Mountains and forests are forever linked in the minds of many people to the mysteries and wonders of nature; but we sometimes forget that we too are part of this mystery.

Mount Singai, the traditional home of the Singai Bidayuh, still calls and binds its people to it.

The mountain is one of those visible from the road leading from Kuching to Bau and the Singai Bidayuh return because of Mount Singai’s cultural, historical, economical and ecological significance.

Before we began our journey of discovery recently, Dr Georges Schneider spoke about the sacredness of the forest.

We cannot say that we appreciate nature without also valuing the hands and cultures which shaped it. Nature and the lives of man cannot be divorced.

Those of us who live in cities forget, perhaps, and become divorced from nature — its sacredness and power — as we artificially create the ‘perfect’ environment.

On Sunday, Aug 3, a group of Malaysian Nature Society members made a journey of re-discovery and reflection with Datuk John Tenewi Nuek.

John showed us the way up as he explained how his roots, despite his journeys far from it, are entwined with those of Mount Singai.

The forest covering the slopes on the surface appears to be completely natural, but appearances can deceive.

It has been directed by the Bidayuh of Singai, who have lived there for generations.

Fruit trees — durian (Durio sp), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), mangosteen (Garcinia sp), and mango (Mangifera sp) for example — are common, especially so at abandoned longhouse sites.

Sago palm (Eugeissonia utilis), which has a starchy pith that provides food, and bamboo that is planted for construction and production of household articles such as mats and containers, as well as some extraordinarily large tapang (Koompassia excelsa) — towering above their neighbours — overshadow the trail.

Our first stop was a small house being built with traditional materials — bamboo. Before being used for construction purposes, bamboo — the tallest grass in the world — is soaked in water and then dried. Its woody stem is then varnished to preserve it.

John explained that the site we were on was once that of a traditional Bidayuh house.

The gravel trail leading to the house was shaded with sago palm and other trees, and skirted the edges of a rice field. Forest birds were heard, but proved elusive.

As we walked along the shaded trail, we saws and felt our dependence on the natural world as we learned more of how the Singai Bidayuh lived in harmony with it.

According to traditional belief systems, plants, animals and even the land itself have spirits. Podi or padi (rice) also has a spirit.

When we grow, cook and eat this nourishing grain, the spirit must be respected.

And that is why many believe that if we waste rice, we will go hungry as we have angered the rice spirit.

We then stopped at a small clearing and resting place, pungudung, where offerings to the rice spirit are made before planting begins in the fields.

The water from Ribuan Nais (a waterfall) was used in ceremonies to worship the rice spirit.

Late at night before planting, the people of the area would come to collect the spirit of the rice in the water. This spirit is then whisked to the paddy fields via the water.

We also passed other spiritually important sources of water — Oyak Potap, a bamboo-piped gravity-fed pool that was used for bathing on the way to the longhouses. The cool waters are believed to have a positive effect on one’s health.

As mentioned the forest of Singai was nurtured in many ways by the Singai Bidayuh.

As we approached forts or old longhouse sites, the abundance of fruit trees became apparent. These trees grow well in the jungle and the site appears like a natural forest.

However, John pointed out the sites of forts and longhouses that were abandoned when residents moved down the mountain.

The trees remind people of the past, which is interwoven with them.

So far we have talked about the trees that were planted, however, the naturally occurring ones, for example the towering tapangs which emerge above the canopy, are very important too.

These are also believed to be the residences of spirits.

Honey bees also build their nests in the upper reaches of the trees.

The Singai Bidayuh are connected to the natural world and I feel that we too need to be reconnected.

For more information on the Bidayuh of Singai look for ‘Dayak Bidayuh Community Rituals, Ceremonies, & Festivals’ by Patrick Regep Nuek.