" in Biatah dialect. In Bau-Jigoi/Singai dialect, the pronounciation is "Bidoyoh" which also carries the same meaning. The traditional community construction of the Bidayuh is the "Baruk", a roundhouse that rises about 1.5 metres off the ground. It serves as the granary and the meeting house for the settlement's community. Longhouses were typical in the olden days, similar to that of the Ibans. Typical of the Sarawak indigenous groups, the Bidayuhs are well known for their hospitality, and are reputed to be the best makers of tuak, or rice wine. Bidayuhs also use distilling methods to make "arak tonok" a kind of moonshine. The Bidayuhs speak a number of different but related dialects. Some Bidayuhs speak either English or Sarawak Malays as their main language. While some of them still practice traditional religions, the majority of modern-day Bidayuhs have adopted the Christian faith with a few villages embracing the Islamic faith as a minority group within the Bidayuh community.

Dayung Bidayuh