Kenyah people

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kenyah people

Total population

45,000

Regions with significant populations

Belaga, Bintulu, Miri, Sarawak,Malaysia and East Kalimantan,Indonesia

Language

Kenyah

Religion

Christianity & Bungan

Kenyah Dance

The Kenyah people are an indigenous, Austronesian-speaking people of Borneo, living in the remote Baram (Lio Mato,Long Selaan, Long Moh, Long Mekaba, Long Jeeh, Long Belaong, Long San, Long Silat, Long Tungan, etc.), Data Kakus, Data Surau, Sg. Senep, Long Dungan, Long Busang, Long Beyak, Bintulu, Miri, Sungai ASAP, Long Bulan, Long Jawe and Belaga regions in Sarawak, Malaysia and the remote Apau Kayan, Bahau (Bau), Benua Lama & Baru and Mahakam regions in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Kenyah people are divided into various tribes including the Uma Bakah, Lepo Anan, Lepo Tau, Lepu Jalan, Lepo' Tepu, Uma Kelap, Badeng (Jamok, Lepo Aga'), Bakung, Kayan, Penan, Lepu Kulit, Uma Alim, Uma Timai, Uma Lasan, Lepo Ma-ot, Sambop, Lepo Ke', Lepo Ngao, Ngurek, Kiput, Long Ulai, Long Tikan, Long Sabatu, Lepo Ga, Lepo Dikan, and Lepo Pua

Culture and economy

The Kenyah people, traditionally being swidden agriculturalists and living in longhouses (uma dado'), is an umbrella term for over 40 sub-groups that mostly share common migration histories, customs and related dialects. Kenyah people lived in longhouses in a small communities. Each longhouse consists of families who choose their own leader (headman). When they have any event or celebration such as harvest festival they will normally use the longhouse verandah (oseh bi'o) to gather and deliver speeches to guide their youngsters. Normally this harvest festival celebration (tau bio Ramay o o Ajau, pelepek uman) is a major festival because most of them are still farmers.

[edit]Religion

Almost all Kenyah people are Christian. Before they became Christian they believed in 'Bungan Malan Peselong Luan' (a traditional form of animism). But now there are only a small number of Kenyah people that still believe in Bungan. When they die they believe they go to Alo Malau (heaven) with their ancestors (tepun). [edit]Population

Statistical figures, based on the Indonesian and Malaysian national censuses collected in 2000, recorded a total of 44,350 Kenyah people in East Kalimantan and 24,906 in Sarawak.[1] [edit]Origins

The Usun Apau (aka Usun Apo) plateau (in the Peliran river valley) or Apo Kayan Highlands (a remote forested plateau in Malaysian and Indonesian border) in the present-day Indonesian province of East Kalimantan was the largest concentration site of Kenyah populations between the late 19th century to the early 1980s. [edit]Languages

The Kenyah languages are a small family of Austronesian languages.

Asal Usul
Asal usul Masyarakat Kenyah adalah di Dataran Tinggi Usun Apau sejak sekitar 1400 -1700 masehi. Kaum kenyah mula berpecah kepada sub-kenyah kecil sekitar 1400-1600 masehi iaitu bangsa Kenyah Jamok,Kenyah Badeng, Kayan, , Lepo' Tau, Lepo' Maut, Uma' Bakah, Lepo' Kulit, Kenyah Sambob, Penan dan sebagainya. Di antara sub-kaum Kenyah yang ketara sekali berubah dari segi bahasanya ialah Kayan dan Penan. Namunpun begitu, terdapat sedikit persamaannya yang boleh difahami dan tidak jauh perbezaannya.

Semasa pemerintahan Raja Brooke, Masyarakat Kenyah telah berpecah kerana menentang penguasaan Rajah Brooke ke bahagian Pedalaman Sarawak iaitu di Dataran Tinggi Usun Apau. Sebahagian Kenyah telah tinggal didaerah Baram dan berdamai dengan pemerintahan Rajah Brooke pada ketika itu. Sementara sebahagian lagi tidak mahu dijajah/diperintah oleh Rajah Brooke. Oleh itu, mereka telah diserang oleh Rajah Brooke di Tanah Tinggi Usun Apau. Penentangan mereka terhadap Rajah Brooke tidak mendapat sokongan kaum lain kerana Rajah Brooke menggunakan orang tempatan untuk menyerang Kaum Kenyah Usun Apau. Namunpun begitu, Kaum Kenyah dapat mempertahankan tanah air mereka dan dapat berdamai dengan wakil pemerintah Rajah Brooke di Marudi. Walaupun mereka telah berdamai dengan kerajaan pada masa itu, mereka telah diarahkan supaya berpindah lebih dekat dengan pusat bandar Marudi. Oleh kerana mereka tidak mahu diperintah oleh kerajaan pada masa itu, maka sebahagian daripada mereka berpakat untuk berpindah ke sempadan Sarawak-Kalimantan(Alo Kayan). Dari sempadan sekitar selepas konfrantasi Malaysia-Indonesia, mereka telah berpindah balik ke Malaysia iaitu di kawasan Belaga, Bintulu dan Baram. Kini kaum Kenyah tinggal di Sepanjang Ulu Sungai Baram,Daerah Belaga, Bintulu dan kalimantan. Kebudayaan masyarakat Kenyah adalah lebih kurang sama pada keseluruhannya. Penempatan mereka adalah di lembah sungai sepanjang hulu batang Baram, Usun Apau, Balui, kawasan Tinjar, dan ulu batang Rajang.

Pada lewat abad ke-20, bilangan kaum Kenyah dilaporkan terdiri daripada 23,000 orang. Mereka tinggal dekat kuala sungai dipangil Long dan mempunyai perhubungan yang rapat dengan kaum Kayan. Oleh itu, kaum Kenyah mempunyai budaya yang amat serupa dengan kaum Kayan, walaupun bahasabahasa mereka berbeza kerana mereka adalah bangsa Kenyah pada asalnya. Ekonomi tradisi Kenyah berdasarkan penanaman padi bukit di lereng/cerang hutan. Pokok-pokok hutan ditebang dan dibakar, dan padi ditanam antara abu-abunya.

Tradisi
Pada masa lampau masyarakat asli Kenyah sering di diserang oleh penjajah(Pemerinyahan Brooke) kerana mereka tidak mahu diperintah oleh orang lain. Mereka juga sering menyerang orang orang luar, seperti orang orang Iban dan sebaliknya, ataupun orang Kenyah sendiri dari daerah lain. Masyarakat asli Kenyah & Masyarakat asli Iban mempunyai ciri peperangan yang agak serupa, di mana masyarakat asli kenyah juga memotong kepala musuhnya dan membawa kepala musuhnya ke kampung dijadikan sebagai cenderamata keperwiraannya. Sekiranya seseorang itu mendapat kepala yang banyak maka orang itu merupakan orang yang disegani di kampung itu dan ramai wanita suka dengannya kerana dia adalah wira kampungnya. Selain itu, kepala yang telah diambil itu juga akan dijadikan bahan upacara 'Ule' Ayau" ketika upacara keramaian Penyembahan dalam adat tradisi.

Tempat menetap
Pada kebiasaannya masyarakat asli Kenyah membina rumah panjang mereka berdekatan dengan sungai, dimana sungai ini merupakan jalan untuk menghubung mereka dengan tempat lain mengunakan perahu, melain kan tempat untuk mencari rezeki sambilan, seperti menjala ikan, memasang bubu,memancing dan sebagainya.

Masyarakat asli Kenyah merupakan satu lagi masyarakat yang tinggal di dalam rumah panjang. Rumah panjang ini berfungsi seperti sebuah perkampungan. Biasanya, rumah panjang masyarakat asli Kenyah hanya terdapat satu di tempat yang sama dan segala-galanya diuruskan oleh seorang ketua rumah atau penghulu rumah panjang.

Rumah panjang masyarakat asli Kenyah merupakan sebuah rumah panjang berukuran sehingga 1,200 kaki yang didirikan di atas tiang-tiang kayu keras seperti Kayu Belian. Corak rumah panjang ini mengandungi satu deretan bilik-bilik keluarga di bahagian belakang dan sebuah serambi terlindung yang lebar di depan untuk bertindak sebagai ruang kerja yang umum serta sebagai lorong kampung.

Tetapi, kini dengan era moden yang kian mengembang pesat. Masyarakat moden Kenyah lebih cenderung menetap di bandar besar sebab adanya kemudahan awam seperti sekolah, hospital dan mata pencarian mereka tidak lagi bergantung kepada hasil tanaman dan hasil hutan seperti nenekmoyangnya. Hidup bandar sedikit sebanyak telah mengubah prinsip generasi baru Kenyah yang sudah melupakan asal usul mereka adalah di kawasan pedalaman. Hidup harmoni dengan alam.

Kepercayaan
Pada tradisinya masyarakat Kenyah merupakan masyarakat yang percaya kepada kepercayaan animisme(ADAT APAU LAGAN DAN BUNGAN) di mana mereka percaya bahawa semua yang ada disisi mereka mempunyai roh yang sendiri. Masyarakat asli Kenyah amat percaya kepada tanda-tanda alam, di mana setiap keanehan alam akan memberi makna atau maksud. Kehidupan harian masyarakat asli Kenyah secara amnya di tentukan oleh kepercayaan tersebut.

Tetapi sejak datangnya mubalih-mubalih Kristian dan menyebar agama Kristian pada mereka, kepercayaan ini tidak lagi di pegang kerana ianya amat susah diikuti, banyak pantang larang berbanding agama Kristen. Pada masa sekarang majoriti masyarakat moden Kenyah kebanyakkan beragama Kristian.

Ekonomi
Masyarakat asli Kenyah bergantung sistem barter, tetapi terdapat juga kesan sejarah dimana mereka mengunakan mineral asli sebagai matawang. Masyarakat Kenyah juga ada menjumpai besi keluli dan membuat alat parang, kapak dan tombak dari hasil bumi yang dperolehi sendiri. Masyarakat Kenyah juga bergantung kepada hasil tanaman seperti padi bukit, buah-buahan, sayur-sayuran hutan, getah dan sebagainya. Masyarakat asli Kenyah juga memburu dan mereka merupakan pemburu yang cekap di hutan. Hasil buruan akan di kongsi bersama.

Origin of the Kenyah community in Plateau Usun Apau since around 1400 -1700 BC.Kenyah tribe began to split into smaller sub-Kenyah around 1400-1600 AD the Kenyah people Jamok, Badeng Kenyah, Kayan,, Lepo 'Tau, Lepo' Death, Uma 'Bakah, Lepo' skin, Sambob Kenyah, Penan and others. Among the sub-Kenyah most telling change in language is the Kayan and

Penan. Namunpun so, there is little likelihood that can be understood and not much difference. During the Raj, Kenyah community was split as opposed to mastery of the Rajah Brooke to the interior of Sarawak, in the Highlands Usun Apau. Some have lived in most parts of the Baram Kenyah and reconcile with the rule of Rajah Brooke at the time. While some do not want to occupied / ruled by Rajah Brooke. Therefore, they were attacked by Rajah Brooke in Upland Usun Apau. Their opposition to the Rajah Brooke did not get the support of other races because the Rajah Brooke to use local people to attack Usun Apau Kenyah tribe. Namunpun so, Kenyah people to defend their homeland and to make peace with the government representatives of Rajah Brooke in Marudi. Although they made peace with the government at that time, they were ordered to move closer to the center Marudi. Since they do not want to be ruled by the government at the time, then some of them conspired to move to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border (ALO Kayan).From the border around the Malaysian-Indonesian confrontation, they had moved back to Malaysia, namely in the Belaga, Bintulu and Baram. Now the Kenyah tribe living along the Ulu Baram River, District Belaga, Bintulu and Kalimantan. Kenyah culture is more or less the same as a whole. Their placement is in the river valley along the upper stem Baram, Usun Apau, Balui Tinjar area, stomach and trunk Rajang. In the late 20th century, the number of reported Kenyah tribe of 23,000 people. They lived near the river mouth is called Long and has a close relationship with the Kayan people. Therefore, the Kenyah tribe has a culture very similar to the Kayan community, although they are different languages because they were originally Kenyah people.Kenyah traditional economy based on rice cultivation on the slopes of the hill / forest clearing. Forest trees are cut down and burned, and buried the ashes of rice-ashes. Tradition

In the past, indigenous Kenyah people are often attacked by the colonizers (Pemerinyahan Brooke) because they do not want to be ruled by others. They also frequently attack people outside, such as the Iban people and vice versa, or the Kenyah themselves from other districts. Kenyah indigenous peoples indigenous Iban Community features quite similar battle, in which the indigenous people of the Kenyah also behead their enemies and bring the enemy to the village head as a souvenir made his heroism. If a person is getting a lot of heads, then that person is a person who is respected in the village and many women like her because she is a hometown hero. In addition, the head that has been made will also be used as ritual 'Ule' Ayau "during the ritual worship gatherings in the tradition. Places lived Kenyah indigenous people typically build their longhouse near the river, where the river is a road to connect them with other places to use the boat, except right place to seek part-time, such as fishing, setting traps, fishing and so on. Indigenous Kenyah community is another community living in the longhouse. Longhouse serves as a village. Usually, the indigenous people of Kenyah longhouse there is only one in the same place and everything is managed by a chief or headman longhouse. Indigenous Kenyah longhouse community is a long-sized homes up to 1,200 feet erected on wooden poles as hard as wood purchases. Longhouse pattern consists of a row of family rooms in the back and a wide veranda in front of a privileged to act as public work space as well as the village lanes. But, now the modern era of rapidly expanding rapidly. Kenyah modern society tends to reside in large cities because of the public facilities such as schools, hospitals and their livelihood no longer depends on the crop and forest as their ancestors. City life to some extent has changed the principles of a new generation of Kenyah have forgotten their roots are in remote

areas. Living in harmony with nature. Belief In the tradition of the Kenyah community believes is animism (CUSTOM Apau Lagan and combinations) in which they believe that everything has a soul in the sight of their own. Kenyah indigenous people are believed to the signs of nature, where every oddity of nature will give meaning or purpose. The daily life of indigenous Kenyah community in general is determined by the trust. But since the coming of the Christian preacher, preacher and spread of Christianity in them, this belief is no longer on hold because it is very difficult to follow, a lot of taboos against Christianity. At present the majority of modern society Kenyah most Christians. Economic Kenyah indigenous people depend on barter trade, but also where they use the historical impact of natural minerals as money. Kenyah also found iron and steel making equipment, including swords, axes and spears from the dperolehi own the land. Kenyah also depend on crops such as hill paddy, fruits, vegetables, forest, rubber and so on.Kenyah indigenous peoples also hunt and they are efficient hunters in the woods. Game results will be shared together. Economic activity

Economic activity meyara Kenyah living with hill rice planting around their house. Hill rice cultivation does not require the drainage system and can be grown in hilly areas. The area around their longhouses reserved for hill rice planting. The area is divided between the families living in the longhouse. Hunting and gathering of forest products is also carried by the Kenyah people who occupy the interior. Forest products are as jelutung, dammar, and rattan. They will change this forest with daily necessities, including rice and salt, among other tribes.Kenyah a lot of people involved in agricultural activities is also actively cultivate maize, cassava and tobacco. 70-80s around the Kenyah are often involved in the riots of the timber projects that destroy their forests. Resistance was indicate a high level of awareness among indigenous people in Sarawak. But their opposition outside the community's attention, but selalau misinterpreted as a gadfly to the development plan.But the Kenyah and several other indigenous people in Sarawak at that time opposed because they want to preserve the forest that has long become a place of their living resources.

Kegiatan ekonomi
Kegiatan Ekonomi masyarakat Kenyah meyara hidup dengan menanam padi huma di sekitar rumah mereka. Penanaman padi huma tidak memerlukan system saliran dan boleh ditanam di kawasan yang berbukit-bukau. Kawasan di sekeliling rumah panjang mereka dikhaskan untuk menanam padi huma. Kawasan ini dibahagikan antara keluarga yang tinggal di rumah panjang.

Kegiatan berburu dan memungut hasil hutan juga dijalankan oleh orang Kenyah yang menduduki kawasan pendalaman. Hasil-hasil hutan adalah seperti jelutung, dammar, dan rotan. Mereka akan menukar hasil hutan ini dengan barang keperluan harian termasuk beras dan garam antara suku etnik yang lain. Orang Kenyah yang banyak melibatkan diri dalam kegiatan pertanian ini juga giat menanam jagung, ubi kayu dan tembakau. Sekitar tahun 70-80an masyarakat Kenyah sering terlibat dalam rusuhan terhadap projek balak yang memusnahkan hutan mereka. Penentangan itu menandakan adanya kesedaran yang tinggi dalam kalangan bangsa peribumi di Sarawak. Namun penentangan mereka tidak mendapat perhatian masyarakat luar, malah selalau disalahtafsirkan sebagai pengganggu rancangan ke arah kemajuan. Padahal masyarakat Kenyah dan beberapa bangsa peribumi lain di Sarawak pada waktu itu menentang kerana mereka ingin memelihara hutan yang sekian lama menjadi tempat dan sumber kehidupan mereka.