Tidung ethnics..

                           

Tidung a tribe whose land was originally located in the northen part of East Kalimantan. This tribe is also a country boy in Sabah, so there are tribes in Indonesia and Malaysia(Sabah State). The Dayak Tidung belong to the Dayak cluster, speak the Dayak Dayak Tidung dialect and follow Islam. Another group of Tidung live in Tawau, Kalabakan, Sandakan and many more in Sabah distict. Perhaps because they live on the beach, the Tidung more open to outsiders than other Dayak peoples. Outside influence is heightened by transmigration areas in the traditional Tidung territory.

                Tidung are typically Muslims who perform their religious ceremonies in Islamic ways, but at times with animist meanings. Islam was brought to the Tidung by merchants from Sulawesi. Their divison of inheritance is based on orthodox Islamic laws. The animist side of their beliefs includes believing that spirits inhabit certain objects or places and can influence human beings. Thus, their traditional ceremonies are actually focused on seeking protection through magic by either appeasing or controlling both good and bad spirits. A shaman plays an important role in Tidung society and is often asked to heal sicknesses with spells.

                                      

                Traditional house of the famous North Borneo called as House Baloy. This custom home architecture is the result of a culturals arts community Tidung, North Borneo. As with other tribes, this Tidung culture and models have their own custom home. Although this custom home is still using a high pole at the bottom, this customs home buidings shapes look moremodern and fashionable. This custom home was ellegedly the result of the development of a longhouse(Lamin) as inhabited by the Dayak tribe in East Kalimantan.

Most Tidung make their living as farmers. The Tidung practice migratory agriculture mainly because they cannot maintain the soil’s fertility. Each time they move, neighbours work together to clear new farm land by cutting down trees and burning the underbrush. This is to main cause of forest fires and damage.Other Tidung are fisherman. Generally Tidung choose their own marriage partners, but some marry partners choosen by their family. Tidung gradly welcome the birth of a child with a ritual feast, led by a religious leader. The celebration usually held after child is one or two weeks old. At the party, there is a swing riding ritual(naik ayun). In this ritual, the child’s parents put the child in a swing, cut the child’s hair and cover him or her with flour.

                   

                      

                Weddings in the Tidung community have traditions that are truly unique. Perhaps the most adorable for their customs is the one where the groom is not allowed to see bride’s face until he sing her several love songs. But than again, the bride is noy allowed to leave the confines of her home during the engagement period, and a groom who arrives late to the wedding needs to pay a fine. The custom is very normal and natural for the people of the Tidung tribe, who now inhabit the city of Sandakan, Sabah. They believe that not practising the three-day and night ritual would bring terrible luck to the couple.

                Tarakan dialect Tidung language is a language that mid Tidung as understood by all citizens Tidung. Some word Tidung still have in common with other Borneo languages. Tidung possibility still allied with clumps Murut Dayak because Tidung Muslim and develop Islamic empire that is not considered a Dayak tribe, but the tribe categorized cultured Melayu. Tidung speakers generally found in the region of East Kalimantan, North Borneo and Sabah Malaysia. They use Tidung languages in conversation when they are speaking together. Tidung languages speakers especially Tidung Tarakan is bilingual. They speak Tidung but can also speak Tidung Indonesia. There are five dialects Tidung Tarakan dialect such as Sembakung, Penchangan, Sedalir and Tidung Sembakung river. 

In conlusion, Tidung is a very unique and very special because of its ethnics are different with other ethnics. They have their own spiritual, culture, ceremony and languages that makes they have their own personalities.