Who lives in rainforests?

Indigenous People of Borneo Objective: to understand the practices of the Dayak tribe people of Borneo. Your task: What do you think the term idigenous people means? Indigenous people are those that are the original inhabitants, or natives, of an area. Living from nature and lacking the technology to dominate their environment, indigenous people have learned to look after their surroundings and understand the workings of their environment. There are approximately 370 million Indigenous people in the world, belonging to 5,000 different groups, in 90 countries worldwide. Indigenous people live in every region of the world, but about 70% of them live in Asia. Your task: write a definition of indigenous people, copy this or create your own interpretation.

The Dayak people of Borneo The Dayak or Dyak or are the native people of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located mainly in the centre of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture. Dayak, both men and women, wore just a skirt of fabric reaching the knees and a type of round cap, made of twisted palm leaves and often adorned with glass beads or sea snail shells. Women also decorate themselves with collars made of animal teeth, insect wings, mother-of-pearl pieces, feather dressing and metal bracelets. Objective: to understand the practices of the Dayak tribe people of Borneo.

Meet the Long Eared Dayak The elongated ear lobe that could be found in Borneo is a dying art. Ear lobes were elongated by piercing at an early age and brass weights ear rings are put on for the sole reason of elongating the ear lobes. Your task: Discuss why both men and women might have done this. It was suppose to signify beauty for the wearer. Elongated ear lobes also signify status. The longer it is the more significant that person is to the tribe. Ear stretching today. Your task: with a partner, discuss why you think ear stretching is not so common today.

Your task: imagine you have been on an exploring visit to the rainforests of Borneo. Write a postcard home describing the traditional dress of the Dayak tribe. Objective: to understand the practices of the Dayak tribe people of Borneo. The clothing of the Dayak tribe of Borneo is … They practised the custom of ear stretching because … This is no longer so common today because ….

Dayak people lived mostly in massive communal structures known as longhouses. These could be up to 12 metres high, 200 m (660 ft) long and one roof. The longhouses are built on stilts, raised off the ground and divided into a public area along one side and a row of private living quarters along the other side. The whole clan works to construct these houses. They are built using tree trunks, bamboo, branches and leaves. The Borneo longhouse Objective: to understand the practices of the Dayak tribe people of Borneo. Flooding is not a problem. The ‘entry’ doubles as a canoe dock. Remember we are in the rainforest and it rains a lot. Cooling air circulates underneath the floor, and the raised living areas were more likely to catch ‘above ground breezes’. Livestock shelters underneath the longhouses for greater protection from predators and the elements. Living all together gives safety from attacks during times of warfare. Your task: discuss the benefits of a raised house where everyone lives together. Your task: describe what a longhouse is like, and explain some of its benefits. Draw a diagram to help you.

Objective: to understand the practices of the Dayak tribe people of Borneo.