In the old days, a village has to survive in a very hostile environment and many were barely manage to do so. So since the days of Ayang, our Bidayuh prophet, was told what to do in order to bring all the present rituals to pray for the community and the individuals in response to to what is wanted by TOPA to get the blessings need for the people and the community to survive in the days with any medical knowledge but was left the various experts in the various field to help thee Bidayuh community to survive to this day.. ravages of epidemics of malaria, cholera, smallpox, diphtheria, whooping cough etc has resulted in the current low population compared to the Chinese etc who has knowledge to survive to this day. They do not suffer from the epidemics of cholera for instance for they prefer to drink boiled water and tea while the Bidayuh normally direct from the streams or river…
In spite of the health challenges, rituals are develop to do communal and individual healings…some ceremonies like Gawea Sopid and Gawea Olan are done to seek further blessings for abundant life so that the community would be free from wants. For instance, an offering will be made so that the jungles, rivers and streams will be blessed for more fishes, wild boars etc…. another offering will be made so that the community will be blessed with more fruits, especially the durians… and naturally for the Paddy….Gawea Olan is for these things. But this year, the Gawea Olan is in its fourth year cycle which is Gawea Olan/PINJA, thus attaching a healing component to the ceremony.
PINJA ceremony is the highest healing ceremony for the community as well as for a family or individual.
Thus this year, the ceremony is to seek for all the blessings the villagers need as well as a healing ceremony to appease those “unseen” who may have been offended one way or the other… thus it is also the time for reparation and diplomacy with those who share this earth with us…those unseen no matter who they are.
a better future 