Bidayuh is the collective name for several indigenous groups found in southern
Sarawak,
Malaysia and northern
West Kalimantan,
Indonesia, on the island of
Borneo, that are broadly similar in language and culture (see also issues below). The name
Bidayuh means 'inhabitants of land'. Originally from the western part of Borneo, the collective name
Land Dayak was first used during the period of Rajah
James Brooke, the
White Rajah of Sarawak. They constitute one of the main indigenous groups in Sarawak and West Kalimantan and live in towns and villages around
Kuching and
Samarahan in the
Malaysian state of
Sarawak, while in the
Indonesian province of
West Kalimantan they are mainly concentrated in the northern
Sanggau Regency. In Sarawak, most of Bidayuh population are found within 40 km of the geographical area known as Greater Kuching, within the
Kuching and
Samarahan division. They are the second largest Dayak ethnic group in Sarawak after the
Iban and one of the major Dayak tribes in West Kalimantan.