 A young Kenyah family inNorth Kalimantan, pre-1944. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 69,256 (year 2000 - Malaysia and Indonesia)[1] 72,000 (year 2023 - Malaysia and Indonesia )[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Borneo: | |
 Malaysia (Sarawak) | 56 600 (2023)[3] |
 Indonesia (East Kalimantan) | 44,000 (2020)[3] |
| Languages | |
| Kenyah languages (Mainstream Kenyah),Sarawak Malay,Standard Malay,English andIndonesian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (Majority 94,27%), Bungan (Folk religion),[4]Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bagai people,Kayan people,Penan people | |
TheKenyah people are an indigenous,Austronesian-speaking people ofBorneo, living in interiorNorth andEast Kalimantan,Indonesia andSarawak,Malaysia.
The Kenyah people, traditionally beingswidden agriculturalists[5] and living inlonghouses (uma dado'),[6] is an umbrella term for over 40 sub-groups that mostly share common migration histories, customs, and related dialects. Kenyah people lived in longhouses a small communities. Each longhouse consists of families who choose their own leader (headman). When they have an event or celebration such asharvest festival, they will normally use the longhouse verandah (oseh bi'o) to gather and deliver speeches to guide their youngsters. Normally this harvest festival celebration (tau bio Ramay o o Ajau,pelepek uman) is a major festival because most of them are still farmers.
Kenyah people are very creative. They compose their popular songs and melody such asLan e Tuyang,Kendau bimbin,Ilu Kenyah Kua Lo Te'a,Pabat Pibui,Atek Lan, andLeleng Oyau Along Leleng. Popular traditional Kenyah musical instruments are such asjatung utang (wooden xylophone),[7]sampe (a type of guitar),[8]sampe bio (single-stringed bass),lutong (a four- to six-string bambootube zither)[9] andkeringut (nose flute).[10]
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Christianity is the predominant religion of Kenyah people, with the majority belonging to the Evangelical Protestanism. Before the arrival of Christian missionaries, the Kenyah people practice a traditional form ofanimism called 'Adat Pu'un'. During the initial introduction of Christianity byChristian & Missionary Alliance andBorneo Evangelical Mission, traditional beliefs and practices were revitalized and this form was called 'Bungan Malan Peselong Luan' movement. Today, there are only a small number of Kenyah people who still practice the Bungan faith.[11][12] It is believed that a person will ascend toAlo Malau (seven heavens) with theirancestors (tepun) after death.
Statistical figures, based on the Indonesian and Malaysian national censuses collected in 2000, recorded a total of 44,350 Kenyah people inEast Kalimantan,Indonesia and 24,906 inSarawak,Malaysia.[13]
The Kenyahs traditionally inhabit the remoteBaramLio Matoh,Long Selaan,Long Moh,Long Anap,Long Mekaba,Long Jeeh,Long Belaong,Long San,Long Silat,Long Tungan,Data Kakus, Data Surau, Data Senap,Long Dungan,Long Busang,Long Beyak, Tubau,Bintulu,Miri, Apau Koyan resettlement forBakun Dam, Long Bulan, Long Jawe, Dangang, Long Bangan, Long Sah B(Uma Kelep), Long Urun, Sambop Long Semutut, Long Tebulang, Long Lawen, Long Unan andBelaga regions inSarawak,Malaysia and the remote Apau Kayan, Bahau (Bau), Benua Lama, Benua Baru and Mahakam regions inNorth Kalimantan andEast Kalimantan,Indonesia.
Kenyah people are divided into various lepo'/lebo' (tribes/clans) including theUma Bakah, Lepo Anan, Lepo Tau, Lepu Jalan, Lepo' Tepu, Uma Kelep(Lebuq Timai), Uma Ujok, Uma Pawa', Seping, Sebop, Badeng, Jamok, Lepo Agak, Bakung (Long Singut),Uma Kulit, Uma Alim, Lebuq Timai, Uma Lasan, Lepo Ma-ut, Sambop, Lepo Ke', Lepo Ngao, Ngurek, Long Ulai, Long Tikan, Long Sabatu, Lepo Ga, Lepo Dikan, Lepo' Bem, Lepo' Embo' and Lepo Pua.
Within the boundaries ofSamarinda, Borneo's most populous city, most of the Kenyah people reside in the village ofBudaya Pampang,North Samarinda. They migrated fromBulungan since 1967, and Pampang has been declared by East Kalimantan government as a cultural village in 1991. Numerous cultural events have been held regularly there.[14]
The Kenyah people are also divided into various sub-ethnic groups such as:-[15]
TheUsun Apau (aka Usun Apo) plateau (in the Plieran River valley) or Apo Kayan Highlands (a remote forested plateau in Malaysian and Indonesian border) in the present-day Indonesian province ofNorth Kalimantan andMalaysia'sSarawak is believed by the Kenyah people to be their place of origin;[16] which was the largest concentration site of Kenyah populations between the late 19th century to the early 1980s.
TheKenyah languages are a small family ofAustronesian languages. Their language is called Kenyah.
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