Борнеоның Келабит халқы

Ethnic group of Borneo

The Kelabit are an indigenous Dayak people of the Sarawak/North Kalimantan highlands of Borneo with a minority in the neighbouring state of Brunei. They have close ties to the Lun Bawang. The elevation there is slightly over 1,200 meters. In the past, because there were few roads (only poorly maintained logging roads, which tended not to be too close to the Bario Highlands) and because the area was largely inaccessible by river because of rapids, the highlands and the Kelabit were relatively untouched by modern western influences. Now, however, there is a relatively permanent road route on which it is possible to reach Bario by car from Miri. The road is marked but driving without a local guide is not advisable, as it takes over 11 hours of driving to reach Bario from Miri through many logging trail junctions and river crossings. With a population of approximately 6,600 people (2013), the Kelabit comprise one of the smallest ethnic groups in Sarawak. Many have migrated to urban areas over the last 20 years and it is estimated that only 1,200 still live in their remote homeland. There, tightly knit communities live in inherited longhouses and practice a generations old form of agriculture. Hunting and fishing are also practised. Domesticated buffalo are valued highly, seven of which are traditionally required for the dowry for an upper class bride.

Kelabit is the misnomer of pa Labid, whereby pa is the Kelabit word for 'river' and Labid is the name of the river where the Kelabit people traditionally settle along. Hence, pa Labid is meant to be "the people of the Labid river". Also, other group names such as Lun Bawang, Lun Dayeh, or Southern Muruts are often associated with the Kelabit people. The Kelabit people belong to the Dayak people (it is a large ethnic group of closely related people groups that includes about 200 tribes). With a population of approximately 6,600, the Kelabit people are the smallest people group in the state of Sarawak.

During the Second World War, the Kelabit, like other natives of Borneo, was co opted by the Allies into fighting the Japanese. The English academic Tom Harrisson led the Semut I operations (one of four Semut operations in the area), which parachuted into their midst in 1945 to make contact; they were supplied with weapons by the Australian military and played an essential role in the liberation of Borneo.

After the Second World War, the Kelabit people received visits from Christian missionaries of the Borneo Evangelical Mission. The Kelabit are now predominantly Christian. Prior to conversion, they had a custom of erecting megaliths and digging ditches in honour of notable individuals. As the Kelabit people began to Christianize in the early 20th century, so did the process of ethnic consolidation were also intensified.

The Kelabit people uses Latin script that was introduced to the island by the colonialist from Europe. The Kelabit language belongs to the North Bornean branch of the Western Malayo Polynesian languages. The Kelabit language is used in one of the most remote areas of the Borneo island in the Bario highlands of Kalimantan and northern Sarawak. There are several dialects in the Kelabitic languages such as Lepu Potng, Padas, Trusan, and so on.

Kelabit villages usually include only one longhouse, in which all the inhabitants of the community would live in. A longhouse can stretch as long as 75 meters in length. Such house does not have partitions that divide into rooms. Some of the traditional Kelabit cuisines are the following:
Nubak Layak, mashed rice wrapped in Isip leaf. Manuk Pansuh / Pansoh, seasoned chicken cooked in bamboo. Udung Ubih, tapioca leaves stir fried with lemongrass. A'beng, de boned fish. Pa’uh Ab’pa, fish cooked in brinjal, cucumber, and black fungus soup. Labo Senutuq, shredded beef stir fried with bamboo shoots and Kantan flower salad.

Pottery, blacksmithing, and wood carving are all traditional crafts of Kelabit people. The form of the stone adze (chopping tools) of the Kelabit differs noticeably from the types previously recorded in Southeast Asia; where its 'quadrangular' is from Malaysia, and there is no 'round ax'. Agriculture is a traditional occupation of the Kelabit people. Other traditional occupation includes needle working. There are 69 items with pearls (necklaces, hats, and belts) decorations. Pearl jewelry is a sign of prestige, just like Chinese porcelain vases. Necklaces are worn by both men and women, while headdresses are exclusively for women. Kelabit people are interested in precious stones. Earlier before they became Christians, the Kelabit people had stone amulets.

The traditional occupation of Kelabit people is agriculture. The main cultivar is rice. They distinguish between wet paddy field and dried paddy field. In the north of the Bario Highlands, there are only wet paddy field areas. In other parts of the Highlands, dried paddy field areas have also been made, as well as other crops that have also been planted in these paddy field areas. The Kelabit people are also cultivators of maize, tapioca, pineapple, pumpkin, cucumber, beans, coffee, lemongrass, taro, and various fruits like passion fruit and strawberry. Livestock development is limited. Meat is a special problem, as traditionally the Kelabit people used it only for sacrifices, and even today almost no animals are slaughtered for daily consumption (since, at present, there are still many Kelabit people who are adherents of traditional beliefs). Subsequently, they began to raise animals for dairy products and meat. The forest is the main source of wild fruits and vegetables. Forest gathering, hunting, and fishing are common. Kelabit people engage in salt extraction; which plays a significant role in their economy. With salt, they would exchange from other people for their own necessities.