A short history of the Dayak

Dayak word is derived from the word " Daya ("Power" in english) "  which means upstream, to mention the people who live in inland or upstream of Borneo in general and West Kalimantan. The word is given by the Dutch who came to the Inland Borneo.

 There are different opinions about the origin of the Dayaks, but there is currently no truly satisfactory. However, the generally accepted opinion stating that the Dayak is one of the largest and oldest indigenous groups that inhabit the island of Borneo ( Tjilik Riwut 1993: 231 ) The idea of ​​indigenous people is based on the theory of migration to Borneo. Departing from that opinion is believed bahawa Dayak ancestors came from southern China, as stated by Mikhail Coomans (1987 : 3 ) :

 All ethnic groups, including the group Power massively migrated from mainland Asia by crossing the mountains of what is now called the mountains " Muller - Schwaner ". Power tribes are descended from immigrants than what is now Yunnan in Southern China. From the small group that wanders through the Indo-China peninsula Malaysia to be a springboard to enter the Indonesian islands, in addition, there may be those who choose another stepping stone, ie via Hainan, Taiwan and the Philippines. The move was not so difficult, you indulge in the time glazial ( ice age ) sea level was very down ( low tide ), so that the small boats even if they can cross the waters separating the islands.


Dayaks are the true inhabitants of the island of Borneo, the first they inhabit the island of Borneo, as well as beaches or virgin part. But when people of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula Land Melaka came there terdesaklah Dayaks then retreated inland, growing old, growing deep into the interior side and the mountains of the island of Borneo. Not to mention the arrival of the Bugis, Makasar, and Java in the heyday of the Majapahit Kingdom. Dayak tribes living scattered all over Kalimantan in long span of time, they should be spread out to explore the rivers upstream and then inhabit the coast of the island of Borneo.

 Theory of migration is once again allowed to answer the question, why the Dayak tribes now have so many different properties, in terms of language and in their culture traits

 Today Dayak tribes are divided into six large clumps, which Kenyah - Kayan - Bahau, Ot Danum, Iban, Murut, Klemantan and Punan. Sixth clump is divided again to approximately 405 sub- tribes. Despite the hundreds of sub- divided tribes, Dayak groups have a common cultural traits typical. These features become one of the determining factors of a sub-tribe in Borneo can be incorporated into the Dayak groups. These characteristics are the length, the result of material culture such as pottery, saber, chopsticks beliong ( ax Dayak ) view of nature, livelihood ( farming system ) and the art of dance.