Dayak Association Miri will be organising a two-months Ngajat class starting 1st August 2010. Members and non-members are urge to join the classes which are divided into two categories – men and women.

The classes will be conduct every evening from 7.30pm-9.30pm (Mondays-Fridays), from 4pm-6pm (Saturday – men only) and from 4pm-6pm (Sunday – women only).

The men’s class is on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday while the women’s class is on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday.

A minimal fees of RM25 per member and RM50 per non-member will be charged. Children aged 8-12 years old will be charged RM50 for the Ngajat classes.

Entry forms and further detail is available at DAM office or contact 019-8761068 (Puan Rosline Minggang – Organizing Chairlady).

MIRI: Nembiak rebak baru diatu jarang bendar agi ngemeranka pengawa asal bansa diri laban ke tebal agi udah diau ba nengeri tauka diau ngejang ari apai indai ba sekula buding di menua pesisir tauka di nengeri ke mit agi.

Mayuh bendar penemu lama bansa kitai Iban udah nadai dikemeranka agi ulih nembiak baru, indu enggau lelaki.

Bala ke nembiak jarang bendar nemu nyanggit jalai, ngaga serangan duku, mingkai pemansai tauka raga enggau lanji tauka ma utai bukai.

Lalu sida ke indu ban engka mayuh endar ke nadai nemu mesai bulu mata pengawa baka betenun, ngebat tauka nganyam (bisi mega disebut orang ngayam) laban tegal mayuh bala apai indai sida empu endang sama nadai nemu pengawa nya.

Laban nangika penemu ngaga kraf sereta asil tauka produk asal bansa diri, nya alai udah bekau ke tembu ngatur kelas ngajat, kelas betenun enggau ngebat, diatu bala sida ari raban bansa Iban ke masuk dalam Sayap Indu Gerempung Dayak Miri

(DAM) keran deka ngasuh semua penemu lama enggau pesaka tuai bukai nya ditan, dibun sereta dikemansangka enggau meruan agi. DAM diatu merambu deka ngatur kelas nganyam.

Udah bekau dikerandauka dalam aum komiti besai DAM, semua kaban gerempung setuju magang deka ngatur kelas ngayam baruh komiti betuaika Agnes Nani ke mega nyadi ketuai pubisiti sereta mega berakup enggau sekiteri DAM ngatur iya, awakka terus ngatur projek nya enggau lengkas.

“Projek ngayam nya dipejalaika ba Ruai Francis Loke ba rumah gerempung nya di Jalai Merpati berengkah ari sehari kemari 7 Sept. Kelas berengkah jam pukul 1 lemai ngagai pukul 5 lemai ungkup sesi lemai sereta enggau berengkah pukul 5.30 lemai ngagai pukul 9 malam ungkup sesi malam,” sekiteri DAM Jacqueline Selaka madah.

“Kelas tu endang kena ngerembaika agi sereta ngetan lalu ngemeranka pengelandik bala Iban ke ngaga tikai, ngaga lenguai ungkup pupu raban bansa, kelebih ungkup bala nembiak ke benung mansang,” ku iya nerang.

Semua bala kaban gerempung diperansang awakka ulih sama enggau awakka semua sida bela ampit penemu enggau pelajar ngayam ka tambah mega awakka sama nemu produk ti manah dikena dalam pengawa nya.

“Tang nadai mega lebih ari ngulih tauka belajar pengelandik ngayam, nya alai manah agi enti sama sulih datai enggau sama dalam projek tu, ku Jacqueline.

Iya mega madah, bala mensia mayuh endan sama tau enggai enti sida deka nemu sereta mereti agi pasal sekeda tradisi pengelandik jari bala Iban.

Orang ke bisi ati deka masuk projek tu dipinta mayar RM30 enti ukai kaban gerempung tang kaban gerempung mina mayar RM20 aja.

Bala orang ke bisi ati tau talipaun ngiga Jacqueline (016-8908714); Nani (019-8751765); tukang wang Yak Dungkong (013-8333925) tauka Kitty Janggot ba opis DAM (085-435467).

Source: Borneo Post

By Mary Francis
Source: The Borneo Post

MIRI: The pride in knowing how to perform the ‘ngajat’ – the Iban traditional dance – must be kept burning among the Iban youths.

The young Ibans should look back to the days of their parents or forefathers when there was so much pride in knowing how to perform the ‘ngajat’.

That was the view of Jacqueline Selaka, the organising chairperson of a two-month ‘ngajat’ class which started here recently.

She said there was such an overwhelming pride for one to know how to perform the dance skillfully and being commended for it by the elderly.

“Unfortunately, sad to say, some Iban children do not even know how to appreciate the dance when they see it performed,” she added.

Jacqueline regretted that the Iban youths were shying away from learning the ‘ngajat’.

The ‘ngajat’, she said, was a very graceful traditional dance that had been a permanent and the most prominent feature in almost any Iban festival or ceremonial gathering.

“Just as the Chinese New Year is not complete without the lion dance, a Dayak festival is also not complete without the ngajat,” she said when contacted by thesundaypost yesterday.

“Ngajat is one of the cultural practices of the Ibans that is losing interest among the younger generation.”

Of course it would not be necessary or practical to preserve every old culture but those that were beautiful and meaningful and did not pose any hindrance to progress could be preserved, Jacqueline said, adding that they could even be modified to suit the present day condition.

The two-month ngajat class is organised by the Women’s Wing of Dayak Association Miri (DAM) and is conducted by a ngajat expert, Phyllis Muda, every Tuesday and Wednesday at the 3rd Floor of Rumah Dayak, Jalan Merpati here.

Entry fee is RM30 per person.

There is also a ‘betabuh’ class at the same building every Monday and Thursday.

Participation fee is RM50 per group.

The classes are aimed at enabling the younger generation to further enrich their lives by knowing more about the betabuh and the ngajat for their lifelong skills, and to preserve and value the uniqueness of the Iban cultural dance and music instruments.

Jacqueline hoped Iban children would take the step to master the dance and learn the ‘betabuh’as early as they could so as to keep their unique culture alive.

For enquiries on the classes, call Rumah Dayak at 085-435467, organising chairlady Jacqueline Selaka (085-653670/013-8482446, Caroline Lung (019-3623627/429409), organising Juliana Esah (611785/013-8378485), Betty Pan (012-8719778) and Cherenie Gisang (019-8748126).

The Classes will start on:

1. Betabuh Class 2008 @4th April 2008 (Every Monday & Thursday) @7.00pm at PDM’s Hall
2. Ngajat Class 2008 @2nd April 2008 (Every Tuesday & Wednesday) @7.00pm at PDM’s Hall

For Registration Form and Entrance Fees, please do not hesitate to contact:
1. Puan Jacqueline Selaka (Organizing Chairlady) – 0138427392(HP)
085-658815 (H)
2. Juliana Esah (Organizing Secretary) – 0138378485 (HP)
085 – 426497 (H)
3. Miss Kitty Janggot – 085-435467 (PDM’s Office)