Kenyah, Sarawak

About Kenyah

Kenyah is a tribe in Sarawak. They are a component of the group of indigenous people collectively known as Orang Ulu living in the interior of the state, in places such as Baram, Data Kakus, Data Surau, Sungai Senep, Long Dungan, Long Busang, Long Beyak, Bintulu, Miri, and Belaga regions.

While the Kenyah is a subgroup of Orang Ulu, the Kenyah themselves comprise of 40 subgroups that share related dialects and customs. Unlike the Kayan, the Kenyah live in settlements comprising a single long house called Uma Dado which is headed by a headman. They practice slash and burn agriculture, moving to a new, untouched forest after depleting their field of nutrients.

Until they converted to Christianity, most of the Kenyah tribesmen were animist who believed in Bungan Malan Peselong Luan, which is a protective and healing deity for the tribe. Today the majority are Christians.

Kenyah are skill craftsmen and are particularly adapt at making basketware. They are the creators of wonderful tribal murals, many of which can be found in places such as the Sarawak Museum. Their weapon of choice is the blowpipe.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.