KUCHING, May 28 — As preparations for Hari Gawai gather pace across Sarawak, concerns are growing over the gradual fading of traditional Dayak customs and rituals amid changing lifestyles and modern influences.
Former Sarawak Customs Council research assistant Philip Igai said today’s Gawai celebrations differ greatly from those held between the 1960s and 1980s, when rituals and traditional practices played a much bigger role in the festivities.
He said one of the main reasons many traditional rituals are no longer widely practised is the change in religious beliefs among the Dayak community, particularly after many embraced Christianity.
“In the past, there were more traditional elements such as Gawai Umai and Gawai Tuah, which involved elders and various customary rituals.
“The elders played a major role in managing the ceremonies. Today, many of these practices are becoming increasingly rare and are hardly carried out anymore,” he told Bernama.
Philip, a former teacher aged 76, said Gawai organising committees at longhouses are now focusing more on activities that appeal to younger generations to encourage greater participation in the celebration.
Among the popular activities are sepak takraw and futsal competitions, while karaoke programmes have also become crowd favourites.
“Even so, efforts to preserve cultural heritage are still ongoing. In Betong, for example, there are clubs and associations helping younger generations learn traditional cultural arts,” he said.
According to Philip, although some customary practices have diminished over time, Hari Gawai, celebrated on June 1 and 2, continues to symbolise the identity and unity of the Dayak community, which comprises nearly 30 ethnic groups in Sarawak.
He said efforts to elevate Gawai Dayak into a national-level celebration had been discussed since the early 1960s by leaders such as Datuk Seri Tra Zehnder.
“Before it was officially recognised, the Dayak community celebrated various Gawai festivals according to their respective ethnic groups as a sign of gratitude to God for a bountiful harvest, although the dates differed according to local customs and areas.
“After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Sarawak’s first Chief Minister Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan agreed for the festival to be gazetted, and the first official Gawai Day celebration was held on June 1, 1965,” he said.
Philip said preparations for Gawai usually begin days before June 1 through special meetings to form organising committees at longhouses and divide responsibilities among residents.
“Usually on May 30, preparations begin with food preparation such as slaughtering chickens, cooking lemang and preparing various traditional dishes
“On the morning of May 31, longhouse residents begin laying mats along the ruai as a sign that the actual Gawai celebration has begun. Some also take the opportunity to visit family graves,” he said.
He added that on the night of May 31, residents gather at the ruai for the Gawai ceremony, accompanied by the sound of the gendang rayah, a special ceremonial drum played during the celebration.
“There is also the ‘berayah’ ceremony, where representatives from each family room walk around the ruai wearing traditional attire and carrying parang as a symbol of custom and tradition.
“As midnight approaches, the Gawai chief delivers a speech and at exactly 12 midnight on June 1, all longhouse residents drink ‘air pengayu’ as a symbol of the beginning of the new Gawai year before shaking hands as a gesture of forgiveness,” he said. — Bernama
