Kayan people (Borneo)

Based on oral history, the Kayan people originated from the Kayan river in the North Kalimantan province of Borneo, where they lived along the upper Kayan, the middle Kapuas and Mahakam rivers.^[4] The group expanded to the south in Sarawak in historic times, generating some conflicts with the Iban tribes that were expanding north at the same time.^[4] They have settled in Sarawak on the middle Baram River, the Bintulu River and along the Rajang River,^[4] having been pressed back a little during the late 19th century. In 1863, in West Kalimantan, the Iban people migrated to the upstreams of Saribas River and Rajang River and started to attack the Kayan people in those areas and continued doing so northwards and later eastwards. Wars and headhunting attacks have caused many other tribes to be displaced, including the Kayan people, who make up of 1.4% of the West Kutai Regency population.^[5] Significant expansion of the Kayan sub-group Uma Apan to east Borneo occurred during the 17th century, which resulted in their conversion to Islam forming the ethnogenesis of the Bulungan people and the Sultanate of Bulungan.^[6][7][8]

The Kayan language belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family.^[4]

Their basic culture was and is still similar to the other Dayak people in Borneo. The agriculture is based upon shifting cultivation techniques and the cultivation of Upland rice.^[9] Other farming such as sago, corn, yams, pumpkin and tobacco are also cultivated. During the years of famine, sago was mined. Traditionally, fishing played an important role,^[10] as well as hunting wild animals with sumpitan.^[11] They were engaged in breeding pigs and chickens, while dogs were kept for hunting (ngaso') and ritual purposes.

Kayan craftspeople are excellent blacksmiths (the Malat or swords are the main item of exchange), boat builders and carpenters.^[12] Loom, weaving, production of tans, arts, wood carving, making of masks and pottery were also developed.^[12] Before the arrival of Christian missionaries, the practice of tribal tattooing was still in place. Only women were tattooists and they tattooed mostly girls and women to signify womanhood; the patterns of the tattoos (tedek) were intricate and detailed, while men got their tattoos for ornamental reasons.^[13] Both women and men had their earlobes stretched.^[14] Furthermore, the older generations of the Kayan people were great storytellers and songsmiths. One of the ways the storytellers entertained fellow villagers and welcomed visitors was through Tekna', now a near-lost verbal art form of storytelling via songs.^[15][16] Traditional Kayan songs include "Alam Lening" (Dayak Kayaan Mendalam, Kalbar)^[17] and "Lung Kayaan Mendalam".^[18]

Some of the practices and traditions have either died out or have nearly vanished due to outside influence and contact with colonialists, missionaries and the modernisation of the Borneo region since the 20th century and onward. Recently, younger indigenous people of Sarawak are making efforts in revitalizing the practices.^[13][15][16]

Traditionally, they lived in long houses on river banks. Their settlement consists of one or several long houses as long as 300 meters, which can accommodate up to 100 families (400–600 people) and consist of a common veranda and rooms. Residents of a long house constitute a tribal community. The Kayan people are divided into three endogamous estate groups; "house owning group" or aristocrat (ipun uma, maren, or keta'u), community members or commoners (panyin) and slaves (dipen).^[19][20] Among some Kayan, there is a fourth estate, the lower aristocrats (hipuy ok). Among the nobility, marriages are usually outside of the community, sometimes with other ethnic groups; while community members and slaves usually marry within the community. The leader is usually elected from the nobility class (in the 19th century, he also served as a military leader). The settlement is bi-localized, and the filiation is bilateral.^[21]

The Kayan people developed a religion and a complex cult (bounty hunting and human sacrifices^[22] that disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as shamanism).^[23] The core event was the feast of collected heads, during which warrior initiations and funeral ceremonies were held.^[24] In the 20th century, some Kayan people were converted to Christianity,^[25] while others developed an indigenous religious reform after World War II, Adat Bungan. This reform started with the Kenyah Lepo' Tau of Long Nawang.^[26]

• Liwan Lagang - the current assistant Minister of Sarawak.
• Francisca Luhong James - Miss Universe Malaysia 2020 and a part-time model. She is of mixed Kayan, Kenyah and Iban lineage.^[27]
• Tajang Laing - First Kayan Teacher and First Orang Ulu Minister in Sarawak 1970s
• Adrian Jo Milang - practitioner of the ancient Kayan oral art forms Parap and Takna'.^[15][16][28]
• Hureng Emang - storyteller and matriach from the Tubau Kayan community of Uma Awe.^[16][29][30]
• Victoria Mujan Nyeigok - entrepreneur and village leader of Apo Kenyiwan in Tubau.^{[16][31][32][33]}