The Dayak Tribes

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The Bidayuh is a name of a tribe from Borneo island. They are a branch of the Borneo Dayak people. Bidayuhs originally hail from the western part of Borneo. They are formerly known as Land Dayaks by the British (the former colonist in Sarawak). They are one of the main indigenous ethnic groups in Sarawak and now are settled in areas of southwest Borneo which is modern Kuching and Samarahan in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Bidayuhs can also be found adjacent areas of west Kalimantan. In Sarawak, most of the Bidayuh population are found within 40 km of the geographical area known as Greater Kuching, within the Kuching and Samarahan division. Today more and more Bidayuh have migrated, and live in Kuching, which is the capital city of Sarawak. They are the second largest Dayak ethnic group in Sarawak after the Iban.

Location
Predominantly Bidayuh areas are: Lundu, Bau, Penrissen, Padawan, and Serian. Most of the Bidayuh villages can be found in the rural areas of Lundu, Bau, Padawan, Penrissen and Serian district. The area in which they live is mainly in the basin of the Sarawak River and hilly to mountainous forest, traditionally worked by shifting agriculture and hunting based around farms populated from parent villages situated on the hills for protection. Today, almost all the traditional longhouse-villages have been replaced by individual houses, by roads and there is some plantation agriculture and a reduced emphasis on the growing of hill-padi. Fruit trees, especially durian, remain important property markers. The distinctive architectural and cultural feature of the Bidayuh was the headhouse, now adapted as a symbol.

Religion & Beliefs
Bidayuhs are traditionally animist, and vestiges of these beliefs still remain. The British colonial times (known as the Brooke family era) saw the arrival of Christian missionaries, bringing education and modern medicine. The great majority of Bidayuh are now Christians, majority of them being Roman Catholic. However, since the establishment of Malaysia and the increasing political influence of the Malays, a small number of Bidayuh have converted to Islam.

Most Bidayuh villages have either a Roman Catholic or Anglican church or a mosque — rarely more than one or the village would tend to split. The Biatah people, who live in the Kuching area, tend to be Anglican, while the people of the Bau area tend to be Catholic. Muslim can be found in areas like Padawan (Kampung Bisira and Kampung Darul Islam Belimbing) but Muslim Bidayuh villages are extremely rare.

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