In the previous series, we explored the most recent phase of Iban migration to the Balingian region along the Tau and Bawang Rivers, tracing the movements of their communities and the legacy of leaders like Undau anak Tadong.
This second part highlights an earlier migration group led by an Iban warrior named Entinggar anak Sigah, who arrived in the Bawang River area prior to the migration of Undau. Although there is currently no formal record of Entinggar’s migration in the archives of the Sarawak Museum, his story continues to live on through oral tradition. It is my hope that, in time, his journey and leadership will also be formally recognised and documented as part of Sarawak’s historical narrative.
Entinggar’s Migration to the Bawang River
Entinggar was an Iban headman and warrior originating from Nanga Belaie, Ulu Skrang (present-day Sri Aman). His migration occurred earlier than Undau’s and followed a different route. He left Nanga Ulu Belaie due to prolonged warfare (udu bemusuh¹).
Following his departure from Skrang, Entinggar and his followers settled for a period at Sentebu, Sarikei. Over time, Sentebu came to be regarded as kusi². This belief prompted Entinggar to resume his migration.
His subsequent journey involved extensive travel through river systems and coastal sea routes, with several temporary settlements established along the way, before his group finally settled along the Bawang River in the Balingian region. As such, Entinggar’s followers are remembered as the earliest Iban settlers along the Bawang River.
Oral Accounts
The following accounts are based on oral history passed down by my aunt, Sudau:
“Entinggar originated from Ulu Belaie in the Skrang area, today known as Skim Skrang, an area that has undergone agricultural transformation, including the development of smallholder oil-palm plantations.
Entinggar had to pass through Sungai Kara before entering Nanga Bawang, long before the land there was purchased using manuk sabung¹⁰. My late father, Lampun, saw old grave relics at Sungai Kara, such as baya’¹², benda⁴ (including tajau⁵),which were still covered with their caps at the time. In the past, these relics were well cared for. However, after people learned that such items could be sold, it is believed that the benda and tajau at Sungai Kara were stolen. The burial area, pendam⁸, was close to the river, with surrounding hills clearly visible.
Previously, the pendam at Sungai Kara was the burial ground where the Urang Sekara sent their deceased. The area was surrounded by hills. I used to travel there by perahu⁷. We no longer go to the ili⁹ today, as the landscape has changed tremendously. When I revisited the land, it was no longer the same.
I am unsure whether Entinggar had a libur³ marking his grave. However, there are still tajau present at Munggu Engkerebai.
In those days, Entinggar was an exceptionally strong man. Deer were plentiful, and he could catch them with ease.
Because of Entinggar, people migrated, and he became well known through his earlier settlements. His strength was extraordinary, and it was said that he lived for more than a hundred years.
Even in his old age, the soles of his feet remained firm. According to Apai Liap (Bedindang), when everyone else had passed on and others had grown weak with age, Entinggar remained strong. He was never sick.
Before his death, he chanted (meraung) seven times and went out onto the tanjuk (veranda).
Because of our ancestors, people migrated. They endured great hardship, struggles we may never fully understand so that we could live as we do today. They discovered new lands (mudik / berimba⁶), and for this, we regard them as noble.”
Some descendants of Entinggar later migrated toward the coast (tasik), including areas around present-day Balingian.
Oral genealogies record that Entinggar had six children:
Basik, Buyu, Keranchi, Kedu, Isik, and Lemi.
According to another account:
“Bari’s father came from Buyu, the son of Entinggar. Your grandmother’s account is not wrong. She had many relatives, dozens of siblings on each side. That is a very large kinship network. All of us are descendants of Entinggar through your grandmother. The descendants of Entinggar also spread toward the coast.”
“Chukan’s relatives who lived along the coast are the grandchildren of Basik.”
Such large kinship networks were not unusual among pioneering Iban families. While not all descendants lived close together or maintained constant interaction, shared ancestry remained known and carefully preserved through oral memory.
I once visited a distant relative who lived along the coast of Balingian during my secondary school years. I was there to attend a funeral, and it remains the first and only time I have ever been there.
“It is through your grandmother (Bari), who is a descendant of Entinggar…”
The direct line of descent relevant to my own lineage is as follows:
Entinggar → Buyu (his son) → Bari (my grandmother) → Siti (my mother) → me
Entinggar was known to his closest relatives as Aki Ingkong.
For further context, my grandmother, Bari, was later adopted by Keranchi, Entinggar’s daughter, further strengthening her connection to Entinggar’s line.
Entinggar’s Final Resting Place
It is said that Entinggar’s final resting place lies at the old pendam, situated upstream from my present longhouse. According to oral accounts, he did not request to be buried in the manner of a headman, such as in a lumbung¹¹. Instead, he was laid to rest as an ordinary Iban man of his time, surrounded by his deceased relatives.
Entinggar’s Wives
Entinggar had two wives. His first wife was Mena, who is believed to have died in Balingian, although there is no confirmed source to verify this. After Mena’s death, Entinggar remarried Chanda, also known as Inek Skrang, who was Mena’s cousin. Chanda later passed away at Munggu Engkerebai, one of the pioneering lands founded by Entinggar.
Entinggar’s Legacy
Entinggar was a revered warrior who founded settlements such as Lepung Jawi and Tembawai Kuta, among others. From the ili (downriver area) where his journey began, he later moved further ulu (upriver). It is said that remnants of his presence can still be found throughout the Bawang area. However, many of these traces may no longer exist due to the expansion of oil palm plantations and quarry activities that now surround the area.
Shared Heritage of Entinggar and Undau
Many present-day descendants trace their lineage to both Entinggar and Undau. While Undau’s lineage is often associated with upriver longhouse settlements, Entinggar’s descendants are remembered as having spread both inland and toward the coast. This dual heritage explains why members of the same extended family may be found across different regions while still sharing common ancestral roots.
Personal Reflection and Continuity
Through Bari, my grandmother, my family line carries the legacy of both Entinggar and Undau, two Iban warriors who mudik and berimba along the Bawang River, where my longhouse stands today. This dual inheritance has shaped my deep attachment to heritage and identity.
It is also significant that leadership in my family continues through women. My mother’s siblings are all female, and today the Tuai Rumah of Urang Kerupok, Sungai Bawang (my longhouse) is my mother’s youngest sister, Damie, who was elected in 2024 and continues to serve in this role.
In this way, the legacy of Entinggar and Undau does not merely survive in memory, but continues through living leadership, land, and lineage bridging oral history with the present.
Notes
1. Udu bemusuh – Refers to a prolonged state of warfare or hostile conflict, often involving repeated intergroup fighting that made continued settlement unsafe or untenable.
2. Kusi – Denotes a place considered “old,” exhausted, or no longer favourable for habitation, encompassing both material decline and spiritual considerations within the Iban worldview.
3. Libur – Refers to a marker or sign indicating a burial, similar to a gravestone that records a person’s identity.
4. Benda – Jar or container used in burial contexts to hold grave relics or offerings.
5. Tajau – A traditional Iban ceramic or earthenware jar, often used in ritual, ceremonial, or burial practices.
6. Mudik / Berimba – Terms describing the act of founding, opening, or establishing new lands and settlements.
7. Perahu – A traditional boat used for travel along rivers, particularly in upriver and downriver navigation.
8. Pendam – The designated burial ground where deceased members of the community were interred.
9. Ili / Ulu – Geographical terms used by the Iban: ili refers to the downstream or lower river areas, while ulu refers to upriver or interior locations.
10. Manuk Sabung – A customary or transactional reference (literally “fighting cock”) sometimes used as a form of payment or barter in land acquisition and agreements.
11. Lumbung – A type of open grave used in Iban burial practices; unlike standard burials, it is not buried underground. Traditionally, only headmen or prominent figures were buried this way.
12. Baya’ – Grave goods placed with the deceased.
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