Ukit people


The Ukit people is a tribe found in Sarawak, Malaysia. They are a small minority people who until recently were nomads in the rain forests of Borneo. Some were settled at Rumah Ukit on the upper reaches of the Batang Balui or Balui River. Most of the Ukits are found in the Upper Rajom and Tatau rivers, Baleh, Sarawak. The Ukit people were also regarded as a sub-group of the purported Klemantan people.
The Ukit's population is small in numbers and suffer potential extinction due to many of the tribesmen being killed a long time ago. Heavy losses in war to stronger Dayak tribes in Borneo resulted them being chased out of their homelands. Intermarriage with other tribes is also another factor for their decreasing population. Today, the Ukit population is estimated to be only about 120. However, there may still be an unknown number of Ukit living in their traditional way as forest nomads.
In 1880 the Ukits were encountered by the English explorer Harry De Windt who described them as follows: