MIRI: About 100 over delegates participated in the excursion to Niah National Park.
The excursion was part of the three-day programme in conjunction with the International Conference on Niah National Park for World Heritage Site Nomination which commenced on Sep 5 until 8.
Upon arrival, all delegates and participants were greeted by Niah National Park team and traditional performances by the Penan community prior trekking the caves.
The Penan Sadang community performed its prominent cultural activities called the Semah ritual.
The ritual was aimed at to take care of the safety among bird nest workers, guano workers and all visitors that are entering the caves. This involved an offering to the spirit of the caves.
While the second cultural activity was referring to an activity being carried out after successfully returned from war.
Guests were also entertained with traditional games of the Penans back in the old days which are known as ‘Kukui’, ‘Tingab’, ‘Purung Isang’, ‘Belitet’ and ‘Alut Buluk’ in the Penans dialect.
Among the six games, ‘Alut Buluk’ was the crowd’s favourite. In the olden days, called as the boat race, villagers and with the presence of the village chief witnessed the joy of their respective charges under their care when playing the games.
Delegates then hiked to Traders’ Cave and the entrance of Great Cave at a distance of 2.8km and 3.0km respectively from the jetty.
According to Sarawak Museum Department, the Trader’s Cave was excavated in the 1950’s and it is the only minimal archeological deposits found in the cave.
The structures, which are the remains of ancient ‘roofless hut’ is made of ironwood and were constructed and used as shelters by the bird’s nest collectors and their families during the harvesting season.
The cave is named for the collectors who sold or traded their harvests in return for products brought to the cave by traders from their towns and were still in use till the late 1970s.
Associate professor Dr Darren Curnoe of University of New South Wales explained on the archaeological works carried out at Traders’ Cave to the delegates.
