Dayak Tribe and Their Cultures

   Dayak tribe is the native tribe in West Kalimantan. Dayaks are defined in more than 200 different tribes. The main tribes are Bakumpai and Dayak Bukit of South. The dayak tribes came to West Kalimantan as a migration from other parts in Asia about 3000 years ago.

   The dayaks live in longhouses called "Rumah Betang", which is a structure of hardwood post that can be hundreds of meters long, mostly located along a river bank. At one side, there is a long communal platform. The other side (back side) has the individual households apartments for each family.
    Dayak's costumes are rich in colors and variation which are fitted with beads and feathers, body full with tattoo of dayak's characteristic. The women wear the weaving and skirts and the above part is the blouse with short sleeve fitted with beads and feathers. The ankles and waists are equipped with tusk and necklaces on the neck. The necklaces are formed with colorful beads. The dominant colors are red, black, yellow, and white.
    Mandau (machete) is one of traditional weapons in dayak. Mandau is a narrow strip of a harder iron wedged into a slot in the cutting edge for sharpness. Mandau is short and nowadays used for trail cutting in the forest. The ceremonial mandaus used for dances are as beautifully adored with feathers as the dresses are.



Sources: http://extremeborneo.com/Dayak_culture.html
               http://travel-tour-indonesia.com/Travel to West Kalimantan Indonesia.html