Borneo Traditional Tattoo: past and future

As u all know Borneo or Sarawak is situated to the east of Malaysia and famous for its iban headhunter in the early day and also for their tattoos. Tattoo is a traditional art of body modification that had been a heritage to my culture, but sadly it is slowly dying.

Today most of the people in Sarawak choose not to have any tattoo. This is very sad to me because tattoo and headhunter is what set us apart from others. In the old days people will recognize you by your tattoos, where do you live and where do you come are easily noticeable by the pattern of your tattoos besides women will not marry men with out tattoos. Today the situation is far different than those early days, its hard to find a heavily tattooed men with traditional tattoos, most youngster now prefer modern tattoos than the traditional tattoos. Its hard to imagine that my own people doesn't care about this any more, they prefer to be modernize and live in the cities instead of the longhouse.

Headhunter in the modern days

Right now i am trying to preserved whats left of my culture, the future is uncertain for the iban traditional tattoo, will it still exist or lost in time no one knows.... I hope my people will realized about this before its to late.

Iban traditional dance call the "ngajat"