AN activist urged Sarawak today to record the ancient traditions of three tribes, which are on the verge of extinction, in the Belaga district.
Native rights activist Harry Wing said the tribes are the Sihan, Ukit, and Lahanan.
He said there is at least 1,000 years of "lost history" hidden under 200m of water in the Bakun Dam.
Wing said the history must be documented before it is gone forever.
He said the state should enlist the help of Unesco to document the "natural treasures" of Belaga district.
Wing, who is a Belaga native, told The Vibes that not enough had been done by the state to record the ancient history of Belaga tribes, the happenings of the ancient warring periods of the headhunters in central Sarawak, and the original traditions and the cultural practices and customary laws of these rare tribes.
"A lot of rare history in Belaga had been lost after the Bakun Dam reservoir flooded the entire valley (measuring about 650 sq km) about 20 years ago.
"The original settlements of the ancient minority tribes from the Sihan, Ukit, and Lahanan ethnic communities were also drowned.
"The Sihans, Ukits, and Lahanans are among the rarest ethnic groups still existing in Sarawak.
"Their histories are said to be dated back to more than a thousand years ago.
"The population of the Sihans is only about 200 today.
"The Ukits also number about 500 or less, and the Lahanans number only a few thousand today.
"Their population is getting smaller by the year as the older generation dies and the young ones migrate and marry into other ethnic communities," said Wing.
On May 9, The Vibes reported that Sarawak government had submitted rare, historical manuscripts found in ancient village sites in the state to Unesco to be listed as world heritage documents. The manuscripts were handwritten by historical figures during the days of the Malay kingdoms in Lawas and Limbang.
The rare manuscripts were written by hand by famous personalities during the days of the ancient Malay kingdoms in Lawas and Limbang, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.
The manuscripts are in the care of the Sarawak Malay Cultural Foundation Charity Trust Board.
Sarawak already has the Mulu caves in the Baram district listed as a Unesco Natural World Heritage site. Mulu, about 200km inland from Miri city, has the largest natural cave chambers in the world that can fit up to 40 Boeing 737 aircraft.
The Niah caves in Miri are expected to be recognised soon as a Unesco Natural World Heritage site. The bones of a 60,000-year-old human were discovered at the site. – May 13, 2024.
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