Many families – one house
In most villages around the world, you’ll find lots of houses. But on
the island of Borneo, a Dyak village may have only one house! That’s
because the house is a village all by itself!
A Dyak house, called a longhouse, may be a block long. And it may be the
home for as many as 50 families. Sometimes these families are all
related to one another. Each family has its own sleeping room and place
to work. The rest of the house is one enormous room, which the families
share. There is also a porch on one side of the house.
In most parts of the world, a family has its own house or apartment. And
father is usually the head of the house. Naturally, a house as big as a
Dyak longhouse needs a head, too. But Dyak families choose who will be
the head of the house. The families in a longhouse get together and
elect him.
During the day, almost everyone in the longhouse does some kind of job.
The men and older boys hunt, fish, or mend tools. Women work on the
longhouse farm, or make baskets, clothes, and blankets. Children gather
food for the pigs and chickens. But at night, everyone takes it easy.
The families eat together. Then the big room of the longhouse becomes
filled with the sounds of music, dancing, and laughter until bedtime.
Malaysia
A Dyak longhouse is really a whole village in which many families live.
The little houses in back are where the families cook their food.
