CELEBRATING CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ACTION IN THE HIGHLANDS OF THE HEART OF BORNEO
The words of the Head of the Lundayeh Peoples Association of Indonesia, Dr Yansen, resonated loud and clear in the big village hall of Long Bawan, district of Nunukan, North Kalimantan, on November 1st: “FORMADAT shows that we are no longer a local community, we are an international community.” No words could have stirred a stronger feeling of pride and achievement among the representatives of the Lundayeh/Lun Bawang, Kelabit, and Sa’ban communities of the Highlands in Indonesia and Malaysia who, ten years ago, in Long Bawan, 24 October 2004, decided to form a trans-border association, FORMADAT, to: “…increase awareness and understanding about the highland communities, build local capacity, and encourage sustainable development in the Heart of Borneo.”
Precisely ten years later, in 2014, representatives and communities from the Highlands of Sabah, Sarawak and Krayan (Kalimantan) came together in Long Bawan to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of their organization FORMADAT or the Alliance of the Indigenous Peoples of the Highlands in the Heart of Borneo.
They did so in great style by displaying the best of their cultural heritage with dances, drumming and songs, the beauty of the landscape in their homeland, always a precious backdrop, and local culinary traditions. While engaging guests and other peoples from surrounding villages in the Highlands, FORMADAT celebrated its own achievements and the importance of working together to promote the Highlands to the world. “While there is an international border between our two countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, our people are not separated by any border” added Dr Yansen with confidence.” This is the spirit that encased the many activities during the 2-day celebration. The opening ceremony held in the village hall was accompanied by beautiful and harmonious dances by the women of Ba’ Kelalan and the young women and school girls of Long Bawan, and concluded by the unique and warm performance of the elders, men and women from Berian Baru. During the ceremony, a touching remembrance of the late Datuk Dr Judson Sakai Tagal brought back the inspiration of the beginning of the journey of FORMADAT.
Four teams of women from different villages in Krayan used all of their culinary skills and creativity to prepare tasty and earthy meals with local ingredients, including the famous adan rice and mountain salt now adopted in the products of the Ark. The best team, voted by a jury, won a prize for not only best tasting food but also the quality and artistry of the display. But it was during a cool evening at the Cultural Field School, that the celebration reached its climax and spread its contagious warmth with food, ancient torches, music and drumming, and the dances led by the young ladies of Terang Baru, under the expert conducting og Pak Ellyas. Nothing could communicate better the commitment of the communities of the Highlands in the Heart of Borneo to go forward and develop and become a global community because of their cultural identity and traditions, not despite of them.