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Category: Culture

Mouse Deer

Since I arrived here 12 years ago, I have heard of the stories about the Mouse Deer. I wanted to find examples, but the stories in English were all prohibitively expensive. Finally, a few months ago, a volume appeared in Ireland and was termed a “reading copy.” I jumped on

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October 3, 2021 No Comments

A History of Sarawak’s Third Division

Tom’s Note: This 630-page book tells the story of the third district of Sarawak. Unfortunately named “Anthropogenic Tropical Forests”, it is a compilation of research papers written by Japanese and Sarawak scholars. This magnificent and illustrated tome provides information not found elsewhere. From the people’s history to the fishes and the

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September 7, 2021 No Comments

Bidayuh Vegtable Farming

A History of Bidayuh Vegetable Marketing The Sekeduk Bidayuh adopted the idea of vegetable marketing from the Chinese living closer to Kuching in Beratok and Tapah. They at first used the trial and error method of growing vegetables. Later, the early Bidayuh adopters played as experts in the Bidayuh community.

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August 22, 2021 No Comments

Punishments among the Kenyans

Tom’s note: These stories are from the headman of the upper class of the Leppo Tan Kenyah in 1959. Improper Pregnancy In ancient times, whenever a Kenyah woman was found to be with a child without a responsible man, the woman was sent far away into the forest where she

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August 10, 2021 No Comments

Pegu and Sarawak

Pegu and Sarawak Pegu was a city-state located on the eastern side of Burma between Burma and Thailand. The country had easy access to ships from Malacca, India and Persia and their main exchange were rubies. There was a regular trade route from Yunnan to Pegu in the second century.

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August 2, 2021 No Comments

A Sebob Saga

The Saga of the Child of Padan Sigau (A Sebob Saga) Padan Sigau lived at Tebau Na-a A man of great renown He married a lady called Bungan from Alo Mara They had a child, the child of Bungan who was born at Tebau Na-A A very brave lad he

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July 28, 2021 No Comments

Iban and Batang Ai

The Batang Ai resettlement scheme moved 26 longhouses of Ibans to another area because of flooding due to the hydroelectric dam across the Batang Ai Wong Irup. The Iban received cash compensation and were given 11 acres of land consisting of five acres of rubber, three acres of cocoa, two

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July 11, 2021 No Comments

Christianity and the Kenyah

om’s Note: This article dealt with themes, theories, had diagrams and other manifestations of Christian thought. I have pulled out the basic reasons why Kenyah became Christian. The Kenyah lived along the Sarawak Indonesian border with most of the people residing in Indonesia. The border was very fluid with the

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July 1, 2021 No Comments

Melanau Beliefs and Crocodile Stories

Tom’s Note: This article was hard to read and decipher as well as being long. I read it over three times coming back to sections several times. Please remember these are old beliefs and do not reflect the Melanau of today. The earth is an egg riding on the horns

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June 23, 2021 No Comments

Selako Circumcision

Tom’s Note: When I announced my engagement to my Malay wife, most people wanted to know if was circumcised. I said yes I was, however, the question still kept coming. I finally asked if they wanted to see it. Nobody took me up on the offer. Even after the honeymoon,

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June 17, 2021 No Comments
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