Dyaks of North Borneo

Borneo then, was , in the words of Tom Harrison ,” at a far fringe of the fully walk-able world. There is frustratingly little known about the people of Borneo before the 19th century . From the great Niah cave in Sarawak , Batu Tulog located near the Kinabatangan river and and a few other sites comes archeological evidence of past human activities ; however , most of what we know about the island’s history in all but the most recent times from travellers’ accounts and indirect evidence from China and elsewhere. Borneo is sometimes portrayed as a historical backwater, but that is not, of course, the perspective of its inhabitants. 

“In the old days it was usual to call many of the up- country tribes loosely by the name of Dyak, but the Dyaks proper are a totally distinct race, only to be found within the borders of Sarawak. Those who have settled in North Borneo are mainly small traders or collectors of jungle produce, many of them ex-policemen who have served their time ; in former years when they were more numerous than they are now, they rendered valuable assistance to the Government on punitive expeditions, for they are a warlike people and dearly love a fight. As a rule they are law-abiding and well-behaved but, like the little girl in the nursery rhyme, when they are naughty they are horrid, and no more undesirable native could be found than a free Dyak who has " got above himself." They are a race of wanderers, ranging through the jungle or travelling from river to river, and the only Dyak village in the country is at Paal, a few miles south of Tenom.” - Owen Rutter.

At the turn of the 20th century in Sandakan , an officer of the British North Borneo Chartered Company describes the Dyak , “who form the fighting force of the country, are a splendid race, strong and well made, with bright intelligent faces and scantily clothed limbs, which show off to advantage the perfect grace of every movement, a grace of which only a well-bred savage is capable . Dyaks make splendid soldiers and the best of friends, as they are faithful and trustworthy, but the sight of blood intoxicates them, and when they are let go they are worse than wild beasts. Their one weapon is a long, sheathed knife, the handle of which is often most beautifully carved, and then decorated with the hair of their victims.”

~ a pre-WWII image of a group of Dyaks photograph by Mr Kwan Yau Mui , FRPS , of Sunshinewood Studio in Sandakan , by courtesy of Mr Nicholas Tan.