Orang Berawan
The Traditional People of Mulu

The 5,000-people strong Berawan is one of Sarawak’s minority native groups, a sub-group of the Orang Ulu. A rich oral tradition is one of the traditional cultural traits still retained by these people.

It is through song that the Berawan, the people of Mulu, tell their story. The story of how their forefathers came long ago from Kalimantan to Mulu. The lako is sung to keep up spirits under the blistering sun during harvest time. The life of the Berawan traditionally revolves around paddy, their staple food. As subsistence farmers, traditionally agricultural methods are used.

Integral to the lives of the Berawan is the longhouse. Here, the community gathers on the common verandah, where family and friends catch up on news, exchange gossip, and hold important meetings.

And it is here that the young splay themselves among the knees of the old when the latter recount folktales and epics. It is here that they sing their songs, perform their dances, or play their traditional musical instruments.

Not only is tradtion a trademark of their identity as a people, it reflects their association with the rest of the Orang Ulu people as well as with other civilizations.

An important cultural possession is the seed bead or manik, a mark of wealth and status, and very precious heirlooms.

Importantly, the arts were part of a sophisticated communication system in a preliterate society. A young boy would learn how to carve distinctive and intricate patters on a parang (machete) the same way a modern urban boy would use a pen.

Institutional education has opened the Berawan to the world outside, including jobs and government representation. Many have therefore been lured away from their traditional lands and life.

Thankfully, the popularity of the nearby Gunung Mulu National Park has presented economic incentives to remain at home. Besides operating travel agencies, tourist lodges and cantees, Berawans are employed in the national park. They also work in tourist-related jobs such as boatmen, guides and cultural performers.

The Berawan realise the importance of maintaining their cultural identity. The lako is still sung at ceremonies, in the field, or in the longhouse, and in the lako is forged the memory of the old people. the memory of thier origins and old way of lige. And in the preserving of that memory, is the preservation of a uniqueness of a people.