Dayak or Dyaks? The origins of the words Dayaks.

Years back, I stumbled upon a history book in Kuching State Library. I can’t remember much of the content of the book but one statement stays in my memory. It was the origins of the words Dayak which not many Sarawakians are even aware of.

In modern times, the word Dayak are being used mostly among the Bidayuh to describe ‘Bidayuh people’. ‘Onak Dayak’ usually refers to the children of Bidayuh. As is ‘dayak sok Bau’ which refers to Bidayuh from Bau regions, which where I came from. Though some insisted that all native or indigenous race of Sarawak are called Dayak. Therefore all races should be called Dayak Bidayuh, Dayak Iban, Dayak Kelabit and so on.

However, before Borneo became a part of Malaysia, there were only two native groups that was known as Dayak. Land Dayak, which stands for the Bidayuh people who lives mostly on hills and mountains. The surrounding forest provided the livelihood for the people as they hunts animals and plants padi on hilly slopes. The Sea Dayak refers to the tribal warring Ibans who live mostly by rivers or sea and was known to produce salts as part of their livelihood. They are also known to attack other indigenious groups for treasures such as beads and also foods. They are known though to kidnap young children to be made their own. Head hunting also have made this groups notorious during their times. Only during the rule of the White Rajah, the practices of head hunting was considered a crime and it slowly fades in times.


Though as hundreds of years had passed the words Dayak had been accepted as part of the Bidayuh language and many thought that it was originally a native word.

Recently, I visited the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur and came upon a picture depicting a few Dayak attacking British ships. What made me laughed was the old picture showed Dayak wearing white turbans and a get-up similar to Indian warriors (Indian as in the native people of India). Can’t help but to wonder who had drawn that picture in the first place and who had allowed it to be depicted as history.

The captions described it as ‘Dyaks attack on British ship’something like that. And that brought me back to the particular history that I’ve read years back.
The word Dyaks was first said by the English soldier, James Brooke as he saw the indigenious race was similar to a Native American race known as the Dyaks people. As he was given the authority to solve the problems concerning the native people who was giving the Brunei royalty a hard time, he described the two main groups as Land Dayak and the Sea Dayak.
I’m not sure about the history of the Dyaks people in native America but I’m thinking of making more research on that. It wouldn’t be surprise if the race is extinct. That was probably the reason why Pangeran Muda Hashim decided James Brooke was the right person to handle the native people. I wonder what happen to the Pangeran after the whole region was given to the Brooke family instead.

There was one quote that says history was written by those who win the battle. That kind of reminds me of how little I know about my own people. Maybe spending a whole day researching at the National Library wouldn’t be a bad idea.

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