During the day, when many of the residents are out working in the fields or forest, the main hall is mostly empty, a peaceful, somnolent space of cool refuge. If you stand on one end and look all the way down, you often see young children playing quietly on intricately woven matts, always watched by an older member of the community. In an environment where respect for each other's space is essential to a healthy community, even the family dogs seem to honor each other's small territory. They doze immediately in front of each household, respecting their invisible barriers. At night, just after supper, the main hall livens up.
Families come out to socialize and guests gather in front of the chief's room.
The chief's home is almost always in the dead center of the building, and is often distinguished by a fetish of antique human skulls - a reminder of the days when the Iban and other tribes in Borneo practiced headhunting. The practice faded quickly following the arrival of colonialism and the White Rajas of Sarawak, who actively discouraged it. Like many of the guides on the river, Nuyagang was born in a longhouse, then left it for the education and employment opportunities in Kuching, Sarawak's capital city. Having a native guide who understands the language and the social complexities of the Iban helps a lot when it comes to understanding life in a longhouse. It means that their house is wanted.