Maintaining cultural heritage is an essential element of any effort to realise the growth potential and promote the sustainability and vitality of rural areas.
Recently, local social enterprise Pungu Borneo organised a cultural exchange event in the Bidayuh village of Sibuluh, a rural area in Bau.
The Bidayuh- Māori Cultural Exchange – Showcase & Dialogue on the Importance of Cultural Preservation Amidst Education, Social, and Economic Challenges was held in the community hall on May 18.
The event was supported by the Sarawak Craft Council (SCC); the Sibuluh Sport, Social and Recreational Club (SSSRC); the Dayak Bidayuh Literary Society (DBLS); and Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol.
Lucille Awen Jon, a Bidayuh entrepreneur and jewellery designer who advocates for cultural preservation, has a deep passion for preserving the Bidayuh-Jagoi heritage arts. Her aim was to help her people foster new relationships with the indigenous Māori, the second-largest ethnic group in New Zealand.
According to her, this unique exchange programme was designed to bridge, introduce, and educate others about both the tangible and intangible traditions of the people of Sarawak, focusing primarily on the community and heritage of the Bidayuh people.
Pungu Borneo hosted a troupe of 20 students and lecturers from Māori Business CAPEs, New Zealand, with the intention of showcasing the Bidayuh culture and living traditions, along with both traditional and modern ways of life.
We arrived just in time for the welcoming speech by Mordi, followed by a speech by Lucille.
Heading the Māori delegation and representing them in the Bidayuh-NZ dialogue was Nathan Rahui, the Project Leader for Māori Business CAPEs at the University of Waikato, which is located in the northernmost region of New Zealand.
The panel of Bidayuhs included Datuk John Tenewi Nuek, Chairman of the DBLS, and Lucille, with Cikgu Rijeng serving as moderator.
Traditional knowledge, which is at the core of indigenous identity, culture, languages, and heritage, must be protected, preserved, and encouraged for transmission from one generation to the next — this was the clear message.
The local culture, in its myriad forms and expressions, is also an important element of a destination’s uniqueness and appeal. Sarawak is unique because of the diverse culture and heritage of its people.
The Māori reciprocated with a sharing session that detailed the challenges they faced and the progress they had made in overcoming issues in education, social matters, the economy, and sustainability.
This awareness campaign aimed to emphasise the importance of cultural preservation and perhaps lead to business opportunities for both indigenous peoples.
Among the most direct and tangible expressions of culture are local patrimonies such as arts, crafts, music, dance, and cuisine.
Next on the programme was a food demonstration. A display of Dayak cuisine had everyone making a beeline to the counter where it was being prepared. Sago linut, once the staple food of the Melanau, is now also consumed by other races. Served with the linut were finely chopped lemongrass, anchovies, shallots, and other flavouring ingredients, which were fried until the aroma made us all very hungry.
“Rather tasty,” was the feedback, and some even tried it with a dash of fermented durian.
Next was the bead-making demonstration, followed by the livelier part of the evening. Rattan mats were rolled out onto the floor for a Bidayuh ritual ceremony as gongs and other traditional instruments sounded.
The hungry New Zealanders were all smiles when a Dayak buffet was laid on the rattan mats where they got to taste ayam pansuh, a rustic, hearty Dayak dish made with chicken, spiced with garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and tapioca leaves cooked in bamboo. It was served with locally grown rice and other organic foods from our rainforest in Sarawak.
The evening featured traditional singing and dances from both the Bidayuhs and the Māori. There was loud applause for the New Zealanders who performed the Haka, a traditional genre of Māori dance, with pride.
Before bidding goodbye, everyone joined in the Poco Poco, our local line dance.
