Riska: Memories of a Dayak Girlhood

by Riska Orpa Sari

Never before has the Dayak culture been described from the inside, by an indigenous woman born and raised in the rainforest listening to the stories and legends of her tribe, who are famous as the "head- hunters of Borneo." In this vivid memoir - that speaks to readers everywhere about the powerful effects of change - Riska tells us what it means to move in one's lifetime from a rainforest culture to the modern world.

Genres: Memoir

257 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Sarah Corsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must!
This is an exceptional account of the life of a girl in the forest of Borneo (Kalimantan) and then the life of a Dayak woman in a very different more modern society on the coast. The norms and notions of what is appropriate for a girl/woman are very different between the Dayak Delang (or Dayak Ngaju) and the Muslim majority coastal "modern" society.

The most important part of this book is the incredibly detailed account of life in the forest. A forest that sadly is being logged away, one tree at a time.

[Skinsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and often sad stories but not very well written and a bit scattered. I appreciate, however, that the stories were published; I assume there aren’t many books in English that discuss the Dayak culture, especially from a female perspective.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read after The Follow by Linda Spalding. Interesting ethnographic memoir. Would like to engage author as guide on upcoming holiday but can't find contact info online.