Bekudung Betiung Traditional Ceremony in Tumbit Dayak Village, Berau


Spending a holiday in Derawan Archipelago is one thing. For the next adventure, Berau District still has lots of nature and culture attractions for travelers. Here is a reference. The name is Bekudung Betiung Traditional Ceremony, which is the signature event of Tumbit Dayak Village in Berau. Not to mention it is the part of Dayak Gaai Tribe’s culture. The locals have been doing the ceremony for generations and these days it becomes another interesting attraction for visitors. In a nutshell, people in Tumbit Dayak conduct the ceremony to show gratitude to the God for abundant crops and wellness.

The Nuance
As mentioned earlier, the ceremony is done after the harvest season. There is another purpose of doing the ritual, though. The locals also perform Bekudung Betiung as the sign of the maturity of local boys, which is called Lamko. Either way, the event is quite merry and it lures lots of crowds, including nearby villagers and tourists. Such annual ceremony lasts for about 7 days and 7 nights, in fact! No wonder, travelers would be able to enjoy such festivity and spend more days in Berau, because they want to join the ceremony and merge with the locals.

Enjoying Bekudung Betiung
There is an important rule for those who live or stay in Tumbit Dayak Village when the ceremony is in progress. What is it? They are prohibited in leaving the village! In accordance with local culture, people show disrespect when leaving the village during the procession of Bekudung Betiung. In other words, all people must stay and enjoy such 7-days ceremony. It sounds like a strict rule, doesn’t it? Therefore, tourists should be committed to join the event from the beginning to the end without breaking any rules. If not, the locals would fine them.

As stated before, Bekudung Betiung also represents the maturity of local boys. In this case, there is a special house involved during the ritual and the name is Sunta. Within a certain time, the boy should stay in such house and get trained intensively. He might learn several skills, especially the ones for fighting. Hopefully, he can use the skills for numerous purposes like protection, hunting, etc. Apart from war skills, the boy also learns several craft arts like weaving and carving. The thing is this type of ritual seems boring to tourists. No wonder, many visitors choose the other type of Bekudung Betiung (the gratitude for wellness and abundant crops).

Even though the ceremony is open for tourists, it applies several rules to everyone. Leaving the village during the procession is prohibited and tourists are not allowed to cause any disturbance. Taking pictures is possible, as long as they have obtained permission from the elders. Overall, what they need are a good communication and decent behaviors.

Other Attractions

  • Inaran Waterfall
  • Bangun River
  • Sambaliung Palace
  • Payau Captive Breeding
  • Bagawai Uwat Ceremony

How to Get There
Dayak Sumbit Village is located in Sambaliung Sub-district. From Tanjung Redeb, the trip may take about 2-3 hours, depending on the traffic. The distance is 78 km, actually. Here is the tip. Travelers should take H. Isa III Street for a faster trip to their destination.

Where to Stay

  • Grand Parama Hotel
  • Cantika Swara Hotel
  • Bumi Segah Hotel

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