Photos

Alfred, Bill and I found ourselves crossing the Sarawak River from the kampong(Malay village side) to the city side. I saw an agile youth board the little boat while we three looked for photo opportunities. He had long, black hair and large earrings(not sure what creature, maybe wild boar tusks)and traditional tattoos. As luck would have it, I ended up sitting opposite him and after enduring meaningful looks from Alfred and Bill which basically meant "Why don't you ask his permission for a photo," I did motion to the camera and he nodded. I a then inquired if he was Bidayuh, to which he replied with a definitive, "Iban." He saw that I was suitably impressed(as the Ibans have a reputation for bravery)and that lead to this image of a proud, urban Iban. Notice the Manchester United emblem.

Wikipedia says the following about the Iban, which supports the portrait's essence:

The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and tribal/territorial expansion. In ancient times the Ibans were a strong and successful warring tribe in Borneo. They speak the Iban language.

Today, the days of headhunting and piracy are long gone and in has come the modern era of globalization and technology for the Ibans. The Iban population is concentrated in Sarawak, Brunei, and in the West Kalimantan region of Indonesia. They live in longhouses called rumah panjai or rumah panjang [1]. Most of the Iban longhouses are equipped with modern facilities such as electricity and water supply and other facilities such as (tar sealed) roads, telephone lines and the internet. Younger Ibans are mostly found in urban areas and visit their hometowns during the holidays. The Ibans today are becoming increasingly urbanised while (surprisingly) retaining most of their traditional heritage and culture.