Turning tribal in the Iban longhouse

I must apologise for the gap between blog posts.  Travelling the world took its toll on me…plus the computers I was using in Indonesia didn’t allow me to upload images in a very quick fashion.  After a couple of hours of messing around with photos I just had to give up I’m afraid.  Sorry about that.  The good news is, however, that now I’m back in the UK with some speedy internet access which allows me to upload photos until my heart’s content.

Now, I’m not one to go on and on about my travels and the experiences I’ve had because I know it bores the boots off everyone.  But, having said this, I would just like to do another blog post that talks about exactly that – my travels.  In my defence the story I am about to tell is a good one.  I promise!   I thought it may be of great interest to all organic food lovers and those who believe in a self sufficient lifestyle. 

While I was in Borneo I spent two days and one night in an Iban longhouse, which resided in Nanga Ngemah on the banks of the Lemanak River.  It was a good four hour drive from my base in Kuching and I was taken there by an Iban gentleman.  He was an impressive man who could speak Malay, Iban, English and other languages of some of Borneo’s native tribes.  We drove part of the way and then had to get a longboat up the river to get to the village.

A bit of history now – just so you know who the Ibans are!  The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks.  Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and tribal/territorial expansion. In ancient times the Ibans were a strong and successful warring tribe in Borneo. They speak the Iban language.  Traditionally, Ibans that had headhunted a person would get a tattoo on their neck to prove this status.

Ibans live in longhouses called rumah panjai and each house has a leader.  Most of the Iban longhouses are equipped with modern facilities such as electricity and water supply and other facilities.  The Ibans today are becoming increasingly urbanised while retaining most of their traditional heritage and culture (with thanks to Wikipedia for that little description! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iban_people)

When stepping off the boat I could see instantly that the Iban longhouse was rather on the old and dilapidated side.  It was made of wood and corrugated iron and was built high on stilts in case the river ever flooded.  Surrounding it was bits of rubbish, greenery and lots of chickens and puppies.  In this particular longhouse there lived 35 families, all of whom have their own private family room to live in as well as the communal area.

Front of the longhouse

We were welcomed into the village by some of the children who lived there and were warmly greeted at the front door of the longhouse by one of the mums.  She shook our hands and welcomed us in the Iban language.  She carried a baby under one arm.  She was just 16.  She was married at 14 and pregnant at 15 – a completely different life to what we are used to here.

Once settled into the longhouse we were given mug after mug of Malaysian tea and were then left to our own devices.  In the hours that followed we played with the children, some of which could speak a little English, and had a wander around the tiny village.  It consisted of about three or four houses, a series of three toilets and showers (which consisted of a hose on the wall) and a very small church.  When darkness fell the longhouse switched on the generator to get electricity, although candles were still used throughout the house.

The young 16 year old mum

Inside the longhouse

At around 8pm we were called into one of the family rooms for dinner and it was here that I was fed one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten.  All the food used had been grown in the village and the nearby paddy fields. The fish had been caught from the river that morning and had been cooked in bamboo for the majority of the day.  Among other things, wee ate rice, bananas, fish, jungle fern and fresh pineapple.  We got to taste the pepper they grow and were offered their local coffee and rice wine, which was delicious.  Everything they had was grown, picked and cooked by the villagers.  Residents of all ages went out during the days to collect food.  They were an inspirational bunch and eating their food was a humbling experience, as was staying in their home and watching their traditional dance.  Sleeping was more difficult, what with the noise of the generator, the barking dogs and the crowing roosters, but this is what it’s like living in this way.

Peppercorns growing in the village

Emptying our fish out of the bamboo

The family room I ate in

 Staying in the Iban village was a very eye opening experience.  The villagers have very little money and possessions but they are happy.  They live a self sufficient and organic lifestyle, making do with everything they have.  The children go to school until about the age of 12 or 15 but that is where their education stops.  A lot of them stay in the village until they are old, looking after their families and friends.  The women leave if they marry into a family who live in a different village but the men tend to stay if they have no desire to continue their education or embark on a working life.

A resident of the longhouse with his traditional headhunter neck tattoo

More tattoos on his back

Residents showing us traditional Iban clothes

My two days in the longhouse were inspiring and touching and I would love to go back in the future to see how the families are getting along.  It was also a lesson in how we could all live – i.e. self sufficiently and organically.

Peace, love and Iban longhouse pizza.

What On Earth

* All photos are by me - Laura Collins - so please do get in touch if you wish to use them/credit me.