KUCHING: The Dayak community will be celebrating Gawai on June 1 among their household in their respective homes due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bung Bratak Heritage Association president Datuk Peter Minos said hopefully by next year when Sarawak is free from coronavirus, the Dayaks can have a bigger and joyous Gawai to make up for this year’s celebration.
“Gawai is a time when Dayaks are reminded of their heritage, their identity and of whom they are in this world.
“Remove Gawai, you remove the meaning of being a Dayak. That is the deeper meaning of Gawai,” he said in his Gawai message today.
“We cannot ignore Gawai or the spirit behind it because Gawai is our deep-rooted culture. “But what matters most now is that we have a happy and joyful Gawai with our families at home and keep our loved ones, who are far away, in our heart and mind,” he said.