Land Dayak, Biatah in Malaysia

Introduction / History

Biatahs are the third-largest indigenous community in Sarawak, after the Iban and the Malay. They include six main dialectical subgroups: Bau-Bidayuh, Biatah-Penrissen, ukar-Sadung, Padawan-Sembaan, Rara and Salako. All the subgroups were collectively called Land Dayak in the past but were officially named Biatah by government action in 2002.

Their traditional homeland was in the southwestern tip of Sarawak with the vast majority living in the Kuching Division and another seven percent in the nearby Samarahan Division. More recently, there has been increasing movement of the young, especially those with vocational or professional skills, to other parts of Sarawak. Significant numbers of Biatah Land Dayaks now found in the towns of Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu. Some are also in Indonesia.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Biatah Land Dayaks were traditionally longhouse dwellers who made their living by subsistence farming. In recent years, many have abandoned longhouses for single houses within villages, but many aspects of their traditional culture and social organization have been retained.

Rice farming remains a vital part of their culture and economy. The agricultural cycle is marked by important festivals called Gawai. Their way of life is structured by their adat (customary law). There is a strong sense of cooperation and communal sharing that goes back to the longhouse culture.

Economic development and education have brought many Biatahs into the mainstream of modern Sarawak society, yet they have managed to maintain many distinct aspects of their culture.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Traditionally, Biatah Land Dayaks were animists with some influence from Hinduism and Buddhism. While they attribute spirits to many things in nature, such as birds, animals, and plants, many who hold to the traditional religion today believe in a supreme god who comes to their assistance in the cycle of rice cultivation as well as major events in the cycle of life.

Some have become Christians. Although many Biatah Land Dayaks have come to sincerely believe the good news and do attend church, some remain nominal Christians.

What Are Their Needs?

While many have benefited from an improved educational system and the modern economy, the rural Biatah Land Dayaks in particular have not experienced the same level of progress. For those in the mainstream of modernization, there is a challenge to maintain their cultural heritage and identity.

There is growing interest in developing their language for use in schools. Translation of the good news has been done in one dialect, and there is interest in doing so for other dialects.

Prayer Points

Pray that all Biatah Land Dayaks would have access to education and the benefits of an improved economy, and that they would have access to the good news, whether they are from traditional or church backgrounds, so their lives could be transformed.
Pray for the Lord to bless them spiritually and physically.
Pray that God will soon use them as Christ’s ambassadors to the Muslims in Malaysia.

Text Source:   Joshua Project