Muja Menua, the Iban traditional rite to appraise God, ancestors and the earth
Channel: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
Date: 2020-07-15

The people of a Labian village recently conducted a muja menua rite (praising the God, the earth, and ancestors) before replanting riverbanks with tengkawang seedlings. This replanting, proposed by villagers during a Labian community meeting facilitated by the Riak Bumi NGO, helps to reduce risk of erosion. At the same time, it ensures the growth of an important tree that creates alternative sources of income for the community from tengkawang oil. The ritual thus preserves culturally important tree species and practices.