Dayak

Dayak is a collective term for the indigenous peoples of Borneo, encompassing a wide range of ethnic groups with diverse languages, cultures, and histories. The Dayak communities are found in the Indonesian portion of Borneo (Kalimantan) and in the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, as well as in Brunei. Because Dayak describes many distinct peoples, subgroups are usually identified by their own names—such as Iban, Ngaju, Kenyah, Kayan, Kelabit, Lun Dayeh, Bidayuh, and Penan—rather than by a single culture.

Linguistically and culturally diverse, Dayak groups traditionally shared a pattern of forest-based subsistence that included shifting cultivation, fishing, and hunting. Many communities lived in longhouse settlements, a hallmark of social organization in parts of Kalimantan and Sarawak. Traditional crafts are prominent, with weaving (including ikat textiles and ceremonial pieces), beadwork, wood carving, and metalwork playing important roles in daily life and rituals.

Religious beliefs among Dayak peoples have historically been animist or shamannic, emphasizing spirit worlds and ancestral guardians. Over time, contact with Hindu-Buddhist traders, and later Christian missionary activity and Islam, led to widespread adoption of these world religions in many Dayak communities. In contemporary times, many Dayak people maintain indigenous practices alongside Christianity or Islam, while some communities actively preserve languages and traditional arts.

Today, Dayak identities are shaped by a mix of subethnic affiliations and regional contexts. They face challenges such as land-right disputes, deforestation, and pressures on linguistic and cultural heritage, even as efforts to document and revitalise Dayak languages and traditions continue through communities, festivals, and cultural programs.