History of Naha'A
Naha'A is a small Kayan settlement in the Upper Baram, Just below Long Akah.
It was first settled in circa 1850. By Kayan that had lived in the Sedan River where they lived with the Kelabit Ngorek community. During the 1876 small pox epidemic, this community was badly affected.
Their tradition says they have lived at the present site, named Naha'A for 25 years.
After they left Naha'A, the community split into three. One group went to Datah Tawak in the Patah River; another to Long Nyivung, only a few kilometers upstream from Naha'A and another to Long Benyu in the Akah River. The Datah Tawak group later moved on to Long Lutin just downriver from Datah Tawak, Then to Uma Apau at the mouth of the Patah River. They then moved to Long Pawan, Long Kelimau, Nahah Itun Uve', Long Utun, Bato' Talang in 1948 and back to Naha'A in 1957.
The community had grown into 87 families from about 30 by 1980. On 28th July 2003, one block of the longhouse was burnt down, leading to the need to build a new Longhouse quickly. At an election in December 2003, 70 percent of the family heads voted to build a new Longhouse in the Sg Lawen area.
Sg Lawen is located some 20 kilometers from Naha'A, but within the land claimed by the people as their Native Customary Rights land. It is located on the main timber road going up the Baram River which is the main means of going to the urban areas today. It is the only area with extensive land suitable for sustainable agriculture.
I visited the Kayan community for the last time in 2007. It was then that the Baram Hydroelectric Dam plans had been leaked and NGO's across the globe recognised that the Baram Dam would displace the following villages and longhouse communities::
:
1) Long Na'ah, Kayan 2) Long Liam, Kayan
3) Long Tebangan, Kayan
4) Long Anyat, Kayan
5) Ba Keluan, Western Penan
6) Long Beku, Western Penan
7) Long Luding, Western Penan
8) Long Item, Eastern Penan
9) Long Dilo, Eastern Penan
10) Long Lutin, Eastern Penan
11) Long Kawi, Eastern Penan
12) Long Segayang, Eastern Penan
13) Ba Abang / Long Sepatai, Eastern Penan
14) Long San, Regional Centre (mainly Kenyah)
15) Long Tap, Kenyah
16) Long Selatong Dikan, Kenyah
17) Long Selatong Tanjung Tepalit, Kenyah
18) Long Apu, Kenyah
19) Long Julan, Kenyah
20) Long Julan Pelutan, Kenyah
21) Long Anap, Kenyah
22) Long Palai, Kenyah
23) Long Silat, Kenyah
24) Long Selawan, Kenyah
25) Long Je'eh, Kenyah
26) Long Makabar, Kenyah
