Keeping Adan rice tradition alive - Borneo Post Online (2025)

NESTLED in the breathtaking Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Gerawat Nulun and his wife, Jennette, are among the last of their generation still dedicated to cultivating their ancestral land.

Their mission? To preserve and sustain the heritage of Adan rice – the grain that has nourished the Kelabit people for centuries.

Gerawat’s journey has taken him across the world – from the misty valleys of Bario to the bustling city of Miri, then to the prestigious institutions of Hawaii and Harvard – before finally returning home in 2001 to fulfil his lifelong dream of farming Adan rice in the way of his ancestors.

Now at age 79, he shares with the writer his life’s journey with his wife in the last 52 years.

Scholarship to Hawaii

In 1968, Gerawat became the first Kelabit student to receive a scholarship to study at the East-West Center in Hawaii, an institution established by then-US President John F Kennedy.

As he prepared to board his flight in Kuala Lumpur, he noticed a familiar face – his schoolmate Angki Kaboy.

“Where are you going?” asked Gerawat.

“Hawaii,” replied Angki.

“Me too!” Gerawat exclaimed.

While in Hawaii, Gerawat not only pursued his Degree in Economics, but was also selected to attend a prestigious summer programme at the Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The exposure to global ideas and economic policies planted a seed in his mind – how could he use his knowledge to benefit his people back home?

Returning to Sarawak

In 1971, after completing his studies, Gerawat returned home and took on a management role at an oil palm plantation scheme in Lambir, near Miri.

Although the job aligned with his passion for agriculture, it took him far away from his family and the land he truly loved.

The rugged roads made travel difficult, and access to medical facilities was limited.

Yet, even as he worked in the commercial plantation sector, one dream remained constant: bringing Adan rice back into the hands of his people.

“My vision is to preserve our Adan rice farming traditions, while also making it commercially viable.

“If our younger generations do not continue this, we risk losing not only our crop, but a part of our identity as well.”

In 2001, he and Jennette finally returned to Bario, dedicating themselves to the cultivation of Adan rice full-time.

‘The traditional way’

Unlike large-scale commercial farming, the cultivation of Adan rice is an art passed down through generations of Kelabits.

Gerawat and Jennette use no modern machinery; instead, they are relying on the traditional methods – ploughing the land by hand, channelling in water from the natural streams, and carefully managing the delicate ecosystem of the highlands.

Adan rice, often called the ‘gold of Bario’, is unlike any other staple grains. It thrives in the cool, misty climate of the highlands, where the mineral-rich soil gives it a unique fragrance and delicate texture.

Cultivating this grain is indeed a labour of love, requiring patience and a deep understanding of nature’s rhythms.

Today, the couple manages six acres of paddy plots, although their total landholding is actually 15 acres.

The labour-intensive process limits how much they can cultivate, but they are committed to maintaining the integrity of their farming methods.

“We use natural river water to irrigate our fields, and the rain helps replenish it. Our irrigation system is as old as our ancestors, and it has served us well for decades.”

With rapid modernisation and increasing urban migration, not many young Kelabits are interested in farming.

Gerawat lamented: “I fear that the traditional techniques may disappear one day. Adan rice is not just food – it is part of our cultural heritage.

“It signifies who we are. It connects us to our ancestors, and to our land.”

‘A life of achievements’

Throughout his life, Gerawat has accumulated a series of ‘firsts’: the first Kelabit to study at the East-West Center in Hawaii, USA; the first Kelabit oil palm scheme manager in Lambir; the first untrained ‘pengetua’ (principal) of Bario Secondary School in 1967; and the first Kelabit to be interviewed on sape music by a Chinese radio station.

His contributions extend beyond farming. A self-taught musician, he fell in love with the sape, the traditional stringed instrument of the Orang Ulu.

Though he and his schoolmates could not afford radios or guitars during their youth, they shared instruments and taught each other music.

Today, Gerawat plays the sape whenever he has the chance, hoping that the future generations of Orang Ulu would continue the tradition.

“The sape is our heritage. I want it to be recognised globally, like the Indian ‘sitar’, or the Chinese ‘er hu’.”

‘A 12-year journey of preserving language’

Gerawat’s dedication to preserving Kelabit culture extends beyond farming and music. Over the course of 12 years, he had painstakingly compiled a Kelabit-English dictionary, finally publishing it last year.

His inspiration came from Prof Robert Blust, a renowned linguist whom he met in Hawaii.

Even after decades apart, they reconnected via email in 2014, with the professor guiding him in his endeavour of documenting the Kelabit language.

Unfortunately, Prof Blust passed away in 2022, before he could see the final version of the dictionary.

“Language is the soul of a people. If we lose our language, we lose a piece of ourselves,” said Gerawat.

‘A future rooted in the past’

Gerawat and Jennette have been married for 52 years. Their four children and six grandchildren have pursued their own careers, but the couple remains hopeful that the younger generation would see the value of their heritage.

They welcome visitors to Bario who want to learn more about Adan rice and other Kelabit traditions.

Tourists and food enthusiasts alike come to experience the taste of freshly-harvested Adan rice, often describing it as ‘rice unlike any other’.

“We must never abandon our ancestral land,” stressed Gerawat.

“Our Adan rice is more than just a crop – it’s a symbol of our resilience, our history, and our future.”

So, if you ever find yourself in Bario Bazaar, look for Gerawat Nulun. He will be happy to share his stories about and his passion for Adan rice.

And who knows? You may even leave with a newfound appreciation for this sacred grain and the people who cultivate it.