The Dayak of Borneo

Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, is today divided up between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Sultanate of Brunei. Indonesia’s region of Borneo is the province of Kalimantan, which means “river of diamonds”. Borneo is incredibly biodiverse and is therefore of high conservation value.

The World Wildlife Fund recognises a number of distinct eco-regions on Borneo, including lowland rainforests (estimated area 427,500 km²), peat swamp forests, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove swamps, heath forests, montane rainforests, and even montane alpine meadows on Mt Kinabalu.

The Dayak people of Kalimantan are one of over 30 native ethnic groups on Borneo, and the group itself comprises over 200 ethnic subgroups. Borneo’s Dayak population is estimated to be between 2 and 4 million. Each subgroup has its own distinct culture, dialect, territory, laws and customs.
Dayak groups include the Ahe, Bakumpai, Barito, Bawang, Benuaqs, Bidayuh (land Dayaks), Dayak Bukit, Iban (sea Dayaks), Jagoi, Kadazan-Dusun-Murut, Kayan-Kenyah, Kelabit-Lun, Kutais, Maloh, Ngajus, Penan, Selakau, and Taman. The meaning of the name ‘Dayak’ is unclear, with different tribes using it to signify ‘human being’, ‘interior’, and ‘upriver’.